Antiracist Activism for Teachers and Students

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

A Wikibookian believes this page should be split into smaller pages with a narrower subtopic. You can help by splitting this big page into smaller ones. Please make sure to follow the naming policy. Dividing books into smaller modules can provide more focus and allow each one to do one thing well, which benefits everyone. You can ask for help in dividing this book in the assistance reading room.

This book is intended for use in an undergraduate teacher education course that focuses on teaching and learning in multicultural ways. It contains an overview of the history of antiracist activism in the U.S. and information about who activists are and the type of work they do or have done. Sample curricula provide teachers with reliable lesson plans they can use in K-12 settings so that students will be able to learn about the activists and the projects with which they were involved. The book will also highlight the ways in which students have become involved in school and community projects that challenge the inequities they see. Contemporary student-generated social action projects originating in K-12 settings will also be explored.

Contents 1 What is Racism/What is Anti-Racism 1.1 History of Anti-Racism 2 Points to Consider for Teaching Anti-racism 2.1 Colorblind Racial Idealogy in the Classroom and How to Minimize it 2.2 How To Incorporate Media Literacy In Schools 2.3 Anti-Racism in Early Childhood 2.4 A World of Difference: An Overview and Comparison 3 Analyzing Literature for Children and Adolescents 3.1 Children's Literature 3.2 Analyzing Language in Children's Literature 3.3 Teaching Historical Literature from an Anti-racist Perspective 3.4 Selected Book Titles for Children 4 Anti-racism and the Arts 4.1 Artivism: An Exploration of Antiracist Activism through Arts 4.2 Movies from an Anti-Racist Perspective: Facilitating Discussion 4.3 Stand Up Speak Out: Anti-Racist Female Poets 5 Students Taking Action 5.1 Student Activism 5.2 Students Who Take the Lead to Promote Antiracism 6 White Anti-racist Activists 6.1 Anti-racist Activists 6.2 White antiracist activists of western Massachusetts 6.3 Nationally known white anti-racists 6.4 How a White Ally Can Be A Role Model

[edit] What is Racism/What is Anti-Racism

[edit] History of Anti-Racism

[edit] Points to Consider for Teaching Anti-racism

[edit] Colorblind Racial Idealogy in the Classroom and How to Minimize it

By Elaine, Denise, Charisse, Kate

Over the years, there has been a great attempt in the educational system to address issues of inequality. Schools have been legally desegregated, communities are becoming more diverse and some schools are even implementing multi-cultural curriculum. Although these laws have been put in place many schools are still mostly segregated and there is an over-representation of students of color placed in special education. Many people do not see this as a racial issue because of the laws that have been put in place to combat inequality in education. People have taken the stance that racism is over and they do not see color; therefore, race has nothing to do with why particular school districts are segregated or why students of color get put in special education more so than their white counterparts.

In this chapter, we will try to expose racism within classrooms through the lens of color-blindness. We will examine the different ways that color-blindness can enter the classroom through what teachers say and the curriculum. We will further explore the ways that this affects students’ opportunities to learn about race and racism and hopefully act as a catalyst for change.

WHAT IS COLOR-BLIND IDEOLOGY?

Color-blind refers to the belief that race does not matter in a social context or that it is neutral in a social context. Color-blindness keeps people from raising concerns and questioning the value of race and racial inequalities in daily experiences. Similarly, those who hold a color-blind view are essentially ignoring race and helping to perpetuate racism in society. People will claim that a person of color is playing the “race card” or using “identity politics” to push racial matters into situations where they believe they simply do not apply.

According to Bonilla-Silva (2003), there are “four frames” of color-blindness: abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural racism, and minimization of racism. Abstract liberalism is when people apply abstract or decontextualized ideas about people of color, such as being supportive of equal opportunity, but in reality what happens is a rationalization for racially unfair situations or opportunities. Naturalization uses the belief that things are the way they are because it is “natural.” Often times this explanation is used when a White person is explaining the existence of racially or ethnically distinct neighborhoods, the limited contact between Whites and people of color, or why there are clear differences in academic success between Whites and some other racial groups. Cultural racism is when people believe people are supposed to stick with their own culture in social situations and is used to justify people’s positions of power in society. Minimization of racism which states that racism no longer exists because it is not in the legal system anymore and life is fine now. Therefore people believe that racism is really not the cause of social injustice but the individuals or particular racial groups own doing such as a “bad attitude,” or not a very good work ethic. This attitude results in the belief that everyone is treated equally.

EXAMPLES OF COLOR-BLINDNESS IN THE CLASSROOM:

“I’m not prejudice, I don’t notice any differences in these kids, I treat them all the same” (Tatum, 1999)

The above quote is an excerpt from an interview conducted by Beverly Tatum and is a classic example of how teachers are ignoring race in their class rooms. When teachers say they “don’t notice any differences in these kids” they are trying to convey their unbiased ideology towards their students. When a teacher implements this in the classroom however, he/she is causing more harm than good. By treating students the same way, a teacher is actually ignoring the cultural and ethnic differences that exist between the students. The teacher may impose their own culture and ethnic background on their students without having an understanding of their students needs. This way of teaching can hold some students back and may be the cause for why some students get labeled with learning disabilities.

In Frank Fingarsen’s piece “Why Do You Force Your Ways?” he talks about a seemingly troublesome student, Matthew who just didn’t want to learn. According to his teacher, Matthew’s “school work was dismal,” “his work was of poor quality, his study habits were atrocious, and his attitude towards school was even worse” (Fingarsen, 2006). Fingarsen was determined to change his student’s ways however, when he met with Matthew’s father, Matthew’s father was actually the one who changed Fingarsen’s ways.

Fingarsen believed that Matthew could not learn because whatever method he used seemed to fail. Fingarsen had assumed that his student had a learning disability and that his attitude meant he did not care about learning. He met with his father to discuss the situation and the meeting turned out to be pivotal for both teacher and student. Matthew’s father pointed out that his son was not learning because Fingarsen was not using Matthew’s experience to relate to the materials in class. Fingarsen realized he had imposed his own values and ways of learning on to his student. If he wanted Matthew to learn, he would have to relate the material in class to that of Matthew’s background and not his own (Fingarsen, 2006).

Matthew’s story is a great example of how teachers use color-blindness in the classroom without realizing the harmful effects it can have on students. By ignoring his student’s culture, Fingarsen was led to believe that his student was in need of remedial help. Without becoming aware of his biases, Fingarsen may have continued to treat Matthew as a remedial student, which could have had detrimental consequences such as Matthew losing interest in school or being placed in special education.

“I treat students as if they’re like my own children” (Delpit, 1990)

It is not uncommon to hear teachers use this phrase when asked how they treat their students. Teachers may feel that by comparing their students to their own children it will prove they do not treat students with a certain bias. As well-intentioned as this statement may be it also implies that teachers expect their students to have the same knowledge and background as their own children, and in theory, themselves. For many White teachers working in pre-dominantly non-White school systems, the misconception that students contain the same knowledge as their own children can lead to many obstacles. When teachers instruct their students based on what they believe they should already know some students may get left behind. In other words, “the child who did not come to school already rimed with what was to be presented would be labeled as needing “remedial” instruction from day one; indeed, this determination would be made before he or she was ever taught” (Delpit, 91). Students as early as kindergarten get held back do to this type of approach.

By taking this approach, teachers are not recognizing difference in culture and again may impose their own culture onto their students. For example, if a white student threw a book on the floor and the White teacher asked the student whether or not the book belonged on the floor, the white student would most likely pick up on the cue to pick up the book or get in trouble. A student from a different culture may not comprehend a subtle hint and may take the question at face value leading them to not pick up the book. Something so simple could lead to some students getting labeled as trouble makers when in fact it could be something as simple as a more direct response from the teacher such as “please pick up the book”. Because of the cultural difference between a teacher and a student, a student may not pick up on these veiled commands (Delpit, 93) and as a result could be labeled as having behavioral problems.

Just Another “kid put down” (Lewis, 2001)

Amanda E. Lewis found clear examples of color-blind racism from the ethnographic case study that she conducted at Foresthills Elementary (2001). Lewis’s study found that white students learn racist thoughts and behaviors from their parents and schooling ideaology. Color-blind racism was most apparent when racial conflicts occurred between students as well as explaining the multicultural curriculum of the school. For example, when the only biracial child in a fourth grade class was called “N…” by a White student and soon after “Blackie” by another White student, the teachers and principle explained to Lewis that the child was “misunderstanding” the significance of race in these situations. The teacher further explained that the child would often play the “race card” in her reasons why she didn’t like school. The teachers were minimizing racism by explaining the child misunderstood the comments and by claiming that race was not the reason for the child’s unhappiness. By not taking the opportunity to educate the children on the harmful effect of the words used, the children were left with no understanding of what racism or racist acts are. This example demonstrates the teacher’s tolerance for the use of racial slurs as just being like another “kid put down” (Lewis, 2001). The biracial child was viewed by the teachers as the one who had the problem and was making a big deal out of nothing. Acts such as this can lead a child to lose interest in school, detach from others, and decrease his/her academic performance.

Color-blindness ideologies held by teachers are rooted in the claim that teachers do not see color, but just children. A teacher from a different school, claimed that she; “Wouldn’t even be able to tell ..how many African-American, Latino or Asian students she had in her class because she just didn’t ‘notice’ such things” (Lewis, 2001, pp. 792). Later in the same interview the teacher explained she felt that Blacks and Latinos did not have the same sense of success or concept of what success is compared to White and Asian students. As often occurs with color blind idealogy the teacher who claimed not to see race also held racial biases based on stereotypes. She claimed to support equal treatment of all her students, but at the same time she separates the meaning of success by racial groups.

The teachers lack of support for multi-cultural education was another example of the color-blind ideology used at Foresthills Elementary. As part of Lewis’s ethnographic study, she posed questions about the multicultural curriculum in the school. The teachers’ and principle responded their school was not diverse, therefore, race was not an issue and multicultural activities were not important for their students (Lewis, 2001). This finding demonstrates the color blind view that race is only an issue for people of color. The teachers’ and principal’s color-blindness was being used as a reason for not incorporating cultural, ethnic or racial differences in their curriculum thus limiting the education of their students. Without a multi cultural curriculum students do not learn how to view the world through different lenses which can lead to the continuation of institutional racism through the education system. A multi cultural curriculum places value on race, ethnicity, and cultural practices that allows students to value differnces in our society. The standard curriculum can help perpetuate the belief that White cultures and lessons are the only ones of value and are the “right” lessons to teach. The color-blind ideologies of teachers are further supported within the curriculum and classroom resources, including textbooks, toys, lesson plans and large group activities.

CURRICULUM

Color blindness is also prevalent in most school curriculums as well as many lesson plans and student activities. Teachers do not recognize the diversity in their classroom and implement lessons that cater primarily to white middle class students. Many teachers in elementary and middle schools focus on a curriculum that is geared to white students and as a result students of color develop tendencies of dissatisfaction with school because they feel that the material presented is not relevant to them.

In the current curriculum, teachers focus on the basic subjects such as, mathematics, reading/language arts, science and social studies. Teachers do not focus on nor implement multiculturalism in their classrooms. Many feel they are being sensitive to both students of color as well as white students by the textbooks they use in their classrooms. Most textbooks have pictures portraying white students studying as well as being the heroes throughout history. The problem with these textbooks is that they solidify racial stereotypes in children and are an example of tokenism. In many textbooks, the portrayal of students of color is not accurate which can be seen as another example of perpetuating stereotypes. For example, in many children books students of color are depicted as having really bad hair or exaggerated lips

Even though research has demonstred current curriculum taught in the educational system can be detrimental to the development of children, it continues to be used throughout the country. Changing the curriculum to add multiculturalism is like opening Pandora’s Box. Many teachers are not ready for that change and others fear the questions that may arise in their classrooms. Many find it easier to follow a curriculum that has been implemented from previous years than having to integrate a new one where one may not be prepared for the challenges. In addition, many teachers are not equiped with the necessary knowledge to bring multiculturalism into their classroom and others feel that it is not necessary due to their color blind approach.

RESULTS/ EFFECTS OF COLOR-BLIND IDEOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

Due to the use of color-blind teaching in schools, students, particularly White students learn to “mask,” or “disregard” race, while simultaneously absorbing the racially based stereotypes as facts. The color-blind approach teaches children that racism is over and therefore they are unable to recognize the institutional inequalities that people of color face. Students do not learn the historical and present racism that allows for the inequalities to exist. Instead, students learn to put the blame on the indiviudal and adopt the belief that we all have the same opporutnity to succeed. For example many white students put the blame on people of color for the achievement gap in the educational stystem.

Color-blindness can have psychological damaging effects on children in the classroom and beyond, specifically those who are marginalized by their ethnicity. One major psychological effect color blindness has on children is a loss of identity. When people do not recognize who you are and your differences from other students it can create a very stressful environment and cause students of color to question their identity and try to fit in with mainstream white society. Most of us find are identity based on how other people perceive us. People of color are constantly being left out of school textbooks and popular media which ultimately reinforces white society as the norm. When people of color are portrayed through these outlets it is usually in a negative way. Most colorblind teachers do not realize that they represent some races and ethnicities in a negative way or don’t recognize them at all which can leave students feeling left out. It is important for teachers to understand the importance of identity development in their students and how it differs for students due to their culture.

WHAT SHOULD TEACHERS DO?

Teachers can implement a multicultural education. Multicultural education can be used as a challenging tool which provides equal opportunities for all students to learn about social inequalities and the celebration of differences (Lewis, 2001). This does not mean that a teacher should focus on “bettering” the education of students of color or assimilating non-white students into a white culturally based curriculum. Multicultural education should not take the form of having one day of diversity by posting images of Martin Luther King Jr. up and then taking him down a few days later.

Multicultural education teaches students how to challenge and critique social inequalities. Such a curriculum or system uses resources and lessons which focus on institutionalized racism and other forms of oppression that are found inside and out of the classroom. This approach does not use the excuse or blame the students’ cultural experiences from home like traditional education may do. Restructuring a classroom’s or school’s curriculum is a major project that needs to be supported by teachers, school administrators and even parents.

In addition to changing the curriculum, teachers can make personal changes in how he or she approaches students’ identities and social conflicts in the classroom. For example, Tatum (1999) suggests that identities are lost when not acknowledged by a teacher; therefore teachers must take opportunities to support and respect all identities brought into the classroom. No two students are the same; therefore no two students will come into a classroom with the same understanding of academic subjects, language uses or valued cultural lessons. Teachers must not assume all students are bringing in the same experiences. Regardless of the demographics of a classroom, every child learns from a multicultural based education directed through the diversity each student brings into the classroom.

REFERENCES Bonilla-Silva, E. (2003). “New Racism,” colorblind racism, and the future of whiteness in America. In Doan e, A.W. & Bonilla-Silva, E (Eds.), White Out: The continuing significance of racism (pp. 271-284). New York: Routledge. Delpit, L. D. (1990). “The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People’s Children.” In N. M. Hildalgo, C. L. McDowell, and E. V. Siddle (Eds.), Facing Racism in Education (pp. 84-102). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Review. Fingarsen, F. (2006). “Why Do You Force Your Ways?” In E. Lee, D. Menkart, and M. Okazawa-Rey (Eds.), Beyond Hereos and Holidays (pp. 96-97). Washington, D.C.: Teaching for Change. Leiding, D. (2006). Racial Bias in the Classroom: Can Teachers Reach All Children? Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education. Lewis, Amanda E. (2001). There is no ‘race’ in the schoolyard: Color-blind ideology at an (almost) all White school. American Educational Research Journal, 38:781-811. Sedlack, W. E., Brooks, G. C. Jr. (1976). Racism in American Education. Chicago: Nelson-Hall. Tatum, Beverly D. (1999). Color-blind or color conscious. American Association of School Administrators. Retrieved on December 7, 2007. from http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3433&snItemNumber=&tnItemNumber=

[edit] How To Incorporate Media Literacy In Schools

By Emily And Lee Tae

As radio and television stations have become large predominantly white corporate entities, it has become increasingly difficult for people from communities of color to own radio and television stations. The existence of racism, low economic status, and lack of access to technology often prohibit media makers of color from voicing their opinions (Free Press, n.d.). According to a report by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration people of color owned only 449 (3.8 percent) of full-power commercial radio and television stations in the United States by 2001(Free Press, n.d.). These predominantly white owned companies and institutions often project negative racial images in the media that ultimately influences the way people think about race and how society functions. Because of this, it is important for students to recognize how communities of color have historically been misrepresented in the media in order to breakdown the stereotypes that have been embedded in society.

Media literacy is slowly becoming an accepted field of study for educators to research and teach (Yosso, 2002). Media Literacy is “the ability to access, analyze, and produce information for specific outcomes” (Schwarz et al., 2005, 11). The purpose of a school wide curriculum that includes media literacy is for students to have the opportunity to learn how to ask critical questions that allow the students analyze and recognize socially constructed stereotypes within the media. Students will learn how every day image constructions can be driven by money and influenced by media makers’ personal opinions which in turn will empower students to challenge the dominant discourse. Media literacy curriculum will challenge students to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as agents of social change. Students will learn how to use media to perpetuate a positive view of race and inform others about media literacy. Through this understanding, students will gain perspective about the importance of equal racial control and operation of media production.

To begin incorporating media literacy into the curriculum it is crucial to teach the fundamentals behind the corporations and institutions that control the media. It is important to first explain to students about how the media is formed, why it is formed, and the influences it has on society (Schwarz et al., 2005, 1). By using examples of different forms of media, such as commercials and television shows, students can easily understand how the media is constructed to form and present opinions. The teachers should cover the following eight key concepts in their curriculum Pungente, 1989):

1. All media are constructions of images and sounds to provoke messages and opinions. 2. Our views and interpretations of reality are often formed by media messages. 3. Audiences interpret the meaning of media messages differently based upon their race, class, and personal experiences. 4. Media is a commercial industry controlled by businesses that aspire to make a profit. 5. Media is an ideological medium that advocates for certain social beliefs. 6. Media is a resource to provoke political change. 7. Relatable form and content of media is used to attract certain groups of people. 8. Media is made to be aesthetically pleasing to individuals, by using certain editing techniques.

While media literacy is advised in all classrooms, it is important to avoid duplicating activities and audio-visual materials (Duncan, 1989). Each year, teachers, department heads, and principals should plan a school-wide, sequential media studies program. It is recommend that there be a media-literacy board within the school which can organize educational workshops for teachers and help them design curricula for their respective classrooms, as well as organize the sequence of lessons from grade level to grade level.

In order to begin to form a media literate curriculum in the classroom, teachers and principals must take into account the wide variety of options that exist for inclusion in a media lesson. According to the Media Awareness Network, there are three broad areas within which we can raise questions that will allow students to “deconstruct” the media: text, audience, and production (Duncan, 1989). A text is any media product a teacher wishes to examine, whether it is a television program, a book, a poster, a popular song, or the latest fashion. We can discuss with students what the type of text is, and how it differs from other types of text. We can also identify its denotative meaning and discuss such features as narrative structure, how meanings are communicated, values embedded in the text, and similarities and differences between texts (Duncan, 1989).

It is important for students and teachers to identify who the producers of the text are tyring to target as well as those who are receiving the text (the audience). Advertisers often show images or use music they know particular age groups of people relate to and in this way they target a specific demographic through the texts they produce (Canadian Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts, 1992). Production encompasses everything that goes into making media texts; the technology, ownership and economics, the institutions involved, the legal issues, and the use of common codes and practices. The teacher must focus on the relationships between the text, the production, and the audience. How does the cost of technology determine who can make media productions? How are values related to ownership and control? What is the relationship between story content and commercial priorities? These questions all pertain to the racial inequality of media ownership and representation within the media (Duncan, 1989).

Students come to class with a preconceived notion about media and are unaware at times of the subliminal influence the media may have on the way they think and act in society. Teachers can begin with the students preconveived notions and build from their experience by introducing new ideas and media that students are not familiar with. The basic method of media studies is that of a "spiral curriculum," a concept developed by educator Jerome Bruner. The fundamental principle of this method is that the key concepts of media literacy can be taught through any discipline to students of any level. The key concepts therefore, can be successively built upon throughout all levels of education. As students mature and develop they can study media literacy in increasingly sophisticated ways. While these sample lessons are directed towards middle-high school aged students because of the types of media used, there is no reason that educators should be discouraged from using different media to bring media literacy to an elementary school level (Fleming, 2007).

Much like Bruner, J. Francis Davis suggests in his article, “Media Literacy: From Activism to Exploration,” that media literacy should be incorporated in all classrooms. Even though most teachers only teach one subject, he believes it is the teacher’s responsibility to teach not only about media, but how the media is formed (Davis, 1992). For example, a history teacher could present news media material from the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement and show how the media illustrates racial inequality over time. The teacher should be prepared to guide the students through a list of questions that allow the students to critically analyze the media image. Out of the many media literacy curriculums already formed, the most widely accepted curriculum for all subjects emphasizes critical questions which can be asked and answered by students about the media seen (Schwarz et. al., 2005, 126). The most widely accepted questions are named, “The Five”:

1) Who created this message? 2) What creative techniques are used to attract attention? 3) How might different people understand this message differently? 4) What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from this message? 5) Why is this message being sent?

The process of answering such critical questions will raise students awareness on how the media can influence people in society. Students will become informed about the ways in which the media portrays particular people or groups of people and how those portrayals can influence how people think and act towards each other.

Media literacy does not just stop at the analytical level. After students become comfortable with the process of reading media, they can then use media to voice their own opinions and become antiracist activists. Students can create their own media, such as commercials, news updates, and music. By creating their own media the students learn the process through experience and are able to use media to send out a postive message. Students need to determine what they want to say, who they want to say it to, and how they are going to go about it (Canadian Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts, 1992). The following website www.media-awareness.ca has examples of an effective communications plan built around a hypothetical situation.

An effective media program will involve students in both analysis and production of media products. Teachers should challenge students to find their own voices, to work hard to apply them, and to do so responsibly. Students shouold be encouraged to express themselves within their own vernacular and be empowered to interact with media through language. Our critique of the media as it exists does not fully examine the structures that perpetuate racial privilege therefore, teachers must also give students lessons about racism and white privilege. Media literacy is slowly becoming a more widely accepted research topic. Media affects everyone, and plays a large part in our lives. Groups such as AMLA and ACME (Action Coalition for Media Education) are groups that support media literacy however, they have a very different perception of what media literacy is. AMLA believes that media literacy is a process in critically examining media, while ACME fully rejects all media (Schwarz et al., 2005, 235). Many ACME antiracist curriculums available to educators focus only on the negative aspects of the media (Schwarz et. al., 2005, 236). It is important however, that curriculums include how the media can positively portray opinions and messages about race and culture. C. Wornsop is quoted in saying, “If media education is seen exclusively- or even principally- as an instrument to cure things that are seen as being wrong with today’s media or with today’s students, or with today’s society, it won’t work… it will fail as a subject in the curriculum.” (Schwarz et. al., 2005, 237). The media is a powerful instrument that reaches millions of people and if used in a positive way it can effect social change.

There are many other immerging groups who focus on education, which resemble ACME and AMLA. The Center of Media and Values have produced curricula packages that provide teachers with activity books and lesson plans that teach students about media literacy since 1990 (Davis, 1992, 10). There is a growing amount of curricula packages like Media Values presented at media literacy based conferences, such as the Southwest Alternative Project (Davis, 1992, 11).The growing support of organizations and materials, though different in some aspects, are helping students become more aware of the affects of the media. Practical media production is an important dimension that complements the application of the key concepts and decoding exercises. Keep in mind however, that practical activities should never become an end in themselves; otherwise, the critical inquiry that is central to media study may be ignored.

THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES PROVIDE HELPFUL TOOLS FOR TEACHERS WHO WANT THEIR STUDENTS TO CREATE ANTI-RACIST MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM: www.youthspeaks.org Youth Speaks is the leading nonprofit presenter of Spoke Word performance, education, and youth development programs in the country. Committed to a critical, youth centered pedagogy, Youth Speaks places students in control over their intellectual and artistic development. http://omai.wisc.edu/programs/ Promotes spoken word education for teachers and offers programs for students in schools.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BRINGING MEDIA LITERACY INTO THE CLASSROOM, VISIT: Other sources:

http://www.mediachannel.org/classroom/ Resource for teachers aiming to bring media-literacy into the classroom
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/media_ed_approaches.cfm Guides for creating media literacy curricula
http://www.medialit.org/ Provides a lot of information on a wide variety of media topics 

image http://www.amlainfo.org/uploads/2o/MP/2oMPqKzNa_zdlbh_YzR0Jw/AMLA_CPMLE_1207.pdf image http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/toolkit_resources/tipsheets/making_communications_plan.cfm

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SOURCES: Bergsma, L., Considine, D., Culver, S. H., Hobbs, R., Rosen, Y., Scheibe, C., et al. (2007, April). Core Principles of Media Literacy Education. Retrieved November 18, 2007, fromAlliance for a Media Literate America: http://www.amlainfo.org/core-principles Communities of Color and Media Ownership. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2007, from Free Press: http://www.freepress.net/issues/cc_ownership Davis, F. (1992). Media Literacy: From Activism to Exploration. Retrieved December 9, 2007, from Center for Media Literacy: http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/pdf/357_AspenBkgnd_Davis.pdf Duncan, B. e. (1989). Specific Approaches to Media Literacy. In B. e. Duncan, Media Literacy Resource Guide. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education. English Quarterly, vol. 25, nos. 2-3. Canadian Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts. Toronto, Ontario, 1992. Fleming, J. (2007, Nov 11). Media Literacy in Higher Education. Retrieved Nov 18, 2007, from Ebsco: http.web.evscohost.com/proxy Pungente, J. (2007). Nine Factors that Make Media Literacy Flourish. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from Media Awareness Network: awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teaching_backgrounders/media_literacy/9_f ctors.cfm Schwarz, G., & Brown, P. (2005). Media Literacy: Transforming Curriculum and Teaching. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Yosso, T. (2002, March 22). Critical Race Media and Literacy: Challenging deficit discourse about Chicanas. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from High Beam Encyclopedia: www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1g1-84902438.html

[edit] Anti-Racism in Early Childhood

by Bethany Uscilka, Sarah Solie, Caitlin Granahan

The National Director of the Anti Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman has said, "Children are born into this world without prejudice, but can learn prejudice as easily as the alphabet or tying their shoes; getting to children as early as possible is important when you want to instill them with positive images of themselves and others” (Anti-Defamation League, 2001, How Can We Stop Hate Before it Starts? section, para. 0). Therefore, while it is important to educate adults about racism, raising children who will be antiracists is an essential step towards achieving real change in our society. Incorporating anti-racist curriculum in early childhood education provides children with a foundation to fight for social justice later in their lives.

Some parents and educators argue that it is inappropriate to educate young children about racism. They oppose anti-racist education in early childhood on the grounds that concepts such as prejudice and discrimination are too complex for young children to understand, that educators “shouldn’t be forcing their political issues down the throats of young children,” and that the “early years are for playing and having fun, not solving the ills of the world” (Davidson & Pelo (2000) p.1). It has also been argued that addressing racism in school actually results in an increase of racist incidents (Dr. R. Jones, personal communication, April 10, 2008), and that anti-racist education detracts from primary subject education (Davidson & Pelo (2000) p.1).

However, those in support of anti-racist curriculum in early childhood emphasize that children are not color-blind and that noticing differences is biological. By six months, infants recognize color differences, by two years children are aware of physical aspects of identity including skin color and gender, and by age five, children begin to recognize group ethnic identity as part of their developing sense of self (Hofheimer Betman, & Stern-LaRosa, 2000, p. 18-23). Children are, therefore, naturally aware of differences and to ignore difference in the classroom counters their curiosity to learn about others.

A classroom environment rich in possibilities for exploring diversity provides children with opportunities to develop ideas about themselves and others, allows them to initiate conversations about differences in a safe environment, and provides teachers with a setting in which they can introduce activities about diversity (Stern-LaRosa, 2001, Talking to children about diversity: Preschool years section, para. 7). Teachers are an integral part of a child’s development, and can be key figures in shaping children’s perceptions of differences. They are influential role-models who have the potential to teach children to be anti-racists.

The formation of children’s attitudes towards difference is a social process in which the family, school, and media all play major roles (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 15). Thus, in our racialized society, children are constantly exposed to racism, but the school is a place where these views can be challenged (Lee, 2006, p. 4). Because children absorb societal beliefs, it is important to teach them during their development to appreciate differences rather than allowing them to internalize society’s racism.

Children’s experiences in early childhood shape how they will approach differences throughout their life. The preschool years lay the foundation for children’s development of a strong sense of self, empathy, and positive attitudes towards difference and social interaction skills. The racism that exists in our society has the ability to sabotage their healthy development in these areas. Through anti-bias activities and the help of educators, children can learn to resist racism (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 193). Even young children have the ability to be anti-racists; what children learn in the classroom can be transferred into action to combat the injustice they encounter in the world around them.

Working from Sonia Nieto’s “Levels of Multicultural Education Support,” we find that the best classroom for children to practice anti-racism in is one that could be characterized as embodying “Affirmation, Solidarity, and Critique” (the fifth and final level of multicultural education support). Although anti-racist activism is a desirable component in all strains of life, one finds that a classroom in which “students work and struggle with one another” (Nieto, 2006 p. 26) is most conducive to anti-racist activism.

Vehemently anti-racist and anti-bias curricula strive for the development of a student who will actively promote social justice. Through activities that build a strong sense of self, empathy, a positive attitude towards people different from oneself, and healthy social interaction skills, students may be guided towards the path of anti-racist activism. The Anti-Bias Curriculum, developed by a multi-ethnic group of early childhood educators, promotes the following goals:

1. To nurture each child’s construction of a knowledgeable, confident self-concept and group identity.

2. To promote each child’s comfortable, empathic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.

3. To foster each child’s critical thinking about bias.

4. To cultivate each child’s ability to stand up for her/himself and for others in the face of bias (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 193).

These principles should be a topic of discussion and a part of primary activities, but also relevant to students’ role as activists, because, as Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope point out, “Multicultural education, to be effective, needs to be more active” (Nieto, 2006 p. 26).

An integral part of anti-racist activism among young students involves awareness about the seriousness of the issue. It is therefore necessary to discuss and define principles and ideologies regarding race and prejudice with children from a young age. Sandra Fitzpatrick emphasizes the importance of starting with concrete examples and working towards the more abstract when working with particularly young students. She suggests role-playing and contextual conversations to help children grasp the concepts of race and prejudice. For example, the Dr. Suess children’s book, “The Sneetches” is particularly useful in explaining that what is on the outside doesn’t matter (Fitzpatrick, personal communication, April 24, 2008). Once students have a grasp on what prejudice is, and how it can hurt people, anti-racist activities can begin. Activism can happen right in the classroom, around the community, or in larger society.

Fitzpatrick recommends an activity for the classroom that can take place throughout each school day over the course of the entire year (and hopefully will spread to other reaches of their lives). She explains the concept of prejudice to the students, and then tells them that they are all “prejudice detectors;” each of which has the power to point out prejudice whenever it may occur. She has noticed kindergartener’s observations range from students pointing out basic sexist gender-roles within playtime activities, to students recognizing prejudice in themselves outside of the classroom, a fairly astute observation for even mature, practicing anti-racists (Fitzpatrick, personal communication, April 24, 2008).

One kindergarten teacher worked with her students to paint over a wall in a park that had racial slurs written on it. She stopped the group one day while walking through the park and asked them, “‘Do you know what is written on this wall? It makes me very angry.’” She proceeded to talk with the students about what they meant and, as a class, they decided to paint over the words (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 194). Caryl Stern-LaRosa and Ellen Hofheimer Bettman even suggest designating a wall space where students can write, draw or paint “graffiti with a harmonious and unifying message” (Hofheimer Betman, & Stern-LaRosa, 2000, p. 282).

Activism projects like the ones described above can be especially helpful in sparking discussion among young students. Teachers will undoubtedly have to help fill in gaps in these slightly more complex issues, but age appropriateness is key in advocating anti-racist activism among young students.

One activity Louise Derman-Sparks recommends involves “flesh-colored bandages… a material of considerable interest to young children” (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 195). One day, while attending to a minor scrape, she said to the children, “Look at this—it says on the box that these bandages are flesh-colored. That means they are the same color as our skin. Let’s see if it really is true.” Each child then received a bandage on his or her arm, and they noticed that the bandages matched very few of the students’ skin tones. The next day, they invited members of other classrooms to participate in the experiment. Noticing that the bandages were, indeed, not a universal skin color, they opted to write a letter to the company. The children dictated what they wanted to say, Derman-Sparks added a description of their experiment, and the letter was mailed to the company. They also got parents involved, sending letters home about what they were doing. A few weeks later the class received a box of bandages with a polite note reading, “Enclosed find some transparent strips which are more flesh-colored” (Derman-Sparks, 2006, p. 196).

Although teacher-led activities are a great way to get students into the habit of speaking out against prejudice, when the students themselves lead, it becomes more than just an activity. It becomes activism. Local educators Tara Karr and Sandra Fitzpatrick have seen remarkable cases of anti-racist activism within their classrooms.

Tara Karr, a pre-school teacher at Gorse Child Study Center, has found that her students are also capable of responding to those precious classroom events we call “teachable moments.” This year she has a set of twins who are particularly vocal in reacting to other students’ comments about the families made of “scary brown people” in stories or the “impossible” family structures that have two moms. Karr has found that when the twins reply with, “What is scary? She is saying only good things to her daughter,” or “There doesn’t always have to be a dad, family is the people that love you,” the entire class jumps in for a student-led discussion about skin color, or what makes a family, etc. (Tara Karr, personal communication, April 25, 2008).

One year in Sandra Fitzpatrick’s career as a kindergarten teacher at the Three Rivers School, the gym classes hosted a “jump-a-thon.” The children were to raise money outside of school, and the students who had raised the most would win prizes. At the end of the competition, it was the students who came from wealthy families who had raised the most money, and therefore won the prizes. Fitzpatrick describes the students in her class who had not won prizes as “devastated,” and those who had won prizes were equally concerned. Having learned about prejudice earlier in the year, the class decided to take a stand against the biased system. They chose to return their prizes, talk to other classes in the school about the event, and make a video explaining why the system was unfair that they then sent to the American Heart Association, who had sponsored the event (Sandra Fitzpatrick, personal communication, May 5, 2008).

Throughout history, people who have tried to change this country have always faced some sort of opposition. It only follows that there should be some resistance to anti-racist education and the activism it encourages. Fitzpatrick counters that, “We can’t be afraid to try. Your fears are your fears, not necessarily the children’s. Opportunities are vast for this kind of work, be sure to take advantage of them but keep your own issues in check” (Sandra Fitzpatrick, personal communication, May 5, 2008).

References

Anti-Defamation League, (2001). How Can We Stop Hate Before it Starts? In The Miller Early Childhood Initiative of a World of Difference Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.adl.org/education/miller/miller_printable.asp.

Davidson, F., & Pelo, A. (2000). That’s Not Fair! A Teacher’s Guide to Activism with Young Children. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Derman-Sparks, L. (2006). Activism and Preschool Children. In Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.), Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp. 193-197). Washington, D.C.: Teaching For Change.

Derman-Sparks, L. (2006). Education for Equality: Forging a Shared Vision. In Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.), Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp. 13-17). Washington, D.C.: Teaching For Change.

Hofheimer Bettman, E. & Stern-LaRosa, C. (2000). Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Lee, E. (2006). Anti-Racist Education: Pulling Together to Close the Gaps. In Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.), Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp. 3-12). Washington, D.C.: Teaching For Change.

Nieto, S. (2006). Affirmation, Solidarity and Critique: Moving Beyond Tolerance in Education. In Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.), Beyond Heroes and Holidays (pp. 18-29). Washington, D.C.: Teaching For Change.

Stern-LaRosa, C. (2001). Talking to Children about Diversity: Preschool Years. In Talking to Your Child about Hatred and Prejudice. Retrieved April 31, 2008 from http://www.adl.org/issue_education/hateprejudice/Prejudice3.asp.

[edit] A World of Difference: An Overview and Comparison

Introduction and Overview

There are many people and organizations that focus on anti racist activities. The main organization that our group focused on was the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and one of its branches, A World of Difference Institute. These organizations have been very useful to teachers all around the world to create a curriculum based on Anti Racist activities. The ADL was founded in 1913 by Sigmund Livingston in Chicago following the brutal murder of Leo Frank. The original purpose of the ADL was to stop anti-Semitism and discrimination against Jews. Over time the ADL grew to stop racism and discrimination of all kinds.

In the 1940’s after the war was over, the ADL focused on eliminating discrimination for Jews in housing, employment and education in the collegiate and elementary levels. Over time the ADL continued to focus on ridding the world of anti- Semitism, but in the 60’s the ADL joined in the “Brown v. Board of Education” case in order to overturn the idea of “separate but equal.” This brought the ADL to a new level in trying to desegregate local neighborhoods that were originally segregated by color and/ or religion.

Today the ADL has spread to over 30 regional offices within the United States and has 3 offices overseas. These regional offices have also led to other branches of anti- racist organizations such as A World of Difference which focuses on an anti bias education and diversity training and resources. Much like the ADL, A World of Difference seeks to eliminate prejudices, discrimination, anti- Semitism and racism of all kinds (http://www.adl.org).

The Teacher's Role in Multicultural Education

The teacher plays an important role in multicultural education. According to the Anti- Defamation League (ADL)’s A World of Difference Institute, there are several steps that one can take in order to make one’s classroom multicultural. Moreover, tips for teachers that promote a sense of security and acceptance in the classroom can be found on A World of Difference’s website under A Classroom of Difference. From how the classroom environment is presented to how one speaks to students gives the students a clear picture of how important acceptance and each student’s voice is to the teacher. In addition to the web site’s Anti-Bias study guides intended for teachers, ADL’s A World of Difference offers workshops for teachers that are instructional in how to implement anti-bias pedagogy and content into their classrooms. Teachers are with students for a large part of the day and have many opportunities to teach an anti-bias, multicultural curriculum, if they know how to do so. The ADL and A World of Difference attempt to give teachers the tools to execute the task of training students to accept and understand the wide range of cultures that exist in the world today.

One article in the ADL’s A World of Difference Institute instructs teachers in arranging a classroom that is sensitive and accepting of cultural differences. One aspect that is stressed is the content in the classroom. What is in the classroom, as well as what is not, speaks volumes to students about what is valued and important. A teacher can inform the student what is valued by having objects from various cultures integrated into the classroom. For instance, books, images, and instruments can be added to areas of the classroom that already exist. By integrating items of interest from many cultures, the teacher aids in the students’ development of themselves and others, and provides conditions under which students can initiate conversations about differences. Moreover, this type of environment provides a setting that is conducive to introducing activities regarding diversity. Some specific recommendations include: photos that represent students and their families, photos that represent all groups in the community and the world, images of different cultures doing similar and different activities, images that reflect diversity in gender roles, and images that reflect diversity in family styles and configurations. Clearly, a classroom environment modeled like this would spark a student’s interest in learning about and respecting differences among classmates and cultures (http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/guideline_env.asp).

Another article offered on the ADL’s A World of Difference Institute’s web site involves the importance of talking to children when a bias situation arises, either in the classroom or in the wider world. Children need to express themselves. In a safe and accepting environment, they will feel able to do so. Moreover, it is essential to establish the ground rules of respecting opinions, openness to new ideas, empathy, listening actively, and confidentiality. These rules will express that a classroom is a safe environment in which students can feel comfortable to express their honest opinions and reactions without judgment. Some simple guidelines to the discussion of difficult situations with children include: treating all of children’s questions with respect, clarifying questions so that a teacher is sure to understand what is being asked and why, answering questions as clearly and honestly as possible using developmentally appropriate language and definitions, correcting oneself if a wrong or incomplete answer is given, being alert to signs of upset, pointing out when an ethnic group is stereotyped on television or in a book while explaining why it is unfair to stereotype, taking appropriate action against prejudice and discrimination, and giving students the tools to act against prejudice and discrimination. Such guidelines are effective in practice, but may require the teacher to be prepared beforehand. Articles like those offered through ADL’s A World of Difference empower teachers to appropriately assess and deal with difficult situations (http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/guideline_respect.asp).

Unfortunately, teachers cannot access the ADL’s A World of Difference materials without attending a staff development workshop with a minimum of six hour of participation. In these workshops, teachers learn how to implement anti-bias and multicultural methodology in their own classrooms and schools. A typical workshop begins with an introduction and overview of the day’s planned activities. Next, the environment is establish as a safe place by collaborating and making “rules” regarding discussion, such as confidentiality. After establishing the environment, the teachers participate in an exercise in identity. This consists of examining one’s own ethnicity and what aspects of identity one is proud to display while other aspects are kept hidden. The next step is defining “isms” (for example, sexism or racism) that affect everyone everyday as well as examining how the “isms” are manifested or reinforced by society. After, the teachers may participate in exercises that examine their own bias as well as help them to recognize bias in the environment around them. Further, the teachers are pressed to examine their own classrooms and schools to think of ways in which changes could be made to promote anti-bias and multicultural education. Lastly, the teachers provide feedback to the program so that the coordinators can change the workshop to ensure that it can be more effective in the future (http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/awod_framework.asp).

The ADL’s A World of Difference Institute has many resources to offer teachers. Article topics range from setting up a safe and accepting classroom environment to talking to children in the aftermath of hate. Workshops offer hands-on experience in implementing practices that promote anti-bias schools and classrooms. With so many resources, this may seem like an easy task, but many children form bias and prejudice before entering school at the age of five. Consequently, the job of a teacher is not an easy one. A teacher who desires an anti-bias, multicultural curriculum must be vigilant and have the ability to objectively examine one’s own beliefs. It is not impossible to change how students think but it is not simple either. Teachers must seize every opportunity to teach multicultural curriculum and anti-bias actions; only then will students realize their own potential in the battle against bias.

The Role of the Students In AWOD

A World of Difference is a program made by students for students. Built around the idea that “the most important influence on the development of the attitudes and behaviors of young people is the attitudes and behaviors of one’s peers” (http://www.adl.org/awod_new/awod_peer_descr.asp), this program utilizes its most powerful weapon against bias, other students. As one peer trainer of AWOD stated, “We’re not like adults coming in and telling them how you should act and what you shouldn’t do …I feel like they will take it in more if we are younger and kind of like speaking to them” (4/16/08). The role of students in A World of Difference is a most important component. Literally, the program wouldn’t exist without their motivation, dedication and strong sense of justice.

To ensure that the use of “positive peer pressure” (http://www.adl.org/awod_new/awod_peer_descr.asp) is effective, students involved in ADL undergo a rigorous training program in which they improve upon their knowledge of social justice issues and enhance their leadership skills. Within three rigorous days of specific interactive, training, peer trainers are taught to become effective catalysts of change within their schools. They are given a manual that includes handouts, worksheets and resources to be utilized to make effective change. The peer trainers develop a strong knowledge base of social issues and they discover how to combat prejudice, bias and bigotry within their own schools. They also learn how to design effective and age appropriate activities for specifically elementary students among others. As one AWOD student said, “The training was the training to help us present information to other people” (4/16/08). They also learn to trust their fellow AWOD peers and develop a powerful bond through their commitment to anti-bias activism. “What’s really nice is the closeness that we get and that we understand that we all understand the ideas of the ADL work” (4/16/08). In other words, they learn how to become strong anti-bias leaders within their community.

Yet the training does not stop there, peer trainers then go on to have weekly group meetings where they provide each other with support, discuss issues that have arisen within their community and brain storm effective solutions. Within these weekly sessions they continue to develop the skills that they have learned within their prior three-day training. Not only do they personally discourage bias within their everyday lives, they also design and coordinate their own personal activities that allow them to go within classrooms in order to combat prejudice. In addition, they discuss and arrange how to become active within the school community.

Once in the classroom, peer trainers utilize all the techniques that they have developed. The classroom is their first step to real and permanent change within the community. As one AWOD students stated, “I feel like if we have a continued presence at school and we keep doing trainings, keep doing workshops, it’s kind of like reminding everybody and focusing on the things that we try to fix it will stick” (4/16/08). Peer trainers select and read books to students that incorporate diverse groups of people. They perform plays and skits that emphasize respect and understanding of your peers no matter race, sexuality, gender, age, religion, or ability. They also engage students in a “Paint-Out Day” (http://www.adl.org/awod_new/awod_peer_lead.asp). During this day, students take action against and paint over graffiti that reflects prejudices, bigotry or bias. In other words, they pass on the knowledge and ideas about social justice that will help younger students denounce prejudice as well, or as one student said they now have the knowledge to “be like oh step back and be like I know from ADL that different people do different things” (4/16/08).

The results of this program and its effect on the students are powerful. 84% of students that participated in A World of Difference had increased confidence in their peer presentation skills. 86% had a greater sense of their own prejudices and had an increased understanding of the social injustice within their community. 75% were filled with the urge to actively fight bias in their school. 80% believed they had better learned how to confront “racial and bias issues in their schools and/or workplace”(http://www.adl.org /education/edu_awod/awod_findings.asp).

The program's hypothesis was correct. The numbers speak for themselves. Student’s role in fighting to eliminate prejudice within their communities is critical, and that’s just what these students are learning and teaching others to do. Without these students’ drive and motivation for a better, more just world there would be no A World Of Difference, but more importantly there would be no more positive change for the future. Students, literally, make A World of Difference.

Meeting the AWOD Students

Visiting the AWOD students at Amherst high school, we had little knowledge about their specific AWOD program: how it was founded, the application process, its popularity, the programs success, or how AWOD was run. The program was student founded and run, providing a great way of teaching on a peer-to-peer level. To make sure the students at Amherst high school were knowledgeable, comfortable, and prepared in dealing with issues concerning social justice, an application process accepted only 30 motivated students to train as AWOD peer educators. The training process was a rigorous three-day workshop that addressed different ways that peer trainers could teach the issues of social justice to any age group. Some examples included the use of skits, readings, or real life scenerios. One student commented that he already felt that he understood the issues, but that the training provided the necessary skills for presenting the information they wanted to teach. This student also commented on how he was most looking forward to teaching the elementary school level, but recognized it would be a difficult task to convey such important and complex material to young students in a new and meaningful way. They plan to visit a nearby elementary school in May.

The AWOD teacher advisor, Nunia Mafi, expressed concern about the atmosphere of Amherst as a town when addressing issues of social justice. She is afraid that Amherst is "too politically correct" when discussing race related problems, and feels that the need to be “p.c.” is a hindrance when trying to reach the heart of the problem. Mafi is concerned that the community will have an impact on how social justice is taught in schools. Mafi’s awareness of the community is a vital considering she is the AWOD student adviser and as student adviser, it is her duty to prepare her student leaders and their lesson plans.

The excitement and dedication that the Amherst AWOD student leaders have to teach social justice will hopefully make the program successful and very effective. Their effort provides an invaluable lesson to their students, and encourages an ongoing effort to establish social justice more globally (4/16/08).

AWOD: Culmination and Comparison of Stoneham and Amherst High Schools

After learning about the Anti-Defamation League and their anti-bias education program, A World of Difference, as well as one of its participants, Amherst High School a comparison is in order. The two schools we chose to observe were Amherst High School, the interview of which is described above, and Stoneham High School. Amherst being in Western MA, and Stoneham in Eastern MA, my home town, proved to provide an interesting comparison. Each school truly represents the AWOD program but in their own unique ways. We chose Amherst High School and Stoneham High school for a number of reasons. They represent opposite sides of the spectrum not only in location within the state but also, Amherst High School is a budding program while Stoneham High School’s program has been going strong since 1999.

Sharon Chapman, coordinator for Stoneham High School’s Peer Leadership program, which works as a class within the school, has been there since the program was born. “I am proud of our relationship with the ADL. We have been working with them for years and they trust us to represent them well. We have facilitated workshops at Youth Congress for years, and have gotten excellent feedback from the students and teachers who have attended. The ADL puts a lot of faith in me and our program, and I am happy to say that we have not let them down” (5/1/08).

As described in a previous section, there is a basic framework for AWOD but each high school and middle school is encouraged to add their own specific elements because, after all, it is a program by students for students. Stoneham High School, an avid participant since 1999, following the murder of Matthew Shepard, has worked extremely hard to make AWOD a part of their everyday lives. Ms. Sharon Chapman, the coordinator for Stoneham told me in a combined phone and e-mail interview, “I am proud of the awareness we have brought to the high school. It is a safe place for all students and I think everyone agrees with that. Between the assemblies, classroom visits and follow through of the Peer Leaders on a day to day basis we have worked for years to establish a ‘safe’ school” (Chapman, 5/1/08).

At the same time, in Amherst High School’s program, a group that has only been practicing since November 2006 is working toward the same goal. One of the student participants told us when we went to sit in on a meeting, “I feel like if we have a continued presence at school and we keep doing trainings, keep doing workshops its kind of reminding everybody and focusing on like the things that we try to fix will stick instead of everyone being like ‘yah that’s really cool’ but its not going to stick. You know, so that’s what I kind of see through this program” (4/16/08).

A step that both groups have taken to work outside of their high schools is to expand their peace making message to the elementary schools in their communities. Stoneham, due to the fact that it has been implemented within Stoneham public schools for nine years, has already started this process. Chapman wrote me, “I am proud of the relationship we have built with the elementary school teachers in Stoneham. They trust us to come into their classrooms because of the work we have done in the past. The young men and women in the program have represented the school, the program and me very well, so there is no hesitation to allow us into their classes” (5/1/08). However, Amherst has yet to make the leap and is nervous to do so, yet excited to take such a step.

The Amherst group plans to go to an elementary school for the first time Tuesday, May 20, 2008. I had the pleasure of revisiting Nunia Mafi and her group again, alone on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 where we enthusiastically came up with a plan of action for their visits to come. They plan to visit three different fifth and sixth grade classrooms, three times each. A boy told me and another classmate on our first visit that they wanted to “Build a solid base with these young kids with? positive images instead of saying? you need to do ‘this and this’ to be cool… To expose them to a? better world. The fact that we’re young, we’re not adults coming in telling them what you…I feel like they will take it in more if we are younger and kind of like speaking to them…Doing it through activities not just preaching to them, like ‘No prejudice. Help you guys.’ I think it will go a longer way because we’re young” (4/16/08).

I look forward to seeing Amherst’s chapter grow and flourish. They have asked me to come again before their first visit which leads me to believe they enjoyed our only collaborative session together as much as I did. Nunia has told me that she and her group have a lot of work to do to make Amherst a more accepting, multicultural community. “In Amherst it’s like it’s cool to be PC and if you’re not… the thing is you never really get to issues and so the thing with these guys is that being the trainer either talking to fifth graders or sixth graders we hope to do seventh and eighth is the pipe line” (4/16/08).

Amherst looks forward to the strengthening of their group not only in the community, but amongst themselves. Sharon Chapman said of her own class, “It is one of my proudest moments when I see a student who was hesitant to speak at the beginning of the year, turn into someone who not only enjoys speaking, but is very poised and effective. It is awesome!!” (5/1/08)

By the next academic year, I have set it up so Nunia Mafi and Sharon Chapman can be in contact as to expand and network, to strive toward the same goal—making the communities they live and work in a better place for everyone.

Bibliography Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, online posting. 23 April 2008. [1].

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, “Guidelines for Teachers: Creating an Environment that Respects Diversity,” online posting. 23 April 2008. [2]

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, “Guidelines for Teachers: Setting the Stage for Respect,” online posting. 23 April 2008. [3]

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, “Institute Workshop Framework," online posting. 23 April 2008. [4].

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, "Peer Leadership Program," online posting. 23 April 2008. [5].

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, "Peer Training Program," online posting. 23 April 2008. [6].

Anti Defamation League, A World of Difference, "Summary of Selected Findings on Student Involvement," online posting. 21 April 2008. [7].

Chapman, Sharon. Phone and e-mail interview. 1 May. 2008.

Mafi, Nunia. et al students. Personal Interview. 16 Apr. 2008. 30 Apr. 2008.

[edit] Analyzing Literature for Children and Adolescents

[edit] Children's Literature

Introduction

Children’s books for any grade level are important teaching tools. Reading books as a class not only encourages reading, but it provides opportunities for the teacher to teach valuable lessons to the children. Unfortunately, many books both published today and in the past are limited to representing acism, or are specifically about social justice. These stories can be about a particular person in history, like Martin Luther King Jr., a specific event in history such as the Civil Rights Movement or the Holocaust, a non-fiction book about race or racism, or a fictional character that runs into situations in which social justice is abused. We found many books that involve characters who are not white, but we realize that although many of these books introduce children to other cultures, they may not necessarily teach antiracism. Although introducing children to a multicultural perspective is important, we chose not to use books of this kind because we do not want to focus on specific cultures, but how every race and culture interacts in the United States, and how injustices are overcome.

We used several methods to find appropriate books. We looked online using Google Search Engine and the website for Teaching Tolerance Magazine, and we spent a considerable amount of time searching for children's books at the Mount Holyoke College library, as well as nearby public and school libraries. We also looked in the Odyssey Bookstore, located in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

While most of these books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd, they are great picture books for any age. In the reviews below, we have provided short summaries of 17 books that we recommend to teachers and parents who want to educate their children about issues of race and social justice. We also have come up with questions and a few activities that teachers can use to lead the class in discussions about general themes such as diversity, similarity, equality, justice, racism, prejudice, etc. Similar questions can be asked in all of these books. For example, when a character is unfairly treated, we think the teacher should stop to lead a discussion about this treatment. He or she should ask the students questions like “Is this fair?” and “How would you feel if you were treated this way?”

It is our hope that, from these book reviews, the teacher can help relate each story to current forms of oppression, and also to the individual lives of the students. These books not only help children celebrate individual differences, but also introduce them to be aware and conscious of current and past inequalities in society. Also, these books and many more can be used to start discussion about basic vocabulary that children should become familiar with at a young age such as race, racism, prejudice, inequality, equality, multiculturalism, etc. They can be used to create a dialogue about these important topics which children are bound to face. These reviews are only a starting point from which the teacher or parent can work, and are by no means a complete list of resources. The questions and activities are meant to be flexible depending on the environment of the classroom. We encourage teachers to make each activity their own in order to work towards a more multicultural environment and a more antiracist attitude for their students to carry with them through out life.

Book Reviews

The Sneetches written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss

Grades pre-K to 3

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss is a picture book that demonstrates privilege and discrimination based upon appearance. Sneetches are yellow creatures that live on a beach, some Sneetches have a star on their bellies and the rest do not. In the beginning of the story the presence or absence of a star is the basis for discrimination; the Sneetches with stars on their bellies view themselves as the superior race and the Sneetches without stars are not allowed certain privileges. In the story, a "fix-it-up chappie" named Sylvester McMonkey McBean appears, driving a cart of strange machines. He offers the Sneetches without stars a chance to have them by going through his Star-On machine, for three dollars. The treatment is instantly popular, but this upsets the original star-bellied Sneetches, as they are in danger of losing their method for discriminating between classes of Sneetches. Then McBean tells them about his Star-Off machine, costing ten dollars. The Sneetches formerly with stars happily pay the money to have them removed in order to remain special. This continues until the Sneetches are penniless and McBean leaves a rich man. In the end, the Sneetches learn that neither plain-belly nor star-belly Sneetches are superior, and they are able to get along and become friends.

Students need to learn about privilege and discrimination in a setting in which they are comfortable. It is a tough subject to teach young children about discrimination because it is so complex. This book illustrates privilege, entitlement and discrimination in a fictional way that the children can then apply to themselves and how they would feel if they were in the book. While it is an abstract representation, it is a good introduction to the topic of discrimination. Some possible questions for discussion about the book are as follows: “How do the Star-Belly Sneetches look? How do the Plain-Belly Sneetches look?” “Do the Star Belly Sneetches talk differently than the Plain-Belly Sneetches?” Another good classroom activity would be a simulation of the book in which the students are assigned to be Star-Belly Sneetches and the other half to be Plain-Belly Sneetches. Half way through the day the groups would switch so everyone gets a chance to have a star on their belly. The teacher could start a discussion with the class about certain classroom privileges and inform them that only the Star-Belly Sneetches can have these privileges. This simulation would necessitate follow up questions., such as: “When you were a Plain-Belly Sneetch, how did you feel about classmates that were Star Belly Sneetches?” “What kinds of things did you do when you had a star that made you feel special?” “Can you think of any circumstance in the real world when you feel like a Plain-Belly Sneetch or a Star-Belly Sneetch?” The teacher could then ask how it made the students feel to be in either role and what they had learned from the experience. It is necessary to explain to the class that the purpose is not to get rid of difference between people but to make it so that everyone can be friends despite differences.

Freedom School, Yes! written by Amy Littlesugar and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Grades K to 5

Freedom School, Yes! by Amy Littlesugar is based on a true story about the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project. In the summer of 1964, Jolie's family decides to host to Annie, a 19-year-old white woman who has volunteered to teach Freedom School, a project for the Southern Civil Rights Movement. The segregated community of Chicken Creek is reluctant about this program, because the Black community is wary about learning from White people. They are wary because the whites are suspected to have committed hate crimes (burning down the church, throwing bricks through windows) against the blacks in protest to the program. Despite the initial hesitations community people had toward the program, it was received to great success. Because the story is told in the perspective of a little girl, it will be very easy for students to relate to. Through Jolie's eyes, readers see the frightening violence of the South in the1960s. The courage exhibited by the volunteers and the families offering them shelter is demonstrated throughout the book. It is important for elementary school students to understand how schooling was sometimes scary and dangerous for children their own age.

This book is a good addition to a curriculum because it will put concepts in student’s heads that they might have not thought of on their own. The idea that there is a group of people who were not allowed to go to school because of the color of their skin and where they lived is a foreign concept to young children. At the point in the book when a brick is thrown through the window, a teacher should stop and ask her class “Why do you think someone would throw a brick through the window?” and “Who do you think threw the brick?” The character of Uncle Sha’d is interesting to discuss and the idea that once Jolie learns about places and people, she will not let being scared get in her way. An interesting topic to discuss with the students would be how learning about someone/something has made them less afraid. Another point to stop in the book would be when the church was set on fire. Again a teacher should ask the class “Why do you think the church was set one fire?” Since the church was their school a teacher could ask his/her class how they would feel if their school was burned down in an attempt to keep them from going to school. Also, the teacher should ask the students why they thought the students in the book went to school even though the church was gone and how they would feel about going to school without a building. The obvious question to ask the class after finishing the book is: Is it fair the way people were treated and why not? Another point of discussion would be to ask the students to imagine themselves both in Jolie and Amy’s position. “As Amy, would you have enough courage to do something you know is right even though society is telling you it is wrong?” Another important question to ask the students would be “What does going to school do for you?” It is important for the students to understand the importance of education and to understand how necessary it is. Also, the students need to learn about history of all people and this book makes it easier for the students to relate to because it is in the perspective of a young girl. It is also important to discuss that this book represents an isolated time period and while things may appear to be better to the students now, people are still treated differently today. As a closing discussion, the teacher should ask the class about a time when they saw someone being treated differently because of his/her appearance and to ask the student what they could do in a situation like that.

Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II written and illustrated by Marisabina Russo

Grades 2 to 5

Always Remember Me is a picture book that depicts one family’s experience during the Holocaust. This story is told in the perspective of a little girl, Rachel, hearing her grandmother’s story which she hears every Sunday when she goes to her Oma’s (grandmother’s) house for dinner. Russo recounts the stories that her grandmother told her when she was a young girl. The book explains about her family’s activities before and after the war. She describes her Oma telling life stories from two photo albums; there are a few pages at the end of the first album that Oma always skips: they represent life during the war. Oma describes that she has two lives; her first life was in Germany before the war, and the second was her life after the war. While she never tells her granddaughter about life during the war, one day she decides that her granddaughter is ready. After the meal, Oma tells the girl of her marriage and her family's happy life; her husband's death after World War I; the rise of the Nazi party and denial of rights to Jews; the burning and looting of Jewish businesses; and life in a concentration camp. When the war ended, Oma and her three daughters were reunited in America.

Always Remember Me it is a touching story of survival in the face of extreme oppression. This book is an appropriate way to introduce the Holocaust and the oppression felt by Jewish people to young children. The depictions of the photo albums described in the book are beautiful and allow students to relate to the author’s story.

Always Remember Me allows a teacher to discuss social oppression of the past while keeping in a historically accurate manner. This book lends itself to multiple points in which the teacher can ask poignant questions that could spark an interesting discussion. When the teacher reads the book she can stop at any point to ask her students about their own families and their own family traditions and stories. This will help the students to relate to the story before the difficult material is introduced. When Oma shifts to talking about Nazi Germany, the teacher needs to stop to figure out how much her students know about the Nazi party to ensure that all of her student will gain an equal understanding of the book. She could also ask her students if they think it is fair that one group of people were targeted. The teacher should ask the students how they would feel if they were not allowed to do something because of a characteristic that they had no control over. The teacher should then ask the students if they could imagine a place where the laws enforced the discrimination to such an extreme. This is going to affect the students strongly because traditionally they have learned that laws are here to help us and to protect everyone. It may be the first time the students learn that laws can have a negative effect on people.

Another point to discuss with the class is the concept that the Jewish people were no longer safe to live in their homes. They were forced to move for their own safety, but it was very difficult to leave Germany. In addition, it would be interesting to discuss the family’s separation because it is a foreign concept to many children. It is also important to explain to the children that the family in the book was very lucky and many families were not so lucky. As a class it would be important to discuss what the students could do to ensure equal treatment of everyone and to understand what happened to the Jewish people during World War II. An additional activity for the students would be for them to draw a picture or write a story about how they would feel if they or one of their family members was in a Concentration camp. For a slightly older group, a good activity would be to write letters to Holocaust survivors and explain what they are going to do to ensure that everyone they know will be treated equally.

Henry’s Freedom Box written by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Grades pre-K to 5

Henry’s Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine, is a that talks about the hardships of slavery. Henry is born into the life as a slave, and was able to grow up with his mother, unlike others in the same position. Yet one day, his master gets sick and he gives Henry to his son. Henry is forced to leave his mother, who he will never see her again, and goes to work for his new master. It is while he is working for his new master that he meets Nancy, his future wife, who works for a different master. The two get married, and they have children. The family is able to live together until Nancy’s master sells her and the children are sold to another slave master; Henry is forced to watch everyone he loves disappear. So, he decides that he is going to mail himself to the North where slavery does not exist. He enlists the help of a white man who does not support slavery to put Henry in a box and mail him to Philadelphia – which he does. The illustrations in this book are fabulous and heart wrenching. Not only does the author describe the emotions felt by the characters, the pictures show the emotions on the character’s faces, and aide in comprehension.

This book is really moving and could disturb students if not properly placed in a curriculum, yet if it is introduced appropriately, could shape how the students think and feel about treating other people. The first page of the book is as follows: “Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays.” To most children, their birthday is the most important day of the year and it would be inconceivable for students not to know their birthdays. A question to ask the students after just the first page would be: “How do you think anyone could keep you from knowing your birthday?” Throughout the book, the author presents beautiful imagery. For example, Ellen Levine compares leaves being ripped off of trees to slave families being ripped apart. A teacher could discuss what happens to leaves after they blow off trees. When Henry is given to his master’s son, the students should be asked, “Are people property to give or buy or sell?” and “Why could some people be bought and sold?” and “How would you feel if you had to leave you family?” After Henry gets married and has children, an interesting question to ask the students would be, “Is it fair for someone to tell you who you can marry and where you can to live?” and “Who gives someone that right?” After finishing the book there are many question that need to be brought up to fully appreciate the book such as the following questions; “Would you be scared if you were Henry? What would be the scariest part?” and “Is it fair that some people can be treated this way?” and “Are they being treated as people or objects?” and “Is it easier to treat objects or people badly?” and “What do we have to do to make sure that no one is treated badly?” Again, the students need to understand that this book only represents a period in history and that people are still being treated differently, as a closing discussion, the teacher should ask the class about a time when they saw someone being treated differently because of her appearance and to ask the student what they could do in a situation like that.

Amazing Grace written by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Caroline Binch

Grades PK to 2

This is a children’s short story about a young girl named Grace, who loves stories. She especially loves to use her imagination to play and act. One day at school her teacher announces that the class will perform the play “Peter Pan” and Grace is determined to get the role of Peter. However, one boy says she can’t because “Peter” is a boy’s name, and another girl in class says Grace can’t be Peter Pan because Grace is black. Even though Grace is sad, she still plans to audition for the part. Her grandmother, Nana, tells her she can be anything she wants to, and takes Grace to see a ballet, in which the star ballerina is black. After the audition, everyone chooses Grace to be Peter Pan. The play is a huge success.

This story introduces children to sexism and racism in a way that teachers can easily begin conversation and class discussion about unfair treatment, stereotypes, and the lesson of putting your mind to anything you want. Not only does the story show that sexism and racism exist, but it also resolves these issues with the hope, determination and imagination of a child. It is recommended for grades PK to 2, but it is a great book for any age.

Amazing Grace gives the teacher an opportunity to talk about differences and fair treatment. For example, in the beginning of the story, the teacher reading can make comments about the games Grace plays so that the children can see how similar they are to her. When the two classmates in the story say that Grace can’t play the part of Peter, because she is a girl and because she is black, the teacher should stop to discuss this. He or she might ask the students, “How would you feel if you were Grace?” “How does Grace feel?” “Is it fair that only white boys get to play the part of Peter?” “Did anyone ever tell you that you couldn’t play or couldn’t be part of something? Why? How did that make you feel?” “Do you think Grace can play the part of Peter Pan?” At the end the teacher might also ask questions like, “What did Grace learn from Nana?” Children might engage in conversation about whether Grace “looks” like Peter, and what it means to play a part that is traditionally different from the prescribed gender of a role. The teacher should introduce children to ideas about diversity and the use of imagination. Perhaps he or she can find pictures of many different actors playing the part of Peter Pan, or maybe he or she can plan activities in which children play roles that are not traditional with their gender or race.

Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights written by Jim Haskins and illustrated by Benny Andrews

Grades 2 to 4

This is a true story about Westley Wallace Law, who grew up in segregated Savannah, Georgia. The story is told in simple terms so that children can understand the struggle and fight for civil rights. The illustrations are large and colorful, and are sure to capture children’s attention. Delivering Justice starts by describing Westley’s family, and how his grandmother’s friend had been enslaved and separated from his mother at a young age. Right away, readers can imagine the sadness and grief of being separated from one’s own mother. The story progresses with many examples of how blacks were segregated from whites. As he grew up, encouraged by his grandmother to “be somebody,” Westley helped establish voter schools to assist blacks in registering to vote. He also led boycotts, which led Savannah to be the first city in the South to end racial discrimination.

Delivering Justice introduces children of grades 2 to 4 to the Civil Rights Movement and about racial inequality that existed in the history of the United States. It is also a great starting ground to discuss current racism, prejudice and inequality. Perhaps these vocabulary words and other similar ones can be discussed in the classroom. Two important additional lessons in the story are desegregation without violence, and becoming a peaceful leader. Because this book introduces children to laws that are unfair, the teacher should ask questions like “Is it fair to treat some people nicely and other people badly?” “Did you know that there used to be laws that gave some people special treatment, and treated other people very badly?” “How would you feel if you couldn’t do something special that other people different from you could?” “What would you do if someone told you that you couldn’t eat at a restaurant, just because of the color of your skin?” “Why is it important to be peaceful? What does it mean to ‘desegregate without violence’?” “Why is W.W. Law a good example of a leader?” It is also important that the teacher discuss while the unfair treatment of blacks was part of the Civil Rights Movement, prejudice against certain groups of people, like blacks, also exists today.

Yo! Yes? written and illustrated by Chris Raschka

Grades PK to 1

This is a picture book recommended for preschool aged children. It has few words, but describes two boys, one white, and one black. The white boy is sad because he has no friends, but then, the black boy suggests that the white boy be friends with him. When the white boy decides to be friends with the black boy, both of them are very happy and jump up and down.

This story introduces very young children to the challenge of making new friends, especially with people who are different. The white boy is challenged to go outside of his comfort zone and is nervous to be friends with someone different. This brings up issues of race, diversity, and friendships. When the black boy says “Hey!” and the white boy says “Who?” the teacher might pause to ask children, “Why does the white boy not think he is being spoken to? Why is he so surprised?” On the page when the black boy says “What’s up?” and the white boy says “Not much.” The teacher can stop here too to talk about how both boys are feeling, and why. At the end, the teacher can lead a discussion, perhaps starting with “Tell me something you noticed about this story. What did you realize about the words?” “Why do you think that some of the letters are different colors?” Other questions might be “What do you think when you meet someone?” “Who are you friends with and why?” “Think about one of your friends. What do you remember about meeting them?” “Were you ever shy when you first met a new friend? Why were you shy?” “Can people who look different be friends together?”

I Have a Dream written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and paintings by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award and Honor Book Artists

Grades K to 5

In this book, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech is printed alongside beautiful illustrations painted by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book Artists. Although many children in America know the famous lines “I have a dream…” of this monumental speech, it is important that children read all lines, which are eloquently written by a man of peace. His message of hope, love, freedom and equality is an inspiration to millions.

This book is appropriate for grades K to 5. Perhaps if children do not understand certain concepts that Dr. King Jr.’s speech addresses, such as oppression and injustice, the teacher can begin a dialogue at any point about these issues. It may be necessary, depending on the grade level, to define vocabulary throughout the reading of the speech, or before the book is read. Teachers might ask children questions like, “Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?” “What is it that Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed for our country?” “What did he mean by having a “dream?” Is this the kind of dream we all have at night?” “Do you think Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality is happening now?” “What does equality mean?” “What kind of freedom do you hope for in the future?” “Why do we celebrate his birthday?” For older children, teachers can ask “What do you think Dr. King would think about life today?” Discussion could also be about unfair laws, peace and nonviolence, and different forms of prejudice. One activity could be to ask students to draw their own illustrations about the “I have a dream” speech, and or to write their own dream for America. Finally, some of the illustrations in this book are quite provocative, which allows the teacher a perfect opportunity to stop and lead discussion. For example, in one picture four people are sitting at a restaurant counter while white people angrily pour ketchup over their heads. This book may be a great introduction to several issues of social justice and racism, and the teacher can adjust questions and activities depending on the grade level.

Black is brown is tan by Arnold Adoff/ Pictures by Emily McCully

Grades 1 - 3

Winner of the 1988 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children

Black is brown is tan is a very good book of poetry that directly talks about race and topics that young children notice about people of different races. The poem is told from the point of view of a child around 7 or 8 years old who has a black mother and a white father. The poem does an excellent job of relating the young boy’s questions about his own racial identity to simple concepts that young children can understand. The author draws a parallel between white and chocolate milk and how the young boy likes both and how both types of milk help the boy grow. The poem also allows young children to realize that it is great to love and befriend people whom are different from him. The young boy has two grandmothers and an aunt and uncle of different races and the boy loves them all. The poem uses engaging words, phrases, and beautiful, significant illustrations to describe how each family member provides love and support for the young boy. The message of the poem is strong and clear: a loving family is made up of a mother and/or father, children and other relatives that love each other no matter how many differences between them. Differences and similarities must be recognized and respected for everyone to love each other equally.

This book of poetry is great for 1st through 3rd grade classrooms and provides a great opportunity for the teacher to discuss racial identity issues in his/her classroom. It is very important to start a discussion about racial identity at a young age in order to build confidence in an individual’s own racial identity. There are a few key stopping points throughout the poem that are conducive for questions and discussion. On page 7 and 16, the teacher can ask the students if they have any special names for their parents. This allows the children to start relating their own similarities and differences with their peers without first involving race. It starts to build a safe and trusting environment in the classroom. To establish this environment further, the teacher can ask what special activities the children do with their parents or other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The teacher at this point can draw attention to the fact that all relatives, no matter how many differences between them, help the student grow with their love and support just like the chocolate and white milk analogy used in the poem. A big discussion topic for the end of the poem is asking the children to recognize the differences between the mother and the father and the other relatives. For the younger children, just pointing out the differences in race is a good start. For the slightly older children, the emphasis for this activity can be to recognize that both parents have a race and that white is a race. Be sure to define the meaning of race for all ages. Then point out that the young boy also has a race. Overall, the students should understand the meaning of race, that white is a race, that differences in race need to be recognized but also need to be treated equally, and that if everyone respects each other, everyone can be a part of a family. The teacher can have the children draw attention to their differences but also to their similarities. If they respect each other, they can all be a part of a classroom family.

Jordan’s Hair by Ed and Sonya Spruill and Illustrated by Stephen Mercer Peringer

Kindergarten-2nd Grade

Jordan’s Hair by Ed and Sonya Spruill is a wonderful multicultural book for kindergarten to 2nd graders as it provokes discussion about racial identity. The sentences are short and simple and often rhyme. The illustrations are large to make the book great for story time. They do a wonderful job depicting physical differences between people that children notice. It is about a young black boy named Jordan. In the beginning, Jordan does not like his hair or his skin color because it is different from his classmates. He does not like how he looks different from his classmates. He is determined that his appearance was a mistake. But through the encouragement of his parents, teacher, and fellow classmates, Jordan realizes that even though he looks different on the outside, it is the personality on the inside that really counts. He can have great friends with children that do not look like him, and he is just as special as all of the kids in his class.

This book is a wonderful tool for teachers and parents alike to help build confidence in children about their appearances. After reading the book to the class, the teacher can ask whether anyone has ever had the same feelings as Jordan did. Is there anything about how they look that they would like to change? Why? Ask the class what would happen if everyone looked exactly the same. Would life be boring? How does recognizing, respecting, and learning about differences between each other make life interesting? How also do similarities make like interesting? The teacher can then do an activity that has each student think of one way they are different and similar from their class mates. This can be an appearance or an activity special to their culture. Have each student share his/her difference and similarity with the class and why it is important to him/her. Emphasize after the activity how everyone is special and should be proud of their differences and similarities. The class can also do an art activity where they are provided with different colored yarn, string, pipe cleaners, crayons and markers. Have the children make a picture of themselves and allow them to change appearances if they want. Then have each student share their pictures with the class while explaining why they made themselves look that way (Vanderpool). Emphasize, though, the same point after this activity that everyone is made differently for a reason. There are no mistakes in appearances. Everyone should be proud of their appearance, differences and all.

A Taste of Colored Water written and illustrated by Matt Faulkner

Grades 1 - 4

A Taste of Colored Water, by Matt Faulkner, is full of vibrant pictures and a wonderful message about the injustices and inequalities that existed before and during the Civil Rights Movement. It can also be used to discuss inequalities based on white privilege that still occur in today’s racist society. This book is a good tool for 1st through 4th grade teachers but can be read to/by any age to illustrate institutionalized racism in the United States. The two main characters of the story, Jelly and LuLu, are cousins who live in the rural setting of a southern state in the 1960s. They lead a simple, care free life until one day they hear of colored water. They are mesmerized by the idea of water that it is multi-colored. They are determined to taste this new kind of water as they think it must taste better than regular water. But when they sneak into town with their uncle to find the colored water, their eyes are opened to a world of discrimination and Jim Crow Laws as they witness an anti-racist march and the violence it produces from the police. When Jelly and LuLu finally find a water fountain labeled ‘colored’, they are disappointed to find that the water is just like any other water. And when they try to drink it, they are attacked by a policeman and his dog. This event scares and confuses LuLu and Jelly. They can not understand why they are not allowed to drink the water.

This story is a great tool for teaching young children the injustice of the Jim Crow Laws that were in place before and during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The teacher should explain what Jim Crow Laws were before or after reading the book. Also, the definition of race, racism, inequality, and discrimination should be discussed. There are great points for dialogue through out the story. Ask the children what they think colored water is. Do they think it is multi-colored and flavored differently like Jelly and LuLu do? When Jelly and LuLu go to town and find colored water and see the march and violence, ask the children whether they think this situation should involve violence. Were the marchers doing anything wrong? For what are they marching? Then focus on the specific situation in which Jelly and LuLu find themselves. In reality, what is colored water and why can Jelly and LuLu not drink it? Is it fair how Jelly and LuLu are treated for drinking the water? Is it fair that people of color had to drink from a special water fountain? How would you feel if you were not allowed to drink from a certain water fountain because of the color of your skin? Is this situation fair? Another discussion that the teacher can start is about racism today. Even though there are no longer Jim Crow Laws, is there still inequality? Have the children think of any unfair situations they have been in or seen? How did those situations make them feel? Finally end the discussion with brainstorming ideas of peaceful activities the children can do to stop inequality as they have seen it. The teacher should provide ideas that the children can do in and out of the classroom.

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and Illustrations by E.B. Lewis

Grades 1 - 4

Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis create a wonderful and provocative antiracist story in the book called The Other Side. It is about a young black girl named Clover who lives in a house with a long fence dividing her from the other houses in the neighborhood. Her mother tells her not to cross the fence and does not explain why, but this only sparks a curiosity in Clover. She wonders what is on the other side of the fence. One day, as her and her black friends are playing near the fence, a young white girl named Annie appears on the other side of the fence. When Annie asks if she could play, Clover’s friend answer “no” before Clover can say anything. Clover thinks about the situation after the fact and cannot decide whether she would say yes or no to Annie. Clover asks her mother why everything on the other side of the fence seems so far away. Her mother simply answers “Because that’s the way things have always been”. After a period of rainy days, Clover emerges from her house into the sunshine and meets Annie at the fence. They introduce themselves, and Annie hops up and sits on the fence explaining, “A fence like this was made for sitting on.” Annie helps Clover up onto the fence. The two young girls become friends while sitting on the fence. Finally, Annie joins Clover’s friends on the other side of the fence for a game of jump rope. In the end, Annie comments on how the fence will be taken down someday. Clover replies, “Yeah, someday.”

This story is a great tool for teachers of 1st through 4th grade for creating a discussion about segregation before and during the Civil Rights Movement. Since the setting of this story is not specified, the teacher can use the story line to create a dialogue of segregation or inequality that occurs at present. In the beginning, the teacher can ask the students why they think that Clover’s mother did not allow Clover to cross the fence. Do they think it is for Clover’s safety? Further in the story, the teacher can ask why Clover’s friends were so quick to say no to Annie when she asked to play. Why did Clover’s friends say no if they did not even know Annie? How would you feel if someone said no if you wanted to play and they did not even try to get to know you? The teacher, after finishing the book, can start a discussion of how you should not assume you know someone by just looking at his/her physical appearances like the color of his/her skin. It is better to get to know the person, because just like Clover, you might meet a new best friend. Differences make life interesting if one recognizes them and takes the time to understand and appreciate them. Also, for the later grades, the teacher can ask the significance of the fence. What does it mean when Clover says that someday the fence will be taken down? Is it sad if the fence is taken down? Are there any “fences” that the students can think of in the United States today?

Black, White, Just Right! by Marguerite W. Davol and Illustrated by Irene Trivas

Grades Pre K-2nd

This is a much-needed book told from the perspective of a young multiracial girl who has a Black Mom and a White Dad. The girl describes each parent and herself physically and in regards to their interests and personalities. She talks about how she is both like and different from each of her parents, and how she is a mix of both of them: “just right.” The book does a lot to go against stereotypes as well. Contrary to popular racial stereotypes, the mom loves to dance ballet and the dad loves hip hop. This book affirms the positive aspects of being multiracial, and how being different can be “just right.” The colorful illustrations are lovely; they catch the eye, but don’t distract from the message of the book. This book is not only great for multiracial children to see themselves represented, but also for all children to learn about different types of families.

Black, White, Just Right! can be used for many purposes in the classroom. For younger children, this book can be used to talk about differences in people and families. Teachers can ask questions such as “Do you look exactly the same as your parents? In what ways do you look different from your parents? How do you look the same as your parents?” Asking these questions can make children realize that no one looks exactly the same as their parents. Some kids look very different from their parents or from the people who care for them, but they are all loved. If students are reluctant to share about their own families, make clear that they can also imagine an example, or talk about people they have seen before. They can also talk about ways that they are similar to and different from their families in terms of interests and personality. Children can also learn that there are many different types of families, and the teacher can talk about other family configurations that differ from the traditional husband, wife, and kids of the same race. For older children, these topics can be discussed, but this book also provides opportunity to talk about race and multiracial people. Teachers can ask the kids to talk about the strength and love of a family, no matter the differences between them. Sometimes being different from each other even makes you stronger. This book is essential for a classroom dedicated to anti-racism because it addresses the often forgotten issue of multiracial people.

All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka

Grades Pre K-3rd

This beautifully illustrated book talks about children’s skin color and hair in simple poetic language that compares skin color and hair texture to things in nature. Skin colors range from the “…tinkling pinks of tiny seashells” to the “…roaring browns of bears.” It really covers a large range of skin colors, a variety of races, and shows children of different skin colors together, as well as multiracial families. Kids will be intrigued by the rhyming language and metaphors. The language flows well and is easy for kids to understand, and the illustrations give life to the words that praise and celebrate race and diversity.

This book is a great way to introduce the abstract idea of race to young children by looking at people’s physical differences in skin color and hair while still having a story to tell, rather than a didactic explanation of race. This book is by no means an explanation of what race is, but rather a starting point to describe different skin colors in a way that makes children want to celebrate all children and people, no matter how they look. While reading the book, kids will most likely have comments about the illustrations or about the comparisons used, so teachers should allow flexibility during the reading to hear these comments and respond to them. Teachers can take the opportunity to talk to very young kids about the topic by introducing the idea that people have many different skin colors and hair textures without yet talking about race as an abstract concept. Teachers can ask kids to describe the color of their own skin in terms of something in their environment, and remind them that no two people have exactly the same skin color, that they are all unique. A possible activity to do with this book is having older children mix paint to get their own skin color and paint a self-portrait. Teachers can also have kids compare their own skin color to objects in their environment and in nature, or even have kids invent their own names for their skin color, such as caramel.

All the colors we are/Todos los colores de Nuestra Piel: The Story of how we get our skin color by Katie Kissinger, Photographs by Wernher Krutein

Grades Pre K-3

This is an informative book that discusses skin color and provides a basic scientific background for why people have different skin colors. The photographs that depict children of many different skin colors and races give the book a realistic feeling. Although the language isn’t particularly exciting, the book does a very good job of explaining skin color and breaking down the scientific explanations into kid-friendly terms. It is very good about providing clear definitions for scientific terms such as “melanin.” The book also talks about families and the genetics of skin color (not race). Another plus is that it is a bilingual English/Spanish book. The translations are very accurate and although they aren’t word for word, they convey the same message well. Overall, this book does a very good job of breaking down the basics of skin color, as well as emphasizing that it is only one of many differences people have.

The book is great for talking about race from a scientific perspective. Teachers can use this along with some of the more story-like books on this list to get a full perspective of how to talk to kids about race and racism. This book offers some good suggestions for activities, such as mixing paint to match each person’s skin color. Some questions for the teacher to ask both before and after reading the book include: “Why do you think people can have many different skin colors? How do people get their skin color? Is one skin color better than another? Why or why not?” They should make a point to also ask these questions after, because it is likely that if the children understood the book, their answers may change. Teachers should also make sure that students fully understand the definitions given while reading the book. Teachers should also make sure to maintain a distinction between race and skin color, since this book is really about the scientific basis for skin color, and there really is no scientific basis for race.

Let’s Talk about Race by Julius Lester, Illustrated by Karen Barbour

Grades Kindergarten - 4th

Let’s Talk about Race begins with the author stating that everyone is a story, and he shares a little bit about his own life, while engaging the reader in thinking about and responding with his or her own life story. He goes on to directly address race as part of everyone’s story, and then talks about the problem with making judgments based on race, skin color and physical appearance. The introduction of race as a part of everyone’s story is a great way to make all children, not just children of color, conscious of race. Julius Lester does a great job of explaining that “Those who say ‘my race is better than your race’ are telling a story that is not true.” The author also play’s on children’s sense of humor by showing them that everyone is the same underneath their skin, and asking them to take off their skin. He emphasizes that race is an important part of each of us, but it is not all of who we are, and that we should all look at every aspect of a person, not just race. The vibrant, colorful illustrations are a great accompaniment to the engaging text.

The author’s use of sharing his own story while asking the reader to share their story makes this book a great way to start dialogue within the classroom or home about race, prejudice, and the value of everyone’s life stories, no matter how different they are. The book is a rarity in children’s books because it blatantly discusses the too-often taboo topic of race. Teachers and parents can take advantage of this to encourage children to discuss race and share and celebrate their own life stories. More importantly, teachers can use this book to talk about prejudice and racism. Throughout the reading of the book, teachers should definitely follow the author’s lead and ask children to share information about their lives, but children shouldn’t be pressured into this. At the point in the story that asks “What race are you?” teachers should pause and allow children to answer this question and explore this idea. Some kids may never have thought about this, and may need time to explore the topic. The teacher can suggest that children can speak with their parents to clarify the subject, perhaps as part of a take-home activity that involves the children making books of their own life story by answering the questions that Lester poses. Doing this activity at home will allow children to learn about their own race at home, rather than having a teacher label students, which could be dangerous. One great message of the book is that no race is better than any other race, and at that point in the book, the teacher can ask whether any student has heard something similar to the phrases in the book. Most likely, many students will have heard something related to racial, gender, or economic superiority, and teachers can have the students explain how it made them feel about themselves. After reinforcing the idea that these “stories” of superiority are not true, teachers should have children do as Lester suggests in the book: press fingers against the skin until they feel the bone, then do the same to the person next to them (after asking to check that it is ok with their neighbor). They will feel that they are the same underneath the skin. At this point, the teacher may have the children share ways that they are similar: especially in terms of emotions (i.e. they all get feelings hurt when they are made fun of). Teachers can ask “What would it be like if we all took off our skin?” They could discuss that we would have to look beyond physical characteristics, and see people’s personalities and life stories. Teachers could even involve the class in a daily activity of “taking off our skin” to remind children to focus on the whole person, not just race. This is not to downplay race and make it seem unimportant, but rather a reminder that we are so many things and we shouldn’t judge solely on physical appearance.

Encounter by Jane Yolen, Illustrated by David Shannon

Grades 1-5

This is the story of Christopher Columbus arriving in the “New World,” but told from the imagined perspective of a native Taino boy. This book offers an important alternative view of history that is often ignored. The book begins with the boy describing the bad dream he had about giant, scary-looking birds in the bay. The next morning the boy wakes to see that there really are the giant birds sitting in the bay; they’re Columbus’ ships, and tries to warn his tribe. The boy describes the stranger’s odd skin color, clothing, hair, language, and behaviors, wondering if these beings that are so different from what he knows are even human. This puts a funny twist on history, mirroring the way the Europeans viewed so-called “Indians” as less than human. The boy soon forgets the bad feeling he had about these people because they trade for shiny beads and bells, but the boy soon remembers his fear when he notices how focused the strangers are on the gold that the Tainos wear. He tries to warn his people again, but no one listens. The boy and several men of his tribe are eventually captured. The boy escapes by jumping off the boat and swimming to land, then walking and swimming for many days, trying to find his tribe. He warns people along the way, but they don’t seem to listen because he’s just a child. The story ends with him as an old man, describing the problems that the Europeans caused his people, and makes it a warning to “all the children and all the people in every land.” This book is a powerful way to talk about the destruction that colonialism caused in the Americas. Despite the lack of records of the first encounter with Columbus from the Taino perspective, the author does a very good job of describing what a boy in that situation might have experienced. It is also a great resource because it is from the perspective of a Taino boy, who isn’t from what is now known as the U.S., but rather from another part of the Americas. This reminds the reader that colonization happened throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, not just in the U.S. There are so many books about the encounter from Columbus’ perspective that this book is necessary to balance out the one-sided version of history. Telling the story from a child’s point of view makes it easier for children to relate, and the story flows very nicely. The illustrations are very powerful and seem to express the boy’s reality, his imagination, and his perspective. This book is also available in a Spanish edition.

This book is a must-have for any teacher who is going to talk about Columbus or colonization. This topic is likely to come up during the Columbus Day holiday, and Encounter is a great alternative to traditional books that celebrate Columbus’ so-called ‘discovery’ of the ‘New World’ with little regard to the destruction of the native people and cultures. Teachers can either introduce this at the beginning of a unit about colonization or the New World, as part of discussing alternative histories and who gets to tell a story (the people in power do), as part of learning about Native Americans, or at any time, but it shouldn’t stand alone because it needs historical background for children to understand the full impact of the story. Before reading the book, especially if it is being used as an introduction to the injustices that Natives of the Americas suffered, teachers should ask: “Tell me about Christopher Columbus. What did he do? Did he always do good things, or did he ever do anything bad? What do you know about the explorers who came to the Americas?” Asking these questions can help the teacher gauge what kind of misconceptions the kids have. There are also several good stopping points during the story for teachers to ask questions. When the narrator talks about how weird the strangers look, and wonders whether they are human, the teacher can ask: “Just because someone looks very different from you, does that mean that you should be afraid of them? Why or why not? Were there other reasons that the boy was afraid of the white men? How would you feel if you were kidnapped and taken away from your family?” At the end, another question could be “Do you think this story could have happened in real life?” And the teacher should explain that similar situations did actually happen, and give a more extensive explanation of the history behind this story.

Conclusion

Our hope is that this list will be a starting point for teachers and parents to find children's picture books that promote antiracism and social justice. Using this list, parents and teachers should also be able to examine other children's books to see if they truly promote the goals of multicultural education. These reviews are by no means comprehensive of all the resources that are out there, and the teaching suggestions given in the reviews are just that: suggestions. The teachers should feel free to use them as a starting point, but these ideas are not anywhere near complete lesson plans.

Works Cited Adoff, Arnold. Black is brown is tan. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1973.

Davol, Marguerite. Black, White, Just Right! Concept Books, 1993.

Faulkner, Matt. A Taste if Colored Water. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 2008.

Hamanaka, Sheila. All the Colors of the Earth. Morrow Junior Books. 1994

Haskins, Jim. Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2005.

Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991.

King, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther. I Have a Dream. New York: Scholastic Incorporated, 2007.

Kissinger, Katie. All the Colors We Are. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1994

Lester, Julius. Let's Talk About Race. Harper Collins Amistad, 2005.

Levine, Ellen. Henry’s Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007.

Littlesugar, Amy. Freedom School, Yes! New York: Philomel Books, 2001.

Raschka, Chris. Yo! Yes!. New York: Orchard Books, 1993.

Russo, Marisabina. Always Remember Me: How One Family Survivied World War II. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005.

Seuss, Dr. The Sneetches. New York: Random House, 1961.

Spruill, Ed and Sonya. Jordan's Hair. Malaysia: Judson Press, 2005.

Vanderpool, Kate. "What Kind of Hair do you Have?". ISRA Conference, 2008.

Woodson, Jaqueline. The Other Side. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001.

Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 1992.

[edit] Analyzing Language in Children's Literature

by Caroline Bauer, Alicia Bouchier, Consuelo Nelson & Jess Nollet

Language can be a powerful tool that can help or hurt people in our society. Multi-cultural education can provide an opportunity to look at how language can be used to break down stereotypes and bias. Our goal is to provide an approach to children’s literature that will improve a child’s understanding of diversity and aid in the recognition of bias.

We have included information about the background of the relationship of language to race, a guide to analyzing books for racism, a number of examples of books that handle issues of race both successfully and unsuccessfully, and an overview of the importance of including this in the curriculum and finally. Language is manipulated in both positive and negative ways to define or alter the image of people in the US along the lines of color. Language has the power to turn abstract ideas into reality. That is to say stereotypes have become common vocabulary which has resulted in many people in society believing them to be real. Stereotypes have very tangible consequences. The language people use to talk about race is indicative of general stereotypes and assumptions. There has been a concerted effort to change the language used in books used for education. As an educator (in the classroom or at home) it is important to be able to identify the potential harmful language in the literature that we are teaching to our children.

Racism and bias have a long history in children’s literature from Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit to modern books where racism appears in more subtle ways through tokenism or a general sense that “white” behavior and lifestyle is superior. Author Ruth Frankenberg attests to the fact that much of our vocabulary about race was established during the colonial period and carries with it the extreme prejudices of that era making it close to impossible to speak about race and related subjects without unconscious bias. Thus, students of all races are exposed to and internalize stereotypes that they encounter in daily life and in the language and pictures of books. Frankenberg also states that most descriptions and analyses of race and slavery are written from a white perspective and lead into a veritable labyrinth of bias when carefully deconstructed. Frankenberg maintains that race is a social construct with real consequences and criticizes the myth of colorblindness in which people claim not to see race. People of color experience constant signs of racism that may be subtle in nature. These subtle signs can be confusing as many people of color have to struggle with whether or not the racism is real or intentional and how they should respond to it. The harm that implied racism can cause to a person is real, and should not be dismissed as an overreaction. Microaggressions (Sue, et al) “The ‘new’ manifestation of racism has been likened to carbon monoxide, invisible, but potentially lethal.” A powerful way to breakdown the stereotypes in society is by changing the images and language presented in books.

Examples of Multicultural Children’s Literature…and Examples of Books to Avoid

The Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence is a true story of the relocation of southern African Americans to the north after World War I. Lawrence illustrates the motivations of those migrating by citing examples of injustice by the hands of whites: “For African-Americans the South was barren in many ways. There was no justice for them in the courts, and their lives were often in danger. Although slavery had long been abolished, white landowners treated the black tenant farmers harshly and unfairly.” Here, Lawrence is showing that whites held the power at the expense of blacks. Stating, “slavery had long been abolished” yet acknowledging that whites were still malicious toward blacks reinforces the idea that people can be racist even if their government is “racially equal.” The migration is not romanticized in Lawrence’s story, a pitfall of some multicultural literature, as romanticization can negate experienced inequality. Lawrence refutes a widespread belief that racial inequality is a Southern phenomenon: “Although they were promised better housing in the North, some families were forced to live in over-crowded and unhealthy conditions. The migrants soon learned that segregation was not confined to the South. Many Northern workers were angry because they had to compete with the migrants for housing and jobs. There were riots.”

Additionally, Lawrence illustrates the judges and factory owners in the story with white skin and all other characters with dark skin. This portrayal properly depicts the reality that whites held all of the powerful jobs in America after World War I. The pictures visibly show how power is stratified across racial lines in society; a fact that is important to teach children as positions of power have not changed much in society today.

Lawrence concludes his story with: “Theirs is a story of African-American strength and courage. I share it now as my parents told it to me, because their struggles and triumphs ring true today.” This sentence affirms that racial equality has not been established in America and there is still much work to be done in order to achieve equality. Using these stories can aid in teaching children that they can become active in social issues. Teaching these stories at an early age can prepare children to recognize stereotypes and use their voice to refute them. Stuart H.D. Ching (2005) would describe Lawrence’s book as one of “multiracial democracy” as it “assumes active contest over and weighs the ethical and unethical uses of power (130).” He would also classify it as a “passing into advocacy” book, as it “signifies replacing one’s comfortable position with a deeper understanding of power relations that enables one to comprehend and advocate for another’s cause (131).”

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is not a multicultural children’s book, but it is an example of a good book to read to young children. The book illustrates a black child enjoying a day in the snow, talking with his mother and playing with his friends. The book describes a day that any American child could experience, yet the author chose to portray a child of color enjoying the snowy day instead of a white child. This conscious decision has to be celebrated because it does not happen often in American children’s literature. Children of color are usually left out of storybooks unless their culture or different features are the focus of the story. Such depictions perpetuate the idea that people of color are and should be treated differently than the white norm.

Across the Alley by Richard Michelson is an example of a story that Ching would classify as one of “assimilationist pluralism”, or “one that requires different groups to follow standards they had no share in making and that they may dislike, even as it presents these requirements as the bedrock of orderly freedom (130).” The story focuses on a young white boy named Abe who has a young black friend named Willie who he can only talk to at night: “During the day we don’t play together, but at night, when nobody’s watching, Willie and I are best friends.” The story is told from the perspective of a white child and how he interacts with a black child. Though Abe is Jewish, the issues with the book have to do with how race is portrayed. The book does try to challenge stereotypes that are used in society. For example, Willie feels pressure to be good at baseball because “his daddy was a starter in the Negro leagues.” Despite his practice, Willie cannot grasp baseball. Similarly, Abe feels pressure to be good at the violin because his grandfather wants him to be. The boys find that they are good at the other’s activity, which breaks down the stereotype that baseball is for African Americans while activities that are associated with high culture are for whites. This stereotype however is somewhat reinforced when Abe’s grandfather tells him: “‘God gave you a brain, Abe. Let those Negro boys play ball.’”

Another example that downplays racial inequality takes place when Abe and Willie share stories of discrimination experienced by members of their families: “‘Grandpa was a great violinist in the old country,’ I tell Willie late that night. ‘But there was a war and the Nazis broke all of his fingers and worked him like a slave. Grandpa says he was lucky to escape with his life.’ Willie is real quiet now and I wonder if I said something wrong. Maybe he doesn’t know about the Nazis. ‘My great-granddaddy was a slave too,’ Willie finally says. ‘I never knew any white folk that were.’ Then we’re both real quiet until Willie decides that it’s time we went to bed.” This passage conveys the Jewish experience of the Holocaust was an equal struggle to that of African Americans being enslaved. The excerpt is meant to show children that Jewish Americans and Black Americans have experienced the same suffering because of their social identities. Although the Holocaust was an atrocity in which Jews were wrongly exterminated and has led to discrimination their experience is not equal to slavery and the present day inequalities that African Americans experience. As a result, children will understand Willie’s great-grandfathers enslavement as something that white people experienced too. By ending this difficult conversation with Abe and Willie going to bed and not addressing it further, the author is stating the racist idea that the past should be forgotten in favor of looking toward the future.

The story ends with Abe and Willie walking down the street together “like best friends, and everybody is staring.” Willie’s father and Abe’s grandfather are behind them, and Willie’s father states that: “Ignorance comes in as many colors as talent.” This statement negates the presence of white privilege and systematic racism in America today by stating that people of color can be racist and it holds the same consequences as white racism. Willie plays violin in Abe’s temple, and when he finishes “the clapping is so loud you’d think he’d just walloped a homer,” conveying to children that Willie’s musical talent has to be celebrated in athletic terms in order for him to appreciate it. The last page of the story is a picture of Abe’s grandfather standing amongst a group of Blacks who are all cheering on Abe while he plays baseball. This image conveys the idea that Abe’s grandfather is accepted among Blacks and is meant to represent racial harmony when in fact there is no picture of Willie or his father amongst a group of white people showing children that blacks do not need to be accepted by whites.

Hats Off to Hair by Virginia Kroll is a picture book about many different haircuts that is not recommended for children. The book has pages and pages of white children sporting many hairstyles and colors from pageboys to red ringlets. The book only shows a handful of children of color, who are drawn with other children of color in stereotypical styles and captioned as “Afros on Abe and Ahmed,” “Waves with a bloom on each ear for Samoa,” “Thick and straight, Shin-He’s hair parts in the middle,” “Curls at the temples for Yoel and Shmuel.” This book portrays children of color as “different” than the white majority who dominates the book. The pictures show children of color in stereotypical styles of their particular culture. Depicting an African American or Asian American child to hairstyles of popular belief is problematic as it will teach children to identify their classmates as such. Additionally, the author defines hairstyles in the back of the book; “Afro” is defined as a “bushy hairdo from Africa that became popular in the 1960s.” In fact, any style sported by a Black child is defined as an “African” style. A Mohawk is sported by a Native American child and defined as a style made popular by the Mohawk tribe. These definitions are troublesome because they teach children to categorize identity merely on racial terms. Overall, this book is dangerous as it coveys the idea that white children have many choices in hairstyles while children of color are easily categorized.

As discussed previously, literature is an extremely important aspect of multicultural education within the classroom. Text and pictures can send extremely explicit, and in many cases, implicit, messages about who is in power, what is “normal” and what is not. Multicultural literature is important for children in order to see characters that look like them, think like them, and act like them. Every child should be able to find several books in their classroom that portray people like themselves, in order to form a healthy, positive self image. Therefore, it is incredibly important for teachers to recognize which children or adolescent books represent a variety of different ethnicities in a thoughtful and positive way, in order to provide them in their classrooms. Additionally, a teacher cannot effectively work with students from diverse backgrounds if they themselves have not researched current issues that surround children from their classroom. Teachers need to be aware of issues of race, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, and gender while working with a group of students as these issues may affect students in different ways. When choosing books for the classroom, the teacher should have goals in mind for what s/he would like their students to get from the activity.

Multicultural literature can accomplish a number of goals: increase student awareness and appreciation of other people, help them recognize similarities and differences between groups of people, to show how people are connected through their emotions, needs, and desires, and to develop an understanding of the effects of social issues on individuals. Students should be an essential part of the discussion of the book and a safe, confidential environment in the classroom should be created to allow students to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with their peers. Most importantly, multicultural education is a theme that should be integrated in every classroom every day of the year and not only on special cultural holidays or remembrance days. When this is done sporadically it reinforces stereotypes and downplays the significance of the cultures represented. An ongoing discussion should be present when reading all types of literature to determine whose voice is heard, whose is missing, and what the students can do about it.

An article from Rethinking Our Classrooms, written by the Council on Interracial Books for Children provides the following abridged version of ten quick ways to analyze children’s books for racism and sexism. If students are old enough, they may be able to do some of the following themselves, which would be an excellent class activity.

1. Check the Illustrations 2. Check the Story Line: standards for success, resolution of problems, the role of women 3. Look at the Lifestyles 4. Weigh the Relationships Between People: how are family relationships depicted? Do whites in the story possess the power or make the important decisions? 5. Note the Heroes: are they “safe” non-white heroes? When minority heroes appear, are they admired for the same qualities as the white heroes? 6. Consider the Effects on a Child’s Self-Image: are norms established that limit the child’s aspirations and self-concepts? 7. Consider the Author or Illustrator’s Background 8. Check out the Author’s Perspective 9. Watch for Loaded Words: sexist language or loaded adjectives that can be racist, such as “lazy”, “superstitious”, and “docile”. 10. Look at the Copyright Date: this can be a clue to how racist or sexist a book is, depending on the decade in which it was written.

References Ching, H.D. S (2005). Multicultural Children's Literature as an Instrument of Power. Language Arts. 83, 128-136. Keats, Ezra J (1962). The Snowy Day. New York, NY: The Viking Press. Kroll, V (1995). Hats Off To Hair. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Lawrence, J (1993). The Great Migration. New York, NY: The Museum of Modern Art. Michelson, R (2006). Across the Alley. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

[edit] Teaching Historical Literature from an Anti-racist Perspective

Introduction

The topic we have decided to focus on is historical literature: we have chosen to examine hisorical literature in both elementary and high school through an antiracist lens. We define historical literature as literature that was written during or about a historical time period. We have come to this topic through a balance of individual interests within the field of history and literature. Through this compromise, we have discovered the power and impact that historical literature, particularly historical fiction has over the perceptions of students and the general society. For this reason the racism found in many pieces of historical literature is extremely problematic. Historical literature often reflects the racism of the time in which it was written. Even historical literature written more recently often does not address the racism of the time period. Because of the racism found in most historical literature, it is important for teachers using historical literature in their curricula to address the racism inherent in the books they choose. With regard to our research, we have reached a general consensus that many forms of historical literature are presently being identified as possible tools in creating social antiracist activism. While the discussion of this topic within the literature curricula has been encouraged, we have found few examples of the implementation of this. However, after a dedicated search we were able to find some examples of adequate lesson plans that have the potential to be used effectively in the classroom. We will discuss antiracist historical literature in a broad context in both elementary and high school education and then look at specific examples of the lesson plans that our search yielded.

High School Antiracism Historical Literature

There are many questions and concerns that educators face when attempting to create an anti-racist historical literature curriculum. For this process to even begin, it is central for the educator to be aware that the historical literature being used is primarily Eurocentric. The “Eurocentric critique” is defined by George Reisman as, “a pejorative term supposed to describe a provincial outlook that focuses overwhelmingly on European and Western culture while giving short shrift to Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Reisman, 1992).” Without the recognition of the present inequities and the implications that prejudiced texts provide, anti-racist historical literature is unable to be created and used. Through the recognition of texts that embody Eurocentrism, many educators and schools are attempting to eliminate the Western and European bias, and incorporating many different perspectives. For example, in California’s public school system, their history curriculum has been altered to include Native American and African cultures.

To allow for students to see through an anti-racist lens, it is imperative to provide at this present point, alternative book choices, specifically different sources in place of history textbooks. Since the 1990’s, the educational community has begun to move toward a new initiative towards anti-racist historical literature. Present educators who have recognized the Eurocentrism and racism within the present texts are proposing and searching for alternative texts and sources. These alternative sources have included historical fiction narratives that provides powerful messages and perspectives to the students. Also, since more educators are beginning to use alternatives texts, and antiracist teachers continue to change their curriculum, many high school textbooks are widely being rewritten. Here again, the perspectives and stories which were often orally preserved are being written down through adaptation, to go “beyond relying on accounts of Western travelers…” as said by Reisman. The key that seems to provide an effective anti-racist historical literature curriculum in high school is a culmination between awareness, activeness in search of other resources, and emphasis on activism in the educator and students. This can only be done through the self-reflection of the educator and the promotion of self-reflection to the students. Kathleen M. Sharp shares in her article “Reflection and Activity in my Classroom”, a teacher’s reflection on the present issues and concerns that occur when teaching an anti-racist lesson on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Sharp emphasizes the constant student reflections that occurred throughout the whole class activity. Here the reflection goes beyond the text, and challenges educators and students to look within themselves and their lives. Sharp presents an educational theory, Centricity, from Asante (1991) who defines it as “a process that involves the teacher in locating students within the context of their own cultural reference so that thy can relate socially and psychologically to other cultural perspectives.” Through reflection, teachers are able to introduce this theory into practice, strengthening the connection between the literature and the individual.

A concern and issue that has come up in the educational system within high school literature, particularly historical literature is the controversy over censorship. In both arguments for and against censorship, individuals have stated arguments about anti-racism. For individuals who are for censorship in the context of anti-racism, feel that certain texts instill negative perspectives of minorities that will perpetuate stereotypes, which in turn takes away any power and value the students of color may feel. This issue particularly came up in the discussion of the book, Heart of Darkness, which one teacher reflects and struggles with the overuse of the book within classes and the negative impact it has had on students of color. While this is a valid statement, it seems that rather then the issue of the book being the problem, it seems to be how the book/novel is used, and introduced and taught within the class.

Carey-Webb has written Literature and Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English, which provides tools for teachers in providing lessons on controversial issues such as the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In providing anti-racist historical literature, this text not only addresses racially controversial issues, but also continues to encourage students to become active members in the fight for anti-racism.

Example: Huckleberry Finn

This book illustrates the relationship of a young white boy and his efforts to save a slave that has run away and who like Huck is fleeing from oppression. They travel down the Mississippi river and meet many people - some of whom take advantage of them and others who are there to help. This book was written during the end of slavery. In this book the racial divide that separates Huck from Jim is nonexistent. They share a desire to escape oppression and find a better life which is what unites them on a deeper level, beyond the racial divide. Both Huck and Jim were considered property to those in power which united them in their struggle to become free. There were plenty of times Huck could have turned in Jim as an escaped slave but did not due to their loyalty and solidarity to one another. In regards to lesson plans, topics such as slavery and the ownership of another person is illustrated in this book. Huck's father treats Huck as nothing more then property, similar to Jim's treatment from society. An antiracist lesson plan to this book examines slavery and the ideas of freedom related to all people (http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/huckfinn/guide.cfm ). Part of the curriculum that is laid out by this website assigns role playing as well as research into the lives of individuals who were freed as a result of an abolitionist movement. This lesson plan not only encourages students to role play and reenact the injustice that freed slaves faced, but also has them do research on the movements that abolitionists were part of, resulting in the emancipation proclamation. This lesson plan requires that the student take a more active role in the learning of the slavery movement and the acts that went along in attempting to make up for the years of mistreatment.

Not only does the website encourage the active learning involved in role playing but also demands that the students to become an active member of history by writing a book about slavery and the repercussions of that time period. This lesson plan emphasizes the role of empathy that each student should take when dealing with such a volatile situation. Slavery brings with it some strong feelings about race and self worth, which are addressed by this lesson plan. Not only do the students act out situations that parallel the experiences of many slaves, but also highlights the oppression that they felt. The book they are asked to write is a continuation of the story Huckleberry Finn. It is used to address the feelings and rights that were not afforded to the slaves. In addition, the students can also have the opportunity to draw pictures or write poems through the eyes of the slaves in a time when they had no voice.

All of the above are strengths that this lesson plan provides in the context of an antiracist education. Some of the weaknesses are that this lesson plan only offers the students a glimpse into what slavery was like and how people in power could combat it. The lesson plan would be more beneficial if it was a continuous on-going topic that could be addressed throughout the year rather then a one time thing. It goes along with the idea that the curriculum needs to expand to include African American heritage throughout the course of the year.

While the focus of this lesson plan is to address slavery and the repercussions of such an oppressive state that all Blacks felt at this point in history, it also fails to address the treatment of Huck. He also faced oppression in that he was poor and an orphan. He dealt with the oppression in much the same way that the slaves did, by choosing to run away. I think it is this link that brings Huck and Jim together and unites them on a front to fight for their independence. The role playing that the students take part in should not only emphasize the oppression felt by Blacks but by anyone who has faced some form of oppression.

This lesson plan encourages students to take an active role in the discussion of slavery and the treatment / oppression that Huckleberry Finn encountered, as well as his role in helping a slave gain his freedom. The lesson plan around this book fosters the imagination of students to extrapolate the experience of slavery and life in the South. It illustrates the relationship between a boy and his friend who happens to be a slave and the adventures they go through to maintain both their freedom and the friendship that they both benefit from. The lesson plan encourages role playing and research into the effects of oppression.

Example: Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is perhaps one of the most well-known books in America; certainly one of the most influential. Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped to raise abolitionist sentiment in the North and was one of factors that led up to the civil war. Abraham Lincoln is rumored to have said upon meeting the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “‘So, this is the little lady who made this big war?’” (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”). Despite it’s abolitionist sentiment however, the book is also well-known for its controversial main character. “Uncle Tom,” the name of the main character, became an often-used derogatory term used to refer to a submissive Black person. Others defend Uncle Tom’s character, however, and blame the negative image of him on the many staged and film versions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin that later appeared (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”).

The lesson plan “The Character of Uncle Tom” examines the debate surrounding Tom’s character. In order to introduce the students to Tom’s character, the students are given a handout of quotations spoken by, or about, Tom. This could be problematic because it only gives a partial view of the character and could give a distorted view of the character. It would be much more useful for the students to find their own quotes (if they have already read the book) or read a couple chapters of the book in order to form their own opinions. This would be more effective than the handout because students would be coming up with their own opinions and evidence rather than having it given to them.

A useful part of the lesson plan is the discussion on differences between Tom’s character and the man the character was based on, Josiah Henson. Although the lesson plan asks the question how does Josiah Henson differ from Uncle Tom, the plan does not ask the question why Stowe might have changed the story and/or character of Josiah Henson for her novel.

Another positive aspect of the lesson plan is that it examines the opinions of both supporters and opponents of Uncle Tom’s character. However, this lesson plan lists Frederick Douglas as a supporter, yet does not include any of his own words in support of his position. Likewise, although the lesson plan includes a handout of a letter from The Liberator opposing Tom’s character, the handout includes only selected quotes, rather than the whole letter.

Overall, although this lesson plan provides a good base, it is in need of more supplemental materials in order to be effective. Giving the students original documents, instead of selected quotes, would require them to form their own opinions and arguments. Also, the lesson plan does not examine how the racism of the time the novel was written might have affected the character of Uncle Tom. In order to be an effective anti-racist lesson plan, “The Character of Uncle Tom” would have to discuss racism and how Stowe absorbed racist views of the time, despite her abolitionist sentiment, and how these views may have been reflected in her characters. It would also be useful to examine the racism of abolitionists as a group and discuss how many abolitionists, though strongly opposed to slavery, firmly believed in the inferiority of Blacks. Although this lesson plan is in need of original primary documents and a larger context, it shows some potential and, with work, could be used as an effective anti-racist lesson plan.

It is also important to keep in mind that this lesson plan is part of a larger unit on Uncle Tom’s Cabin and that students may receive a better understanding if the lesson plan is included as part of the larger unit. Other lesson plans include “The Peculiar Institution in Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which examines how Stowe portrays slavery as an institution in her novel rather than simply a relationship between a slaveholder and an enslaved person, and “Attitudes and Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” which examines stereotypes in the novel as well as Stowe’s support for the African Colonization Movement. Both of these lessons, as well some of the others – there are nine in all – may also be useful in teaching Uncle Tom’s Cabin. With a bit of tweaking and perhaps some supplemental materials, the unit could be a thorough, relatively strong, anti-racist unit on Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Elementary Historical Literature

Why is it important to teach elementary school children historical literature from an anti-racist perspective? This is one of the questions that a teacher should ask him or herself, because many people do not believe that young children can understand the concepts of racism and might therefore criticize teachers for their decision to teach historical literature in this way. However, this is not entirely the case. Without getting into the arguments about what young children are and are not capable of understanding, children do internalize many of the messages they are given which will later lead to subconscious forms of racism, as well as affecting them in their day to day lives. "Racism attacks young children's growing sense of group as well as individual identity." Teaching anti-racism through stories also makes sense because “Stories are 'an extraordinary vehicle for communion and communication and expression, and for the knowledge that we all need in order to know where we're coming from and to help us to define where we're going.'” Teaching children anti-racist concepts when they are young sets the foundation for expanding on these concepts when they are older.

Eurocentrism is present in the historical literature written for elementary school level just as much as it is in texts written for the middle and high school levels. In elementary schools the students are going to be heavily influenced in their perceptions of the world by what their teachers tell them. Teaching historical literature in this way will cause children to internalize the idea that nowhere in the world existed until the European world discovered it.

Teaching in an anti-racist, non-Eurocentric way is sometimes harder than it might at first seem. While there are many books which are published specifically to be taught in an anti-racist way, not all teachers can use them. Many teachers are locked into a curriculum where they must teach certain books. In those cases, anti-racist lesson plans for some books can be found but is extremely difficult. Some examples of books where lesson plans can be found are Number the Stars and Island of the Blue Dolphins. However, for many other commonly taught books lesson plans cannot be found. However, something called a blank lesson plan is available online. I found one as part of a document entitled LESSON PLANS Developed by EMI Participants on page four. This chart provides antiracist questions that can be applied to any book that a teacher cannot find a lesson plan on. It would also allow a teacher to more easily modify a lesson plan that they have found which was not adequate. While this blank lesson plan may not have been designed solely for the elementary school level, it still asks pertinent questions. One example of a question is: what possible social action plans will evolve from this lesson. Not asking this question is often one of the flaws of a lesson plan whether it was designed to be anti-racist or not. Having the blank lesson plan is useful for ensuring that that the lesson plan that is being taught will not just point out instances of racism but actively work against it in some way. This document also included many examples of lesson plans made using this format, but none of them were for our example book for elementary school, Little House on the Prairie or even for another commonly read elementary school level historical book and are thus not included.

Example: Little House on the Prairie

Often in elementary education, teachers are required to include certain books in the curriculum. The Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, is often a required reading. Even when not required to include certain literature in the curriculum, many educators prefer to use literature written by those who lived in the time period under study. As a reflection of its time, such literature, written during racist times, includes a lot of discrimination. The Little House series is no exception.

Advocates of Antiracism highlight the racism in the Little House on the Prairie. Dennis McAuliffe Jr. is a descendent of Osage Native Americans who originally lived near the Ingalls’ residence in Kansas. His essay (http://www.oyate.org/books-to-avoid/littlehouse.html) discusses the experiences of the Osage. The settlers (including the Ingalls) were squatters on the Osage reservation. They stole horses, burned fields, forced the Osage to relocate, and settled on the land. Pa Ingalls explicitly states to Laura and the reader that they hope to drive the Osage tribe away. Debbie Reese is a professor who teaches a course “American Indians in Children’s Literature”. She maintains a blog (http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/) about the course and the literature covered. She references her student’s distress at discovering a line in the Ingalls' book: “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” She points out that Wilder presents American Indians as less than human. Resse, McAuliffe, and other antiracist advocates argue against using Little House on the Prairie in the classroom.

While there are many lesson plans online to use with Little House on the Prairie, the problem is that very few address the racism, or acknowledge the presence of Native Americans in the book. It is integral to address these elements in fostering an antiracist education. There is one lesson plan online that has antiracist elements.

Lesson Plans for the Little House series: Pioneer Life With Laura: A Social Studies And Language Arts Unit The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, http://hoover.archives.gov/LIW/liwedu/liw_teaching_unit.html The teaching unit, Pioneer Life with Laura, was prepared with a grant from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. It is designed as a literature unit that can be used in conjunction with the study of the Westward Movement of the United States. (Please follow link, in the interest of space we will not be including the actual lessons on the wiki.)

This lesson plan is the only one online that includes an antiracist objective. It states, “the learner will develop an understanding of and an appreciation for: Destruction of the way of life of the Plains Indians and their forced movement to reservations.” The lesson plan is broken into several sections: The Journey, Life On the Frontier, Building a Community. In each section, the lesson plan presents discussion questions that challenge the students to consider the perspectives of the Plains Indians. In these discussions, the students can overcome some of the negative messages about Plains Indians presented in the Little House books. During reading, the class discusses “What the Osage might have felt about the Ingalls' and other settlers moving into their land.” They “Compare and contrast how the two families (from different books) viewed Native Americans and discuss what happened to the Native Americans as a result of the Westward Movement.” They “Then discuss what kinds of homes the Native Americans had before the Westward Movement: bark houses, earth lodges, tipis, etc. and ask how these houses were suited to each region.” Before reading aloud from some sections, the teacher “explains that when the Ingalls family came to the Kansas prairie they were settling on land that belonged to the Osage Indians who were away on a hunting trip. Although the land seemed uninhabited, it was not.” The class will “Also discuss with students the stereotypes of Native Americans found in the book,” “What happened to the Osage as a result of settlers moving onto their land,” and “What happened to the Sioux and other Plains Indians as a result of the Westward Movement.” These discussions will help the students develop an understanding of how the United States government and its settlers exploited the Plains Indians. The students will be able to critically analyze the racism in the Little House series, rather than learn that Native Americans are less than human.

The lesson plan also includes some antiracist activities. Included activities are: “Design an art gallery of pioneers and Native Americans. Use photographs of Native American beadwork, clothing, shields, etc. Include quilts and other folk art as well as works by famous artists. Artists to consider include Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, Grant Wood, Harvey Dunn ( nephew by marriage of Grace Ingalls Dow ), who painted scenes of early South Dakota, and Red Horse, who made drawings of the Battle of Little Bighorn. This project can be done by hand or by using a computer program such as HyperStudio or Kid Pix,” “Make an illustrated biography of a famous Native American from the Great Plains. You can use HyperStudio or do your biography by hand. Suggestions include: Sarah Winnemucca, Susan LaFlesche Picotte, Quanah, Red Cloud, Sacajawea, Black Hawk, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, or Geronimo,” and “Investigate the history of your own town or city. Then make an illustrated timeline or mural of the development of your town. Include information about the earliest inhabitants of the area as well as information about the earliest Europeans who came to the area.” These activities will help the students develop an increased respect for Native Americans by recognizing that Native Americans are humans of cultured societies, instead of savages from which things can be taken.

This lesson plan is far from perfect. There are many racist comments in the Little House books, such as “The only good Indian is a dead Indian,” that need to be addressed specifically as they come up. The lesson plan does not take the time to address the concept of racism and discrimination. The Little House series presents a great opportunity to present the concept of institutional racism, as the US government enacted many policies specifically to oppress and conquer Native Americans.

Conclusion

One of our greatest discoveries when researching our topic was the difficulty of finding anti-racist lesson plans for historical literature. Despite the frequency with which many historical books are used in the classroom and the availability of other lesson plans, it was extremely difficult to find effective anti-racist lesson plans. Although finding actively anti-racist lesson plans was difficult, there were lesson plans that, while not perfect, had the potential to be used effectively in the classroom if modified by the teacher. There were also other tools available such as blank lesson plans that could be modified to fit the book being taught. Despite the difficulty in finding lesson plans, there are some lesson plans and other materials out there that can be effective with the cooperation of the teacher and class. It is important for teachers to put in this effort for historical literature can be an effective tool in the classroom, but only if viewed through an anti-racist lens.

References 1.2 Blank Lesson Plan. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from LESSON PLANS Developed by EMI Participants Web site: http://www.edcollab.org/EMI/Lesson%20plans.doc

Bruce, H.E. (2003, July). Engaging Adolescent Readers- The Value of Contemporary Literary Theories. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from JSTOR Web site: http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8274(200307)92%3A6%3C90%3AEARTVO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L

Cope, David Uncle tom's cabin unit of study. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from Slavery in America Web site: http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_lp_uncletomcabin.htm

Cope, David The character of uncle tom lesson plan. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from Slavery in America Web site: http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_lp_utc-character.htm

Language Art: Novel Guide. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Web site: http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/huckfinn/guide.cfm

Laura Ingalls Wilder Teaching Unit for Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2008, from The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum website. http://hoover.archives.gov/LIW/liwedu/liw_teaching_unit.html

Library of Congress, (2007, May 31). Uncle tom's cabin. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from Library of Congress: American Memory Web site: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun05.html

Literary study guide. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from Spark Notes: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Web site: www.sparknotes.com/lit/huckfinn/

McAuliffe, Dennis.(n.d.). Little House on the Osage Prairie. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from Oyate web site (2007). http://www.oyate.org/books-to-avoid/littlehouse.html

Reese, Debbie. (2006, September 13) Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from American Indians in Children’s Literature. http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2006_09_13_americanindiansinchildrensliterature_archive.html

Reisman, G. (1992). Education and the Racist Road to Barbarism. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from The Intellectual Voice of Capitalism on the Internet. Web site: http://www.capitalism.net/Education%20and%20Racism.htm

Scott, J.A. (1992, February). Historical Literature and Democratic Education. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from JSTOR Web site: http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/494272?seq=5

Sharp, K.M. (2003). Teacher Reflection: A Perspective From the Trenches. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from JSTOR Web site: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theory_into_practice/v042/42.3sharp.html

The First Grant Proposal, 1998. Retrieved May 4, 2008, from Yes I Can Make a Difference Web site: http://hastings.lexingtonma.org/Library/Yes/grant_proposal.htm

"Uncle Tom's Cabin." Library of Congress: American Memory. 31 May 2007. Library of Congress. 26 Apr 2008 <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun05.html>.

[edit] Selected Book Titles for Children

We have included a list of books that we liked however there are a myriad of great multicultural books for children that are written and illustrated to provide a safe and creative space to learn about differences among people. Each one of the ten stories below explores a different culture: Guatemala, Hawaii, Japan, Africa, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, India, China, Haiti, Russia, Brazil, and Austria. It is important that teachers choose books that are pertinent to the group of students they are teaching.

TRICYCLE: This story is set in Guatemala and explores the gap between rich and poor and consciousness. The young girl in the story learns about the responsibility of having so much more than the people around her. Beautifully illustrated in a magic- realist style, the story relies on feeling and intuition to make its point.

PUNIA AND THE KING OF SHARKS: This is a Hawaiian folktale about a fisherman’s enterprising son. Lee Wardlaw takes the reader on a rollicking adventure as Punia cleverly outwits the sharks and becomes the hero of the island village. The illustrations capture the humor of the young boy who courts danger and triumphs over it.

YOKO: This story is about a girl named Yoko whose favorite food is sushi. Yoko’s mother packs a lunch of seaweed, shrimp, cucumber, rice, tuna, and red bean ice cream to take to school. However, all the other children in Yoko’s class laugh at her unusual food. Yoko’s teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, decides to solve the problem by having an international day so everyone can try a bite of different foods.

WHEN AFRICA WAS HOME: This story is about a boy who has lived in Africa and, after retuning to the United States, the family misses the warmth and friendliness of their life in Africa.

EVERYBODY COOKS RICE: This story about a girl, Carrie, who searches for her little brother, Anthony, so that they can eat dinner. Carrie samples each family’s dinner in her neighborhood. By the time she tracks down her brother, Carrie has discovered a world of rice dishes in her own backyard.

SO SAY THE LITTLE MONKEYS: This story is based on a tale from the Brazilian rain forest about black mouth monkeys. The monkeys frolic through the Brazilian rainforest, swinging from vine to vine, and, most importantly, climbing the thorny tall trees.

THE EMPTY POT: This story is about a boy named Ping from China who loved flowers. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, the Emperor gave a flower seed to the children in the kingdom and ordered them to bring it to him after a year. Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. Pings seed never grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. Ping’s embarrassing failure turns into a triumph as he is rewarded for his honesty.

HOW MY PARENTS LEARNED TO EAT: This is story of a girl who has a Japanese mother and an American father. It explains why some days her family eats with chopsticks and other days with knives and forks. This book will help children learn about making connections across cultures and valuing their own cultural identity.

WILLIAM TELL: This story is about William Tell, his son Walter, and the tyrannical rule of the Austrian Emperor.

[edit] Anti-racism and the Arts

[edit] Artivism: An Exploration of Antiracist Activism through Arts

There are several ways to combat racism; one of those ways is through the arts. Using various methods of research we explored distinct areas of antiracist activism through the arts. We explored the people who are involved in antiracist activism and how they utilize the arts in their antiracist efforts. Though ‘The Arts’ encompasses a broad range of mediums and forms of expression, we looked more specifically at children's literature, theatre, visual arts and film.

Theatre of The Oppressed (TO) and Anti-Racist Activism

Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) is an international school of theatre, which means it is performed all over the world. It was founded by Augusto Boal in 1971 and is known for addressing oppressive political and social issues in communities (beliefs, laws, attitudes and actions). It was first used in Brazil and other South American countries to create dialogue between Indigenous populations and Spanish decedents. Most importantly, TO involves the work of both actors and non-actors; although we are not literally on stage we perform acts everyday. “We perform the play of breakfast, the scene of going to work, the act of working” and the list continues (Boal, 2002, 11). Thus, whenever racist acts are committed, passive or aggressive, they are apart of a larger rehearsal and play. Racism can be undone in the same way; through the use of theatre. To better understand how TO can be used to tackle racism we will examine Boal’s early contributions, well-known branches of TO, and how it can be applied in the classroom.

Augusto Boal first began using T.O in Brazil, his place of origin. In Brazil he used theatre to examine the oppression faced by working class Brazilians, their lack of political and economic power, and repression under the dictatorship of Brazil. His first development and working professional theatre was the “Teatro Arena.” Here Boal produced plays written both by new Brazilian authors and classical playwrights to see how they could be applied to Brazilian realities. This practice, applying contemporary Brazilian matters to classical plays, was used to help people acquire better understanding of their problems and how they may relate to larger issues within society. At this time, Boal also created “Newspaper Theatre”, which involves transforming newspaper items into dramatic performance. This form of theatre in particular increased the knowledge and popularity of TO.

Forum theatre is another popular forms of TO. It is useful because it gives voices to the voiceless and moves the marginalized to the center. This is true whether the issues concerns classism, sexism and in this case racism. Forum Theatre allows all members of an audience, usually the community, to participate and be heard. Thus, everyone has a fair chance to talk and present art. First the actors present a contemporary issue on stage. Afterwards they perform the piece again allowing spect-actor or audience participation. Spect-actors are encouraged to both propose solutions and become active participants in the scene by taking an actor’s place. Such freedom allows for roles of power to be examined. For instance, you may have a working class girl playing the role of a lawyer or mayor. This type of theatre was originally set in the middle of towns so that all community members could be apart of the process. As one can imagine forum theatre often went longer than expected, which suggests that solutions to end inequalities are works in progress which need ongoing reinforcement.

“Newspaper Theatre” and “Forum Theatre” have been used to look at current issues in society in a number of ways, especially those pertaining to racism. In particular, a group of students at Hampshire College used TO to construct an imporov theatre piece, “Unpacking”, that addressed issues of racism on campus. Racism was depicted in a number of ways such as white students singling out student of colors during a discussion of race and a speech given by our president advocating colorblindness. Students in the play were both white and black, which further depicted race matters on campus. Because of it’s relevance to Hampshire’s climate (86% white) it suddenly made white students in the audience both conscientious and more conscientious about race. When asked how they created the final product most of the cast talked about their personal experiences and realizations; recent and past acts of hate crimes and profiling in the classroom. In addition, they discussed TO games, gamesercises, which will be discussed in the up and coming paragraph.

Gamersercises is what Boal calls “a fair proportion of exercise in the games and a fair proportion of game in the exercises” (Boal, 2002, 48). Thus, TO includes a lot of games that are used to warm-up its participants. They are usually physical and have the intention of getting people emotionally involved. An example of a gamesercise is Columbian Hypnosis characterized by an actor (hypnotizer) leading another actor (hypnotized) around with the palm of their hand. The person hypnotized must use their face to follow the hypnotizer’s hand and cannot break their initial distance (between 20 and 40 centimeters). Like Columbian Hypnosis all TO gamesercices require teamwork, and there is never anyone working alone. This dynamic mirrors life and struggle, since there is always someone helping you live and someone causing you to struggle (oppressed and an oppressed, and the oppressed and the oppressor). You are never working alone.

Gamersercises are really important because they set up a safe space for actors and raise the comfort bar for non-actors. Furthermore, it gives all people an equal chance to be in control of the situation whether they’re black, white, shy, poor, male or female. These types of exercises can even be used with children. In fact, many of them are renditions of children games and involve a lot of play. Columbian Hypnosis can be safely done as long as rules are explained and the children are in an area with very few things to bump into. Afterwards students can talk about how they felt to be in power while hypnotizing their peers and while they were the person with less power being hypnotized. Musical Chairs is also used as a gamesercise. This game involves playing music while actors march around chairs. For this to be successful there must be one chair less than the actual members playing so that someone is eliminated each round. Whenever the music stops actors must find a seat. If a person doesn’t get a seat they’re eliminated, a chair is removed, and the game continues until there is a winner. This game in particular is a great way to talk about inclusion and exclusion, which can pave the way for a larger discussion about racism.

A recent graduate student, Juana Mendoza Claudio, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst looked at how TO techniques could be used with bilingual students in Transitional Bilingual Education Programs. Through this work she hoped to counter mainstreaming by finding a way to help bilingual students embrace their differences while in school. Most of Claudio’s (2002) work is qualitative and exists in the form of detailed journal recordings that are both her own and the students. She used several of Boal’s gamesercises such as Blind/Guide, which is similar to “Columbian Hypnosis” except that the person hypnotized is blindfolded and “This is not a stick”, where the children took turns transforming a stick into another representation like a brush or a pencil (Claudio, 2002, 70-71). Many of these exercises resulted in cultural realizations and a deeper understanding of who they were as Latinos and their individual cultures. For instance, students often noticed that certain words were different in Spanish speaking countries which better shaped who they were as individuals rather than the bilingual group they were tracked as in school (Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Chile). Furthermore, TO helped the students take control of their learning by choosing topics and creating the scenes. This type of empowerment can also be seen in Amherst’s local youth group, Project 2050, which also uses TO to combat racism.

Antiracist Activism through Visual Arts

When thinking or learning about the visual arts, people’s minds usually jump to thoughts of paintings or drawings, mostly of those created by white males. However, visual art encompasses a wide range of mediums such as street art, graffiti, graphic design, murals, printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and cartoons. Anti-racist visual artists often use a variety of these materials as an outlet to combat the white haze that encompasses visual art and even our society. Anti-racist artists have been in our society for quite some time and yet they are not as well known or spoken of when learning about art. This article will explore the lives of a few anti-racist artists as they work, or have worked, to speak out about issues of racism, oppression, power struggles and every day issues that get swept under the rug. These artists are only a few contemporary ones; many artists before them and currently have created work dealing with similar issues. The article also explores mostly female artists to provide an alternative perspective on visual arts, a move away from the predominately white, male Eurocentric perspective.

Keith Knight (born 1966) Born and raised in the Boston area, Keith Knight was “weaned on a steady diet of Star Wars, hip-hop, racism and Warner Bros. cartoons” (“Bio: Cartoonist”). He started drawing in elementary school and soon developed his trademark cartooning style of underground comics. When asked about his work he stated, “You’re totally influenced by your surroundings and Boston’s known as a pretty racist place, though you don’t really realize it when you’re growing up there” (McGovern).

Knight is “part of a new generation of talented young African-American artists who infuse their work with urgency, edge, humor, satire, politics and race” (“Bio: Cartoonist”). Using his humor, he brings awareness to issues of race, diversity, media, youth and student empowerment, the corporate corrosion of creativity and other contemporary issues (“Fear of a Black”). As a means of addressing these issues, Knight created the K Chronicles, a weekly comic strip, and (th)ink a single-panel piece that tackles issues effecting communities of color. His work has appeared in places such as Salon.com, ESPN the Magazine, the Funny Times, World War 3 Illustrated, L.A. Weekly, and MAD Magazine. In 2007 he won the Harvey Award and the 2006 & 2007 Glyph Awards for Best Comic Strip. His comic art has appeared in museums and galleries all over, from California to France. Knight is also the author of three books, Fear of a Black Marker, Dances with Sheep and his latest, What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been (“Fear of a Black”).

Keith Knight continues to actively promote antiracism through whatever means; whether he is drawing another poignant cartoon, performing in his hip-hop band, the Marginal Prophets or writing a book.

Below are some specific examples of his work: http://www.salon.com/comics/knig/2007/06/20/knig/ http://www.salon.com/comics/knig/2008/03/05/knig/ http://www.salon.com/comics/knig/2007/09/26/knig/ Some of his comics can be viewed at: http://www.buzzle.com/authors.asp?author=243

Yolanda Lopez (born 1942) Yolanda Lopez is a talented Chicana muralist, painter, printmaker, educator, and film producer. Her art work focuses mostly on the lives of Mexican American women, challenging the ethnic stereotypes associated with them. Lopez argues that it is “crucial that we systematically explore the cultural mis-definition of Mexicans and Latin Americans that is presented in the media” (Guerena & Chatman). She views her art as a tool for political and social change, labeling herself as an “artistic provocateur” (“Women Artists”).

Lopez is most famous for her Virgin of Guadalupe series of paintings (1975–78) in which she transformed the “beloved icon to celebrate ordinary Mexican and Mexican American women as hardworking, assertive, and vibrant” (Davalos). Through whatever means possible, curating an exhibition, producing films, painting murals, teaching art in studios or universities, Lopez has strived to be and succeeded in becoming an antiracist artist.

Here are examples of her work: http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~ws5001/runningshoes.JPG http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6158/lopez1bigxy2.jpg

Emma Amos (born 1938) Through the use of paintings, prints and weavings, Emma Amos has explored political and social issues of Black life. Amos’ work is strongly influenced by her idea that as an African American woman, art is fundamentally “a political act” (“Women Artists”).

When recounting growing up in the South, Amos said, “images come to me of words like sass and back talk that describe the attitudes of people who actively resisted oppression. My work has often taken shots at assumptions about skin color and the privileges of power and of whiteness” (Amos). Through her work she challenges audiences to consider how ideas about race, sex and identity are constructed through images. Her works “expose the ways in which images of blackness and non-western cultural forms have been historically appropriated by white artists” (“Emma Amos”). As Amos stated, her paintings serve to “dislodge, question, and tweak prejudices, rules, and notions relating to art and who makes it, poses for it, shows it, and buys it. The work reflects my investigations into the otherness often seen by white male artists, along with the notion of desire, the dark body versus the white body, racism, and my wish to provoke more thoughtful ways of thinking and seeing” (Amos).

Amos’ work has been internationally exhibited and she is currently a Professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Some of her paintings can be viewed at: http://emmaamos.com/category/works/painting/

Faith Ringgold (born 1930) Using painting, storytelling and most famously story quilts, Faith Ringgold has proved to be an influential female African American artist. Ringgold was familiar with the quilt-making tradition, influenced by weaving done by men in Africa, for warmth, preserving memories and events, storytelling, and even as "message boards" for the Underground Railroad to guide slaves on their way north (“Artist Profile”).

Ringgold initially painted in oils reflecting the turmoil and change of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. During this time she worked as an activist for social change for women and blacks. She focused in on the American art museum system, “which often omitted African-Americans and women from its exhibitions on a de facto basis” (“Artist Profile”). In 1967, Ringgold created a series entitled, The American People, which addressed racial conflict and discrimination. And in 1972, she helped found the Women Students and Artists for Black Liberation so that African American art exhibitions would equally represent both men and women (“African American”).

Ringgold became most famous for her use of art in a medium formerly referred to as "woman's work" (textiles, sewn fabric, weaving, quilting, embroidery). She transformed this ‘craft’ into art work that explores the serious issues of society (“Artist Profile”). Ringgold has exhibited in major museums in the USA, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Her first book, Tar Beach was a Caldecott Honor Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration. She has written and illustrated eleven children's books, received more than 75 awards, fellowships, citations and honors (Ringgold). Faith Ringgold continues to inspire, challenge and create, urging people to follow their dreams and overcome obstacles with an unstoppable spirit.

Khalil Bendib (born 1957) Khalil Bendib is an award winning cartoonist and “arguably the most visible Muslim Arab fine artist working today in the USA” (“Studio”). Born during the Algerian revolution, Bendib grew up in Morocco and Algeria and came to California at age 20. Bendib worked both as a cartoonist and a fine artist using ceramics, sculptures, and paintings in California.

After working at Gannett Newspapers for eight years, he resigned due to his feelings that his work was unnecessarily censored. Bendib now works independently, exploring “potentially explosive issues avoided by other cartoonists, such as racial injustice, labor and class struggles, U.S. imperialism, environmental degradation, the scapegoating of Muslims and Arabs, and the complicity of our Orwellian media” (“America’s Most Wanted”). His work has been published in numerous newspapers across America as well as The Black Commentator and other online publications. Khalil provides a “fresh, non-Eurocentric perspective and a unique voice not usually found in our large, corporate media” (“The Book”). Khalil Bendib continues to “give a voice to the voiceless” and work hard to speak out on important issues through his antiracist art.

View his work at: http://www.studiobendib.com/inside.html

Though only a few artists have been addressed, it is important to be aware of the people in our society (both past and present) who have used their creative voices to speak out on issues of inequality. These artists could be used as sources of inspiration or for a new perspective other than the Eurocentric one that so dominates the visual arts culture.

Haile Gerima, Sankofa and Independent Filmmaking

In his career as both a professor and filmmaker, Gerima has been an activist for a whole host of issues, ranging from third world studies to racism and African American history. Born in Gondar, Ethiopia, Gerima immigrated to the US in 1968. Best put in his own words, initially, “I wanted to work in theatre-It never occurred to me I could be a filmmaker because I was raised on Hollywood movies that pacified me to be subservient.” In an attempt to break both break from this mold, and to attack the dominant narrative, Gerima became involved in film in the tumultuous times of the late 60s and early 70s. It was a time when African Americans were involved in the civil rights struggle in America, and many African nations were in the midst of independence movements themselves. This duality, between the African diaspora and Africa itself, is a crucial theme in Gerima's work. By looking at lives and struggles of the diaspora, with their roots in Africa, Gerima internationalizes and unifies the diaspora's world-wide struggle. Moreover, this allows for Gerima to use history as a medium to expose the connections that create unity and a shared direction.

His most famous film, Sankofa, is about slavery, and more specifically, about a slave rebellion in the Caribbean. This film plays directly into the aforementioned theme of Gerima's films. The film takes place in an unknown island in the Caribbean for a reason; it could have been anyone in the diaspora's former family, and if it wasn't, it represents a struggle that many families can locate in their own histories. The film takes an afro-centric perspective, like all of Gerima's films, with a stress on how history is connected to today. The film starts out with a female model on a beach on the west coast of Africa. Gerima uses this female character, who appears to have forgotten her roots, as a tool to explore the past. Suddenly, the character steps back in time, she remains in the same place, but it is roughly 200 years earlier when enslaved Africans were being shipped from the same beach to plantations across the Atlantic. From this point on in the story, the main character takes a brutal and revealing trip back through history, as Gerima connects the past to the present. While the film contains many themes dealing with the institution of slavery, including the role of religion, skin tone, sexuality, rape, language, family, and identity, the film centers around empowerment of the enslaved peoples through insurrection. Despite being deemed “too controversial” and struggling to find funding, Gerima took 9 years to raise the money from the diaspora community and made his award-winning film. Refusing to buckle to the Hollywood stereotypical mold, which Gerima states as embodying “cultural genocide,” Gerima has mastered the art of making powerful low-budget films. In addition to being a Professor at Howard, Gerima and his wife have opened a book store, film studio, and coffee shop complex to create a space for the community to come together and have critical thought.

Gerima has intentionally remained an independent filmmaker so he can control the message and delivery of his films. He provides an excellent example of a life of anti-racist activism through the medium of film, the classroom, and the community. By striving to unify the diaspora community and bring real issues to the fore, Gerima embodies the spirit of pan-African liberation. Furthermore, all of Gerima's films attack the dominant narrative, expose reality, and create stories that both empower audiences and make them ask for more. His work and his life story stand as excellent examples of how to out-maneuver and attack racist institutions and racist narratives. Gerima continues to give back to the diaspora community, and as a result, the diaspora keeps Gerima's independent direction going. This relationship in itself is indicative of the power and unifying nature of Gerima's life work. This piece focuses on the life and work of Gerima, but, his work and desire to remain an independent filmmaker speaks to the wider community of African American filmmakers and the struggles they endure. In turn, Gerima's perseverance and the power of his work portrays both the need for afro-centric films, and the trials that must be overcome to realize these goals.

Antiracist Activism in Children's Literature

Antiracism in literature can be a powerful thing. In the field of education it is important for young children to be exposed to what antiracism is, how it works, and how they can be active. One of the ways of introducing this topic is through children’s picture books. It is a simple but effective way in getting a message across. Reading begets knowledge and by introducing children to how our world in diverse through children’s literature is a tool in teaching youth how to become actively antiracist. Laura Atkins, a children’s literature specialist says that “books can share values. Some people are threatened by difference/diversity in thinking that it is leading towards fragmentation. We have to? see it as an opportunity to show what unites as well as what differentiates.” In order to celebrate difference and open dialogue, we must look at how there are different people in the world with different culture and experiences, and how that makes our world better.

Children’s picture books such as “Nappy Hair”, “Black, White, Just Right!”, “It’s Test Day, Tiger Turcotte” and “The Skin I’m In: A First Look at Racism” are all fantastic books that explores multiculturalism, put an emphasis on difference but sameness, and celebrates the multiracial society that we live in. Along with the text, illustrations are just as important. Presenting visuals for children helps them to recognize difference and accept that not everyone looks like them, and at the same time helping them to understand that it is okay for that difference to exist because there are qualities that we all share. According Eliza T. Dresang, Associate Professor at Florida State University, to create authentic multicultural literature and images that can be useful in educating children it is important to include things that are “based on facts, reproduces essential features of an origin, and that are true to the creator's own cultural personality, spirit, or character.” With these things in mind, it is important to remember that authenticity for children creates an open space for children to express themselves and be comfortable to speak up and ask questions.

Conclusion

Anti-racism can be done in a number of ways, especially through the arts. Above we have highlighted four ways: theatre, visual arts, film and children's literature in which educators, parents, students and the larger community can be anti-racist. Finally, we hope that when we (as educators) think about education we embrace anti-racist methods because of their long lasting, positive implications for the world we live in.

Bibliography Boal, Augusto. 2002. “Games for actors and non-actors” Routledge. New York, NY 10001.

Claudio Mendoza, Juana. 2002. “The Application of Theatre of The Oppressed Techniques in Elementary Education Theory and Practice: A Constructivist Approach. Graduate school of the University of Massachussets Amherst.

Amos, Emma. Artist’s Statement. April 19, 2008, from http://emmaamos.com/abo-ut/statement/

Black Filmmakers, "Haile Gerima Page," May 1, 2008, from http://www.blackfilmmakers.net/gerimabio.html

Davalos, M., Karen.(2008). Yolanda Lopez. April 14, 2008, from http://www.upress.u-mn.edu/Books/D/davalos_yolanda.html

Ethiopian Politics Blog, "A moment with Haile Gerima," May 1, 2008, from http://ethiopianpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/02/ethiopia-moment-withhaile-gerima.html

Guerena, Salvador, & Chatman, Todd. (1999). Guide to the Lopez, Yolanda M. Papers. April 29, 2008, from http://cemaweb.library.ucsb.edu/lopez_toc.html

McGovern, Leo (2006). Keith Knight. Antigravity, 3 (8). April 28, 2008 from https://antigravitymagazine.sslpowered.com/antigravity_vol3_issue8.pdf

Ringgold, Faith (2002). May I Introduce Myself? April 29, 2008, from http://www.faithri-nggold.com/ringgold/bio.htm

African American World: Arts & Culture. April 27, 2008, from http://www.pbs.org/w-net/aaworld/arts/ringgold.html

America's Most Wanted Comedian and Political Cartoonist. April 20, 2008, from http://www.speakoutnow.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=2749

Artist Profile: Faith Ringgold. April 27, 2008, from http://www.ndoylefineart.com/ringg-old.html

Bio: Cartoonist, Rapper, and Multimedia Artist Keith Knight. May 1, 2008, from http://www.kchronicles.com/bio.shtml

“Fear of a Black Marker" Underground Cartooning and Activism. April 20, 2008, from http://www.speakoutnow.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=70

Emma Amos: Paintings and Prints. April 26, 2008, from http://www.antioch-college.edu/herndon/html/amos.html

Studio Bendib: Biography. April 30, 2008, from http://www.studiobendib.com/bio.html

Women Artists 1960-Present. April 20, 2008, from http://www.csupomona.edu/~pli-n/women2/part3.html

The Book: Biography of Khalil Bendib. May 1, 2008, from http://www.bendib.com/bo-ok/biography.html

www.lauraatkins.com/diversitymatters.html

www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/Culture/illustration.html

[edit] Movies from an Anti-Racist Perspective: Facilitating Discussion

Movies for Children: Disney

The movies that are chosen for young children to view are often saturated with covert racism. These can be seen most obviously in the comparison between the main character and the villain of the movie, but it stretches out to the supporting characters, especially the ones that are going to be remembered after the movie is over. Because of its impact in the film industry, Disney movies are important to analyze as they are marketed towards younger children. It may seem as though Disney has branched out by making movies portraying different ethnicities, however there is still racism present in these movies, such as Mulan. Though this story centers around a Chinese heroine, the portrayal of this young woman is very western. Unlike many of the supporting characters, Mulan has very little ethnic facial features; she is portrayed with a broad, symmetrical face with wide eyes and a small nose and mouth. Shang, her love interest, is also portrayed with more European features. All the other male characters have broad noses, slanted eyes, eye bags, and prominent cheekbones. This creates a contrast for beauty; children will learn from these contrasting portrayals that this is what a good person looks like. It also suggests that beautiful, Caucasian-looking people are smart and talented while more ethnic looking people aren’t. Another example is the movie, Aladdin. Aladdin contains two main characters with the same western Caucasian features, big eyes, small noses and mouths, etc. They are also substantially lighter skinned than the other characters. Both the protagonists in Mulan as well as Aladdin have Americanized accents while the others around them speak with more ethnic accents. These main characters are also contrasted with their villains. While the good guys are lighter and more even-featured, the bad guy are portrayed with exaggerated ethnic features and darker skin. Shan-Yu, the antagonist in Mulan, has very high cheekbones, a large hulking figure, and small, beady, slanted eyes that are almost slitted. All the other Huns are portrayed in a similar way. All the Huns are also substantially darker than the Chinese characters. They are an ashy brownish-gray color while the others are the orthodox “flesh-colored”. Jafar, the villain in Aladdin, has the same characteristics. He has large slanted eyes, a hooked nose, a curled beard, and wears a turban. He too is substantially darker than Aladdin and Jasmine. These characteristics though subtle still push the agenda of the “white savior” theory simply based on their apparent similarity to Caucasians. Not only this, but it also teaches children to be distrustful of those with exaggerated ethnic features. Some things to look out for:

Mulan • Huns have darker skin, more ethnic features, high cheekbones and extremely slanted eyes • Mulan and Shang are portrayed as very conventionally pretty, symmetrical faces, well proportioned features, Shang has broad shoulders with small waist and is very tall, Mulan is very short and thin and pretty • Mulan and Shang have very Americanized accents while the other characters have a more ethnic accent • Chien-Po as the spiritual stereotypical Chinese person looks a lot like Buddah • Huns as bad guys are more raggedy and disheveled looking • The good guys have more colorful clothes, very presentable, neatly assembled • During Mushu’s introduction to Mulan, gospel music commonly associated with black congregational churches is playing. Kids will pick up on the black voice and associate the stereotype. • The sidekicks with the accents and the ethnic features are portrayed as dumber than the protagonist who has a very American accent with white Caucasian features that slightly resemble Asian features.

Aladdin • Jafar is much more ethnic looking with very high cheekbones, wears turban with mustache and beard • Narrator has accent, big turban, big nose, ethnic features, starts off as a vendor • Aladdin has American accent, big eyes, small nose, aesthetically pleasing to westerners • Aladdin doesn’t wear turban, rather has disheveled flowy hair, with lighter skin and proportioned symmetrical features • Jasmine is also portrayed as very western looking with American accent

It is very important to facilitate discussion to bat down these stereotypes so that children don’t learn to label people based on how they look or talk. These questions can vary in terms of who or what are used as examples. Here are some questions to begin with: • How does the bad guy look like? What color is his/her skin? • How does the good guy look? What color is his/her skin? • Do you think all people who look like the bad guy are bad? Why or why not? • Do you think all people who like the good guy are good? Why or why not? • Did everyone have an accent? Who did and who didn’t? • Why do you think they had an accent? • Where was this movie based, what place were they in? • Which of the characters act like they are actually from this place?

With each movie, the questions can get more specific. Try to ask the questions without leading the discussion if you can, so that the child will have a chance to pick up on these stereotypes themselves, and then afterwards, point out some that they may have missed. This is important because it encourages them to look for and pick out the stereotypes themselves when you may not be around to watch the movie with them.

Links and Websites Blogs: • Progressive U .org- deals with racism and sexism in Disney movies both older and more recent movies including pixar animations. http://www.progressiveu.org/025805-disneys-sex-and-race-issues • The Anti-Racist Blog, a blog by a white woman who is raising a child using an anti-racist upbringing, this particular post is about Disney and the skepticism she has with them and their new movie coming out soon. http://whiteantiracistparent.blogspot.com/2007/03/why-i-keep-disney-out-of-my-home-for.html Movies: • Mickey Mouse Monopoly http://youtube.com/watch?v=TgxVvbai_nI

Analyzing and Discussing Teen Movies

Creating a curriculum that includes helping students analyze movies from an antiracist perspective is crucial in forming part of a multicultural education. While it is wise and important to provide students with a historic background of antiracist activism as the book to which we’re theoretically contributing intends to do, racism is by no means a thing of the past. Both institutionalized and cultural racism as well as learned stereotypes and prejudice exist today and in the most prominent, and yet often overlooked, ways. The question and discussion of race is such an integral part of our society that children as young as age five start noticing and absorbing stereotypes and are in need of someone to explain to them with accuracy what the differences they see in peoples’ skin color and facial features signify. While creating a multicultural curriculum for young kids is definitely very important for the sake of integrating into their lives a multicultural analysis from the get go, it is also important to continue to do so throughout students’ lives up through their adolescence and even beyond. Having focused on teen movies for our wiki project I will continue to focus on the importance of critiquing teen movies using an antiracist lens. Teenagers are typically independent of their parents (people who can intellectually challenge them and engage in discussion with them about race), and as part of their search for self-identity, are social butterflies who spend much of their time hanging out with friends at places such as the movies. For weekend entertainment, the movies are both a great option and a fun one. Yet while movies are undoubtedly fun they can also be poisonous if you lack the integrity and knowledge of how to analyze them and draw out their untold messages. The media (particularly television and the movie industry) are very racially charged, in some ways subtly and in other ways obviously. While some may argue that any stereotypes in movies do not negatively affect its audience, I would argue otherwise. It can be easy for teens, for instance, to overlook the subtle racism in movies because they usually go with friends to have fun and to get their mind off school and are not planning to use it as an intellectual exercise. For these reasons it’s not uncommon for teenagers to miss out on the dialogue of evaluating movies with an antiracist lens because a) they are so independent from educators (like parents) who could segway into discussion, and b) it’s seen as socially “un-cool” to be the skunk at the dinner party and rip apart an otherwise entertaining film. For example, one of the films I analyzed, White Chicks, a satirical movie that includes a lot of stereotypes of African Americans despite the fact it was written by two African American men. More importantly than debunking stereotypes of African Americas, as the movie could be argued to do by using satire, it instead reinforces stereotypes of blacks. The behavior of the black FBI agents disguised under cover as white women, for example, grows suspicious due to their love for rap music and their violent tendencies (not to mention their large lips and their ‘acting black’). Satirical stereotype movies can be the most vicious precisely because its underlying message can be overlooked by its entertaining qualities. White Chicks further gives the impression that it is alright to stereotype African-Americans because writers and the producers are African-American themselves. After watching movies like this one, teenagers might think it's acceptable to reproduce these stereotypes in their own lives.

The second movie I analyzed, 21, was based off a life story of an Asian American MIT student who was on a Blackjack team that made it successfully in Vegas by using their card counting technique. The movie, however, was cast all-white with the exception of two Asian Americans playing minor roles. Although the plot and the acting were great, lack of presence can be as offensive as overt racism. Perhaps if movies that include people of color did not include them for one or both these reasons: a) because the movie was about that group, or b) because they’re being stereotyped, a white cast wouldn’t be as offensive. It’s very reflective of our society when movies with all Asian Americans and other people of color cast (e.g. Memoirs of a Geisha, Joy Luck Club, The Namesake) rarely get the same attention as movies with a white cast. For all these reasons it is extremely important for schools to take the initiative to create for their students a multicultural curriculum. While movies can be easily overlooked in designing a multicultural education since there are more pressing racism issues in the country and world, they are definitely very reflective of the values of our society and are the key into a doorway of great analysis including introducing students how to generate/facilitate dialogue/questions that can continue antiracist activism.

Movies with a Topic of Race

People of all ages, from young children to adults, fail to think critically when watching movies and ultimately accept what is portrayed as truths. Our goal is to analyze racial imagery and challenge the portrayal of reality in the movies using an antiracist lens. Using movies that focus on race as tools for educating students, I have created questions regarding the racial messages in movies and how they can contribute to important discussions about race. There are many movies perceived to be eye opening by exposing racism, but actually maintain stereotypes. The movies I examined appear to be educational but perpetuate racism by including a White Savior character, stereotypes, and the isolated incident illusion. For this project I analyzed the movies Crash and Freedom Writers for subtle ways in which they perpetuate racism. I have supplied an analysis and questions that teachers and parents can use to facilitate discussions with their students, children, or peers.

FREEDOM WRITERS

I’ll admit I was excited to watch Freedom Writers after it was recommended by a friend. It is based on a true story about a white woman who found a way to connect with and teach a group of high schoolers who were deemed "unteachable and at-risk". Despite personal obstacles and sacrifices, she dedicated herself to giving them the education they deserved. In doing so, she went beyond the textbook teacher stereotype by recognizing the students' potential; what they needed was someone to believe in them. While White Savior movies can be inspirational, they continue to perpetuate the stereotype that people of color always need a white person to save the day. This is a common enough theme to be a sub-genre, and has been criticized frequently by anti-racists. One might wonder why there is such a large market for "white savior" stories instead of for movies like Stand and Deliver, in which the teacher was a person of color himself. These ideas challenge why movies that seem well intentioned can actually perpetuate racism.

What does Freedom Writers suggest about the American Dream? This movie portrays life success as irrelevant of circumstance, but rather a result of hard work. The American Dream is based on the idea of meritocracy and individualism; consequently this movie maintains these ignorant beliefs and deny the reality of racialization in the United States.

Consider these questions: Did the film simplify or ignore the origin behind the students’ situations? WHY are they homeless? WHY are they involved in gangs? WHY the “snitches get stiches” policy? WHY are they sexually and emotionally abused? WHY were they bussed to Wilson?

What role does the Black administrator play? Most “White Savior” movies have a character of color whose character devalues the students. Their general attitude is: These people are so problematic, even their own have given up on them… but not us! White Man’s Burden lives on!

Recall when a Latino student draws a caricature of one of the black students: profile, bulging eyes, huge lips…a common racist caricature. The black student sits utterly humiliated and crying. Gruwell takes the picture, and she asks the class if they knew that Jewish people faced similarly racist caricatures during the holocaust? She asked each group that if the others did not exist, would they feel better off? Does Gruwell’s strategy of drawing the following connection and creating empathy work?

Recall when a black sophomore switches from the honors class to Gruwell’s classroom. This student chose to move to a regular English class after her honors teacher asked her to share "the black perspective" on The Color Purple, and she hated being tokenized. The English department head argued with the student, but she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her identity and self-respect for sitting in an honors classroom. Have you ever been in or witnessed a similar situation? What did you do? If not, how would you feel and respond in the situation?

Crash

Does Crash challenge racism and encourage activism? It's arguable, but either way the movie Crash is an effective teaching tool to use for students to learn about race. However, to use this movie as a resource we must be critical of its positive and negative aspects. This film was intended to tackle issues of race and racism; but did it? What might people say after seeing this movie? What messages are sent to the audience? Crash won Best Picture at the 2006 Academy Awards so it is tempting to assume many believed it accomplished its goal to get students and others to take the problem of racism in the U.S. seriously. Merely screening the film will not be enough. Without discussion about the movie, its usefulness as an educational or conscious-raising tool is flawed.

Does this film portray racism as a “persistent social phenomenon” (Wise)?

No. This film perpetuates many white peoples' ingrained notion that racism occurs only in isolated incidents. This ultimately minimizes the reality of racism in the U.S. and does not motivate students to join the larger struggle for racial equity and social justice. Consider the history of white denial in our country. In the 1960s racism was legal. During this time public opinion surveys revealed that racism was not a major social problem in need of being addressed. The majority of white people polled expressed their belief in meritocracy. Polls today have not shown much change. For example, after blatant racial disparities were exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, whites did not believe that race mattered (Wise).

So if most whites don’t see race as an important issue why did white movie-goers, white critics, and ultimately the disproportionately white Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences praise this movie? There is no news coverage of the appalling studies done on housing segregation, or black mortality rates due to being denied healthcare. Perhaps the answer is the movie confirmed that racism occurs in isolated incidents, rather than institutionally. In the film, racism is manifested between individuals not institutions. Perhaps the fact that Crash portrays racism as an equal opportunity pathology reminds white viewers that racism is not THEIR problem but a societal problem that exists for everyone.

How does this misunderstanding of racism benefit White people? By not recognizing the profound structural consequences of racism in society, white people separate themselves from the issue. If racists are only a select population, it isn’t that big of a problem AND there is nothing we can do about it because you can’t expect to change a few bigoted people. There is no responsibility on whites if we define racism as such.

How does Sandra Bullocks character perpetuate this incomplete definition of racism? Is her prejudice justified by the fact that she was carjacked by black criminals in the previous scene? Crash plays into many White people’s fears and insecurities about black crime and so-called reverse discrimination.

What do you think of the title of the film? The metaphor shown at the start and end of the movie compares racial conflict to the inevitability of fender bender accidents. Are racial tensions accidental and unavoidable? The problem with this metaphor is that a “driver” hitting another car has more power in society. When the “driver” hits someone more damage is done compared to when a person of color “hits” the white person. The metaphor ignores the reason that Black people cannot be called racist- they do not benefit from the system of advantage, they suffer.

Crash presents racism as an equal opportunity pathology, in which all races are equally likely to be a victim. The movie reinforces white sentiments of being victimized and emphasizes the fact that everyone can be racist. This is seen when all the characters, of all different races express biases. The problem with this message in the movie is that the correct definition of racism is a system of advantage based on race. Thus, when a black person stereotypes a white person or is prejudiced he or she does not maintain power or benefit from the system. Unlike, “every structure of American society which? continues to treat people of color as inferiors: be it in housing, employment, education or criminal justice.” Therefore, every person does not benefit from the system so racism is not an issue for all groups, “not all groups have had, or have now, anywhere near the equal ability to put their prejudices into action, via systemic policy.” A single line or scene in the movie can reflect these significant messages. For example, the office manager Shaniqua Johnson (black) yells at an Asian driver with whom she's had a car accident, that unless the driver speaks "American," she doesn't want to hear any excuses for the fender bender. In other words, everyone can be racist no matter; racial bias’ are shared by all.

By focusing on racism as individual acts, and making it seem like everyone is equally inclined to be victims, viewers of this movie are unable to see the power differentials which determine who the victims of racism are disproportionately.

What does Crash suggest the solution is? Color blindness, but anti racism requires deliberate efforts to undo the system of advantage. In other words, to challenge racism we MUST consider race- not be blind to it.

Whites, according to the available evidence are far more likely to believe in reverse discrimination, than they are to believe that discrimination against people of color still exists (Pincus, 2003). Officer Ryan goes on a diatribe against affirmative action, and there is no alternative side presented, thus reinforcing the ignorant belief too many whites already stand by. Perhaps this scene pertaining to institutional racism could have been an opportunity for the film writers to challenge racism.

We decided on our project topic long before we learned that an actual group exists that shares the same goals as us. The Minority Reporter created a tool designed to analyze racial imagery in movies to develop dialogue www.minorityreporter.com

Other information I learned from the Minority Reporters: • Average cost of Hollywood movies are $100 million • Minimizing financial risk by making formulaic films • Minorities are consistently marginalized as characters in films • Many movies have Black characters saying dumb comments that a White actor/actress would not say

Some of the ways movies can perpetuate racism:

Tokenism: A movie that illustrates the concept of tokenism contains one character of color. This character is often a supporting character and is portrayed in a stereotypical manner. This perpetuates the stereotypes of a group and implies that the character has a lesser role because s/he is different. A prime example of tokenism can be seen in the movie The Incredibles. The character “Frozone” is the only character of color and he plays a minor supporting role. The name “Frozone” is also questionable as it contains the word ‘fro’, short for afro, which is a hairstyle that is stereotypically African American and black. If you click the link below, you will see the cover for the movie The Incredibles. As you can see, the character “Frozone” is the only person of color depicted. He is also one of the smallest characters in size, indicating his minor role. http://www.pixar.com/featurefilms/incredibles/images/dvd_left.jpg

Blinded by the White: This title describes the effect of a movie that contains an all-white cast. An extra who is a person of color might be seen in the background of a movie, but all of the main and supporting characters are white. In other words, as the audience leaves the theater, the characters that have made an impression will all be white. This leaves Americans of color with fewer characters with which they can identify and relate. It also suggests that the positions held by the characters in movies with an all-white cast are only available to or for white Americans. Movies that have all-white casts also fail to provide actors and actresses of color with jobs and the publicity they would receive from those roles. One example of a movie that leaves its audience “blinded by the white” is the movie 13 going on 30. http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/13goingon30/index.html

White Savior: A “white savior” character is a white person who saves the day for people of color. In many instances the “white savior” is a teacher, coach, or other figure in young peoples’ lives who helps their students pass a standardized exam or a sports team win a championship. Plots such as these focuses the attention on the selfless acts of the “white savior” character rather than on the issues such as race or socioeconomic status at hand. Often this is well illustrated by the advertisement for the movie that pictures the “white savior” as the largest, most prominent figure with their students or players huddled in a group behind them. One great example of a “white savior” movie, Freedom Writers, has already been discussed above. Other examples are the movie Dangerous Minds and Hardball. http://www.freedomwriters.com/ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/134864/Dangerous-Minds/overview http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/249179/Hardball/overview

Isolated Incident Illusion: This term refers to the illusion some movies create when they present racism as an isolated incident. Such a movie depicts an obvious incident of racism that is often historical (from before or around the Civil War or Civil Rights Era). The illusion created by such a depiction can lead the audience to conclude that racism is an issue of the past or only occurs today in isolated incidents. These movies do not address the “new racism” that is subtle and institutionalized (Bonilla-Silva). One example of a recent movie that creates the isolated incident illusion is Hairspray, which deals with the issue of segregation in the 1960’s, perpetuating the illusion that segregation is an issue of the past. http://www.hairspraymovie.com/

Stereotyping: Portraying people of color stereotypically is another way in which movies can perpetuate racism. This might seem obvious, but often portraying someone stereotypically is considered acceptable because it is done humorously. This is dangerous because it can cause the stereotyped group pain, perpetuate stereotypes, and imply that stereotyping others is not only an acceptable form of behavior, but also a valued behavior because it creates humor. A link to a clip from the movie JUNO, which portrays a character stereotypically, is below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-F5AaQ7OAg In this scene, Su-Chin, an Asian American character, says, “All babies want to get borned!” This perpetuates the stereotype that Asians and Asian Americans have poor grammar.

These are just some of the many ways that movies can perpetuate racism. Below is a list of websites that include more information and tools for facilitating discussion: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/movies/concerns/stereotyping_movies.cfm http://www.mediamouse.org/griid/pdfs/reports/race_in_films.pdf http://www.minorityreporter.com/

Conclusion: All movies can perpetuate racism. Does that mean that we should never watch another movie? No! We should, however, be aware of the ways in which movies can perpetuate racism. From now on, view movies, and other media, with a critical anti-racist lens. After watching a movie, initiate discussions about the movie in relation to race and racism. It is important that parents and teachers facilitate discussions with their children and students that reveal the racism within movies that they have just viewed. From now on, view all movies as valuable tools for creating dialogue about issues of race. One can also take direct action to decrease the ways in which movies perpetuate racism. If you observe that a particular company produces movies that always contain an all-white cast for example, write to that company asking them to include main and supporting characters of color in their future movies. The links listed above provide some great information and resources for discussing race and movies. Take action by striking up conversations about movies and race with your colleagues over lunch, your friends at dinner, or even planning a roundtable event in your town. Be aware and spread that awareness to others. That way you can still enjoy your favorite movies guilt-free!

Citations: Bonilla – Silva, E. (2006). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in the U. S. (chapters 1 & 2). Landham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

[edit] Stand Up Speak Out: Anti-Racist Female Poets

June Jordan & Lenelle Moïse

“Racism distorts human vision and limits human possibilities” (Fegin, Vera, Batur 270)

Fighting racism in the United States takes a great deal of strength and commitment to social justice. From what we have learned from many of the anti-racist activists we have studied, this battle is not easily won. An important aspect of an anti-racist is their personal fight against oppression in all of its forms. It takes courage to confront one’s own racism, prejudice, or biases, as well as confronting such acts commented against an individual, and even greater boldness to express one’s growth and knowledge to the rest of the world. Activism through the arts is one of the most influential forms. Whether it is through musical, visual, or performance art, artists are able to exhibit their ideologies, sentiments, and messages on a large public scale. Artists that actively show their commitment to anti-racist ideals and consistent effort to tackle issues of race and racism through their art are able to take advantage of reaching out to people who in turn could become anti-racists for their own generation. Challenging racism, whiteness, and overall ignorance cannot be begin without the individuals who are willing to understand the world around them in a racial context by listening, watching, and feeling.

When describing June Jordan Toni Morrison said, “In political journalism that cuts like razors, in essays that blast the darkness of confusion with relentless light; in poetry that looks as closely into lilac buds as into death’s mouth….she has comforted, explained, described, wrestled with, taught and made us laugh out loud before we wept…I am talking about a span of forty years of tireless activism coupled with and fueled by flawless art,”1 June Jordan is a renowned Black female poet, essayist, teacher, and activist. Jordan was born on July 9, 196 in Harlem to Jamaican immigrants and she grew up in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Her childhood in one of the largest Black urban areas in the country, coupled with her three years of high school at a predominantly with preparatory school, gave Jordan an early understanding of racial conflicts. She attended Barnard College and has taught at such schools as: Sarah Lawrence College, Connecticut College, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley. Among Black writers June Jordan is one of the most widely published, authoring 28 books of essays, poetry, and children’s literature. Jordan became well known during the time of the civil rights, women’s liberation, and anti-war movement and her writing reflected this indefinitely. She wrote about freedom from all types of oppression and spoke out against it in all its forms. While teaching at UC Berkeley Jordan created a course called poetry for the people, “she identified he need to revise and to devise reading lists and a method of handling diverse writings so as to identify and embrace what was personally relevant to every young man and woman sitting in the classroom.”2 Poetry for the People is a program that teaches students how to teach other students how to write poetry to promote empowerment and to change their communities. June Jordan is a very important anti-racist activist for students to learn because she lived her life speaking up against all types of oppression and educating others on how to become activists themselves.

June Jordan’s “Poem About My Rights” is a very important poem to teach students that being angry about discrimination is okay as long as it is used in a productive manner.

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=178526

This poem is filled with anger towards all types of oppression. June Jordan takes the reader on a journey about bodily oppression and policing. This poem is so strong because it has history in it; it shows the history of a people and the history of June Jordan. The repeating lines of “I am the wrong sex the wrong age the wrong skin” really emphasized the internalized oppression of people of color. When someone is constantly being told that they are wrong they will begin to believe it in some ways and June Jordan eloquently expresses this idea throughout the poem. The end then shows the standing up and the fighting back. She will not let anyone tell her that she is wrong because “wrong is not my name”. I believe this poem is inspiring to everyone because it is not just about racial oppression but oppression of women and countries as well, and I think that is why it is an important poem for students. This poem can be used to convey the horrible things that are still happening now but that it is possible to make that choice to resist and to stand up. When June Jordan states, “from now on my resistance/ my simple and daily and nightly self-determination/ may very well cost you your life” she is embodying what I think an anti-racist activist is. Being an anti-racist activist is standing up against oppression every single day no matter how small of an act of resistance it is. Being an anti-racist activist is living that anti-racism in every breath every single day. In the words of June Jordan, when describing why she created the course Poetry for the People at UC Berkeley, “words can change the world and save our lives.”

Lenelle Moïse is a spoken word artist, poet, playwright, and performer who carries the weight of her past and releases the pain of oppression with her words. Moïse has a way of conveying words and sounds that are incredibly moving, and at the same time expressing a message that was made concrete through her personal experiences. Her performance of her one woman show “Womb-Words Thirsting” is politically charged, emotive, and very audience inclusive. Through scat, poetry, song, rhythms, and repetition, she conquers issues of race, identity, class, sexuality, and existence. She leaves a remarkably lasting impression upon her audience. I was left with lingering thoughts of “jazz is under water,” “madivinez,” “passive aggressiveness,” and “pains of silence.” It is easy to feel a connection to Moïse because she takes the personal and makes it political, she gives a voice to her uncle who died of AIDS, to the first girl she ever had a crush on, and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Moïse was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of two. Being a member of the African Diaspora and identifying as Haitian-American seems to have had a strong impact on her collective body of work and the coalescence of her identity as feminist, lesbian, and a self proclaimed “culturally hyphenated pomosexual poet.” Moïse grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts in a single-parent home, raised with the ideals of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. In her performance piece “Womb-Words Thirsting,” Moïse talks about her growing up in a religious with a strict Haitian mother and her qualms with her childhood church. From many aspects of her life she was forced to make decisions about who she wanted to become as an individual and what part of her culture and upbringing she wished to embrace. Lenelle Moïse received her Bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College in 2002 with a self-designed major in “Women and Storytelling” and went on in 2004 to receive her Masters in Playwriting as Smith College. She has written almost a dozen plays, released her own audio-cd Madivinez, received numerous awards including the James Baldwin Memorial award for Playwriting in 2003 and 2004, and she has also performed at many venues across the country.

Moïse is known for reclaiming stigmatized words and one of those words is madivinez which is a vulgar term for lesbian, synonymous to dyke, in the Haitian language Kreyòl. She also reclaims various f-words with the goal of turning something deemed negative into something productive and powerful. Like June Jordan, some of Moïse’s work expresses the desire to reserve the right to be angry and vulgar when faced wit discrimination. She entitles this poem “The F**k You Manifesto” and grabs the audience attention with her unabashed use of the f-word. Moïse uses the concepts and theories she studied about race in college and contradicts them because they can promote an atmosphere of passivity in the face racism. Targeted groups may be more likely to taking on a lot more pain than they can carry when they are weighted down by hurtful words, actions, or suspicious glances. Moïse inspires a controlled rage as a response to these hurtful acts and believes in the right to say f**k you, among other things to the person who called her a n*gger or the man who yells derogatory remarks when she is with her partner. In this piece, Moïse poeticizes the pain of silence that afflicts many of us everyday. When we are treated as inferior, as the other, or less competent, it is something that constantly digs away at who we are. “The F**k You Manifesto” combats racism on its most prominent level; the exchange of racialized social interactions. People of color are often victims of prejudice, just for being themselves and even after the acquisition of knowledge about racial identity development, whiteness, race as a social construct, etc. the divide between the academic realm and the day to day can prove to be overwhelming. In exhibiting a will to be proud of one’s identity and to aggressively stand up to racism, heterosexism, sexism, etc, Moïse inspires one to no longer be complacent in silence or to brood in passive aggression.

In watching Lenelle Moise’s performance live one of the most memorable pieces she performed was September 4, 2005. She eased into this poem by asking the aducience if they remembered where they were when the tragedy of 9/11 occurred and if we remembered the year as well. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand and one person even shared a story of her experience being close to the Twin towers that day. Hen we were asked about September 4, 2005, I had to face that I did not remember right away that she was referring to Hurricane Katrina. The juxtaposition of these two tragic events in this context really made many people in the audience think about how we have already begun to forget about the people that died in New Orleans and even more so the controversy that surrounded the disaster. This poem as particularly moving because it transposed beautiful imagery with morbidity like the phrase that came to her in a dream, that ‘jazz is underwater.’ She spoke of ‘eighty percent of New Orleans submerged’ and old folks left behind. In taking a racialized and politicized tragedy such as this one and delivering it in a way that gave it humanity and a discomforting legitimacy was very powerful for everyone in the room.

I chose to highlight Lenelle Moïse and some of her work because her work can make any individual more conscientious of the way they interact with the word around them. Her work is thought provoking in a productive sense. I personally believe that her work is relevant to the process of becoming anti-racist and discovering one’s own identity.

We ultimately think that a successful anti-racist in the arts is someone who conveys messages of anti-racism through their art and are actively trying to reach as many individuals as possible. Lenelle Moïse and June Jordan most definitely fit our model of effective anti-racists.

Works Cited/Sources

Feagin, Vera, Batur. White Racism! The Basics, 2nd edition. NY: Routledge, 2001.

http://www.lenellemoise.com/index

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=68505520

http://junejordan.com/

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/65

http://www.poetryforthepeople.org/

www.glbtq.com/literature/jordan_i.html

[edit] Students Taking Action

[edit] Student Activism

By Madga, Emily, Rosie, Althea, Stephanie

A History of Student Activism

Student activism has served to join young adults across the nation as they share their opinions about controversial issues. Student activism began with the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960 beginning with the issues of racism between African-Americans and white European-Americans ( http://www.ibibio.org/sncc/). The SNCC became a model for many of the later student activist groups that formed. Over the past fifty years, student activism has morphed and changed to fit the current issues at hand; however, the emphasis remains on giving students a voice. Issues have included the Civil Rights Movement and abolishing the use of Jim Crow laws, political freedom, protests surrounding the Vietnam War, the feminist movement, and the continuation to end racism and inequality.

Beginning in 1960, SNCC was instrumental in the sit-in movement which began with four students in a small drugstore in Greensboro, North Carolina (Chafe, 2003, p. 158). These four college men did not intend to start a national movement, rather they were frustrated with the inequality they faced on a daily basis. The four men decided to take action and demand equal treatment at a local Woolworths. Their intention was to ask for service and not leave until they received it. These students were fed up with not being treated fairly and not receiving equal treatment as their white counterparts. What began with the four young men going into a Woolworth to demand equal treatment turned into a full protest. Many of the local businesses in Greensboro were filled with protesters, both students of color and white students (Chafe, 2003, p. 161). The protest was quickly publicized by local television stations that led to the nationwide coverage. The entire country was able to witness what was happening in one small town. The movement became known as the “sit-in movement” and every person with a television could watch the progress of the protests on the nightly news.

The second big project for SNCC came in the summer of 1964 known as the “Freedom Summer” in which students from across the nation joined forces in Mississippi to help with voter registration for people of color (Chafe, 2003, p. 205). The effort was to allow people of color a constructive outlet in which to express their opinions of the nation through voting. The movement was met with hostility that ended with three student workers kidnapped and murdered. Unfortunately, the federal government offered little support with the resistance the students were faced with. ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/09_summer.html). The students remained dedicated to the movement as they were fighting for what they believed in; equality for everyone. Throughout the nation, other groups began to form to address issues pertaining to racism (Chafe, 2003, p. 161).

Another monumental moment in 1964 was the passing of the Civil Rights Bill which officially made racial segregation and discrimination illegal. The law was difficult to enforce however, and the need for student activism continued. The SNCC dismantled in 1966 and more violent student activist groups formed such as the Black Panthers (Chafe, 2003, p. 327). Although these groups were more aggressive than the SNCC they were fighting for equality and an end to racism. Future student activist groups formed that used non violent ways of protesting.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, students used the model of SNCC to form groups of protest. Two of the major issues that students became involved with were the anti-war and anti-draft movements surrounding the Vietnam War as well as the feminist movement. The anti-draft movement specifically involved students of color due to the fact that many of the individuals drafted were young men of color (Czitrom, lecture, November 5, 2007). Young men were able to avoid the draft if they were attending college, however, this rule was not enforced for people of color. The issues of inequality around the draft were raised as students throughout the nation tried to bring an end to the process.

Similarly, the women’s liberation movement demanded equal rights for women. The first inklings towards a women’s movement actually began during the lifetime of SNCC; women became frustrated as they were expected to do the clerical work and brew the coffee, but not contribute to the planning of the movement (Chafe, 2003, pp. 324-325). The women began to take what they had learned from their participation in the Civil Rights Movement and started to plan and congregate to demand their equal rights. The idea of students taking responsibility and speaking up for their rights was in full bloom.

In examination of our world today, racism does not present itself in quite the same way as it previously had. Today, racism is much more subtle, but no less harmful. Many white people take a color blind approach to racism by claiming they do not see race or believe racism no longer exists. This thinking however allows people to ignore the existing issues and ultimately assists in perpetuating discrimination that is so pervasive in our society and in our institutions. A student movement is needed to bring awareness and force the nation to take action against institutional racism. The budding of this movement is occurring nationwide in the form of social justice classes and extracurricular activities.

There are many ways to begin combating the institutionalism of racism. Tim Wise, a nationally known and well respected white ally, provides quite a few examples (2000). He recommends that students form multi-racial groups in order to address the issues of racism together. One particular form of student action these students can do together is go to a mall or other commercial area to identify acts of racism within stores. Students who witness acts of racism can take the opportunity to address the clerk and educate the individual(s) on issues pertaining to racism. In extreme events students may wish to protest and boycott the store until they change their practice.

Another great way to address racism is to create awareness. An extracurricular club was formed in Canada that did just that. Although not in the United States, the group, Students and Teachers Opposing Prejudice (STOP), is a student run organization working to raise awareness and educate others on matters pertaining to racism in order to bring it to an end. Some of the activities of STOP include attending community events, conferences, and traveling to neighboring towns to address incidents of racism and promote social justice.

College campuses have also begun to recommend or require that students take courses that address the prevailing issues of race, racism, and inequality in society and education. Similarly, there are different student organizations in which one can become involved with to discuss these issues. The student movement is not quite as active as it once was, however, it is not dead. Instead, it has taken a more subtle approach however, the goal is still the same; to assist in the deconstruction of the racial hierarchy once and for all.

Student Activism Present and Future

Student Activism is work that is constructed and organized by students of all age that affects social issues. These issues can include political, economic, religion, human rights, and/or social change. Student Activism became a predominant way of impacting social change in the 1960s and 1970s especially through the protest of the Vietnam War. Since then, student activism has changed in the ways of how they organize their action. Protesting is still very common with social issues but because of the increase in technology, emails and phone calls have taken over as the leading form of action for student activists. Technology can allow activists to reach a larger audience across the nation in order to effect positive change.

A key part of student activism is the publicity the students receive from the ways they voice their views. The media’s coverage of a protest on human rights can make an issue go from small to large while raising awareness an audience across the nation. With the advancement of technology individuals are able to post on a website or blog and post images of any injustice or protest which can get a lot of attention and action from visitors to the site. For example, a woman wrote a blog on student activism on the Amnesty International blog to uncover the misuse of the judicial system. The use of a picture and the article sparked a protest or “taking action now to stand up for human rights” for stopping the use of flogging as a way of judicial punishment. One picture and one blog can resort to large populations of students and people rising together to fight one cause. This blog shows the ways in which media can enhance the knowledge and use of student activism.

College students are the main demographic for student activism, known to hold protests, sit-ins, or rallies on a variety of different issues. At many college or university institutions, there are “diversity initiatives grants” which fund programs, organizations, or events that promote diversity and multi-cultural education. At Mount Holyoke, this fund is called, “Inclusiveness Initiatives Fund.” In 2006, Natasha Hunter ’07 was awarded $1500 to produce SuDance, “A socially conscious dance concert & collaborative community event to call attention to the present atrocities in Sudan and the related deeply rooted issues of racism, classism, and sexism in our world.” ( http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/dcoll/17284.shtml). The University of Idaho’s program is called the DIGG – Diversity Initiative Growth Grant, which was established to, “encourage university-wide programming aimed at promoting increased awareness of diversity issues from as many perspectives and viewpoints as possible” ( http://www.students.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=92920). These programs are consistent throughout many institutions across the nation and are granted once or twice a year to hopeful student activists.

Student activism however, is not just for college campuses. Students and Teachers Opposing Prejudice (STOP) is a popular extracurricular high school program that is known for “leadership in innovative approaches to challenging racism and other forms of discrimination” ( http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dtoolkit/stopprogramhistory.htm) The high school students who formed STOP found that if they took small steps towards awareness and education that others could learn to value diversity. “Stand Out” is another high school organization that promotes student voices in schools. The Student Equity Team is a branch of “Stand Out” in the Seattle Public Schools. “Stand Out” is a helping hand in engaging students to voice their opinions on equity and race relations across schools districts. These students bring communities together through means of dialogue and activities that engage people in the process and generate ideas for action. Through combining communities and schools, the voices get stronger and help in creating change and enhancing classroom learning on diversity.

In addition to organizations, individuals can take action on their own. The Princeton Prize in Race Relations is an award that is granted to an outstanding high school student on their work in their community or school that moves forward the cause of race relations. Gabriela Olguin, a freshman at the South Los Angeles Area High School won this award through her development of a program called Peace and Unity Week. This “Peace Week” was organized to, “improve relations between Latinos and African American Students. Olguin and the Leadership Class promoted a week of peaceful activities and music during the lunch hour to promote peace and unity, giving students something to do other than cause trouble at lunch.” ( http://www.princeton.edu/PrincetonPrize/)

It can be said that activism conceived by students is the most inspiring activism that occurs in society. It is important for teachers to take an active role in planting the seed by educating their students on social and political inequalities in our society. Once given the information and tools they need, students can find their own ways to speak out against injustice and inequality. When students are encouraged to think for themselves, they feel empowered, encouraged and safe.

[edit] Students Who Take the Lead to Promote Antiracism

Multicultural Education enforced by a new curriculum is not the only way anti-racist action can infiltrate a school setting. Students from a variety of different educational backgrounds have been fighting racism by joining together to create awareness and change. We have highlighted student activism starting in high school all the way up to graduate level work. We originally got the idea because it was hard to avoid all the student work being done on the college level. We then thought to branch out and see what other students were doing at other levels of education. The varying levels of education did not affect the intensity in which the students affected change. From high school to graduate school we can see a lot of passion and effectiveness coming from the following highlighted student organizations.

High school was the first age group that we studied. We studied both a group from Amherst Regional High School, called Video Vanguards, as well as a Mount Holyoke student who implemented a program while she was still in high school. Three females and one male were interviewed for Video Vanguards, whose recent group project was a joint video on being multiracial individuals. Each of the students were asked what their definitions of racism were, whether racism itself existed in the world, how it was manifested, and whether or not they considered themselves to be anti-racist. All of the students interviewed were of color, and all of them agreed that racism did indeed exist, and all had examples of how it was manifested in their everyday lives, whether on an individual level or on an institutional level.

The students did differ, however, on whether or not they believed themselves to be anti-racist. From the Video Vanguards group, the three females all considered themselves to be anti-racist. The term “anti-racism” among these three was generally defined as education about racism and engaging in acts to stop racism; they believed they were anti-racists because they were involved in different organizations which worked within the community to educate the public about race and which provided forums in which discussion of race, its history, and its existence took place. They also believed that through Video Vanguards, specifically through making a film about race which has had several public screenings, that they are educating the community on the fact that race does not simply have to be one sided. Their existence as multiracial individuals, their embracing of many cultures and their defiance of society’s race lines has helped them to form their anti-racist identities. The one individual who believed himself to not be an anti-racist defined anti-racism as combating racism actively, such as through protests. He did, however, believe that racism should be eradicated; he simply believed that he did not engage in enough anti-racist acts to be identified as an anti-racist. We believe, however, that one does not have to be an active “protester” to be anti-racist, and wanting to eradicate racism is a clear anti-racist act.

Another individual who was interviewed was a Mount Holyoke student who implemented a “diversity course” at her private high school. Inspired by the people of color conferences she attended, she decided to work with the multi-cultural coordinator at her independent school to create a course and curricula on diversity. The first year the program was held was her senior year—14 people signed up for the course, which she herself co-taught. Different teachers came to talk about the different aspects of diversity, and students were taught to bring what they learned in the classroom out into the real world. This was one of the most astounding examples of student anti-racism that we found, because it was an implementation of an entire course to educate a majority white student body, a course which still continues today.

With this age group, we found that some individuals did not really realize how anti-racist their every day actions could prove to be, while others clearly realized the importance of their role in the community as youth anti-racist activists.

In addition to interviewing high school students, we also interviewed two college students to find out what their views on racism were and whether they viewed themselves as anti-racists. Both students saw racism in everyday life. They acknowledged that racism can take many forms, from individual interactions with people that happen every day, to institutional, systemic, and historical forms of racism and oppression. These students regarded acts of anti-racism as actively combating all forms of racism. For these two students, one could combat racism by educating oneself, educating others, and speaking up about racism and oppression. Anti-racists must have an open mind and take initiative in order to fight racism.

In the fight against racism, these two college students made a documentary about racism at their college campus. As part of their documentary, they interviewed students, professors, alumnae, and administration about their experience of racism on campus. They asked participants whether they thought that the college campus was a diverse environment. Finally, they asked participants to give suggestions of how to improve the campus community with regard to racism. The documentary acted as a form of education; it put the spotlight on the tensions around race that had affected the campus community and allowed white students, professors, and administration an inside look at how students of color felt about the campus community. The documentary provided an opportunity for students of color to speak up and take action against racism on campus. It is because of these two students and their documentary that a space was created for discussions about racism on their college campus and in the greater society.

Tanya Williams represents an anti-racist activist who is currently in her final year as a graduate student. She is working on her doctorate at UMASS-Amherst in the Social Justice Education Program. Her topic focuses on internalized racism for African-Americans. While she is also the Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs at Mount Holyoke College, we interviewed her as being a graduate student anti-racist activist.

Tanya expressed that she was in high school when she formally started her “understanding of racism. I got that racism didn’t work.” However, she knew from an earlier age that she wanted to be anti-racist, but she did not yet have the consciousness, only the feeling that she “knew something wasn’t right.” In high school, Tanya joined a group called STEP, Students To End Prejudice. At Texas A&M University she was involved in an organization called, University Awareness for Cultural Togetherness, where they talked about oppression. She then taught at UMASS-Amherst, using much of the literature that we have read in our own course, including Paula Ferrari, Beverly Tatum, and one of her doctorate committee chairs, Bailey Jackson. Now, working on her doctorate, Tanya is not only finished with her course work and in the process of writing her own theories and literature, but she is also taking in the models provided as examples in her field, and examining them closely in order to offer her own critiques and theories in regards to them. I’m looking at how racism exists as an institutional system, but I’m also looking at the effects on people who have been oppressed by it and how that kind of sets itself up as a system as well. The maintenance of internalized racism by people of color is holding a system in place. Tanya uses her focus on the role of internalized racism in examining Bailey Jackson’s “Black Identity Development Model.”

One of Tanya William’s theories is that Jackson’s first stage, Naïve, looks a lot like his last stage, Internalization. She explains that though they look similar from the outside, they are “not even close to the same thing.” Her main point in this theory is that being in the first stage is like being color-blind, while being in the last stage for her means, “I’m not at all forgetting that I am a black person that lives in a system of racism,” but that “I am choosing to work with white people who are anti-racist in a movement.” She ties this back to her doctorate focus of internalized racism for African-Americans stating that by being in the final stage of internalization, she has “a different awareness about myself” which allows her to function in this racist society and appear as if she is unaware of the oppression, when in actuality, she has been able to view herself without shame and be present in her current situations, regardless of the white or black people in the room. This is an example of taking the knowledge that she has learned, and adding to it through her own thinking and experiences. However, Tanya expressed that there are many ways to be anti-racist, but first we have to understand the system’s relation to the greater role that oppression plays.

Tanya shared that one of her professors’ talks about oppression being the table surface. Institutionalized oppression is one leg, while internalized oppression is the other leg. “Knock one of them out—it’s got to fall.” Tanya notes that the only leg that we as individuals or as a group have control over, is internalized oppression and that if both those legs are what’s holding oppression up, they’re still both smaller systems within a larger system of oppression. She also talked about how “there is no hierarchy of oppression,” and that she believes “that when we understand one of them, we can understand them all, and therefore, if we knock one of them down—domino effect—has to be.” However, Tanya aptly pointed out that it is easy to believe that

Internalized racism mainly speaks to people of color. But the reality is, white people have internalized sub-dominance. So it’s the same thing. While I’m unlearning my stuff around shame and negativity and all I’ve seen and been taught about my group and myself, white people then get to question themselves, “Am I as good as I thought I was?” or “Am I as powerful?” It’s unlearning the racism that they’ve learned, but it’s also unlearning the dominance that they’ve learned, so I think that’s where allies come in. Going through my own process of unlearning internalized racism and working on that, it is not an easy process. However, she also points out that she believes racism can be countered in many ways.

The easiest way to have an impact on racism is to interrupt a racist thought that you may have, or interrupting a friend saying something or doing something. Tanya expressed, “I think we don’t understand the amount of influence we have by just speaking and interrupting.” She also stated that getting the information for oneself was also an interruption of racism, but the place to start is “needing to change.” This was clearly put when Tanya pointed out that, “to be anti anything is to say, ‘I don’t stand for this—at anytime.’”

When asked whether she considered herself to be an anti-racist, Tanya replied with great enthusiasm, “Yep—sure do!” She continued to explain though that I used to believe that that means only white people could be anti-racist. Because I understand the system of racism being held up by these two table legs, I now understand that I have to be just as anti-racist in saying that racism does not work. Any form of it—including internalized racism, including overt/covert—it does not work. That to me is what makes me anti-racist, and more so, my actions, and thought process, and beliefs, makes me anti-racist.

Tanya later recognized though that “racism is playing out, racism has to play out because of the power dynamic in our society.” She then took it a step further by saying, “Racism is in the room; internalized racism is in the room.” This made me a little uncomfortable, and, to be honest, a little defeated, so I asked, If you’re trying to knock down the pegs one way or the other… I mean, does it mean that it always has to be that way? No, most definitely not. We haven’t gotten to that point yet though. But on an individual level, does it have to, you know, one on one? That’s the thing that I’m talking about when I think about internalized racism, because I don’t think that we’ve done our work at all around internalized racism or internal silence, and so, we think that it’s not working out. Internalized racism isn’t working out on my behalf sitting here—I don’t know what you’re carrying. Racism is always playing out until we really start talking about the stuff that’s going on internally.

To tie this poignant point back to her own work as an anti-racist activist, not only is Tanya learning about the material, but adding to that knowledge through her own work—as an educator. One of the last thoughts that she expressed in the interview, since we made the connection earlier that all of the different isms are related, was that I know that oppression doesn’t work so I believe that I am anti-oppression, anti-oppressive. My dream is for Mount Holyoke to start seeing themselves as anti-oppressive and people enter when they can. ‘Ok, I can be anti-racist because I understand racism,’ ‘Oh, I can be anti-heterosexism because understand heterosexism,’ but to start to see anti-oppression. Oppression doesn’t work. That’s all that we’re saying when we talk about anti-anything.

She concluded the interview by saying, “to say that I’m anti-racist is not limiting, but it’s a small part. There’s way more to it. …I’m pro human being!”

All of the students that we interviewed, regardless of their age, maintained the same idea of anti-racism and how one can become an anti-racist. It all starts by educating oneself and then going out into the greater community to educate others. As these students have shown, this education can take many forms and be effective in different ways.

[edit] White Anti-racist Activists

Introduction

White antiracist activists are white people who challenge racial oppression in society either by their participations in established social justice organizations or through individual efforts, or both. There are white people working for racial justice in all parts of the U.S. and the world but relatively few are well known by the general public or within the academic community. Some white antiracists in the U.S. have national prominence such as Morris Dees, Anne Braden, and Tim Wise. But there are many other white people who use their white privilege to challenge racial oppression at the individual or institutional level in cities and states across the nation. Included below are the names of some who live and work in western Massachusetts, specifically in the area known as the Pioneer Valley.

References

Derman-Sparks. L. and Ramsey, P. G. (2006). What if all the children are white? Anti-bias multicultural education with young children and families. New York: Teachers College Press. Tatum, B. D. (1994). Teaching white students about racism: The search for white allies and the restoration of hope. Teachers College Record, 95(4), 462-476. Thompson, B. (2001). A promise and a way of life: White antiracist activism. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

[edit] Anti-racist Activists

Introduction

As we struggle to overcome the legacy of institutionalized racism in our society, it is crucial that we educate ourselves and others on the importance of antiracist action, and the many forms that such action can take. As a group, we felt that one of the most important factors to emphasize was while antiracism can be achieved through a variety of active means, there is no such thing as passive anti-racism, a concept which seemed particularly important for children to understand. In Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race, Beverly Tatum (1997) writes about what it means to be antiracist:

"I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt… Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around…But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt- unless they are actively antiracist- they will find themselves carried along with the others" (12).

What Tatum illustrates is that there is no such thing as passive antiracism; all antiracist behavior is an active push against the system, and while such action may take a variety of forms, the key component is action. In an attempt to help convey this message, we chose to profile six antiracist activists, three White people and three people of color, each of whom has taken a different approach in their struggle to institutionalized racism. Crystal Boateng will be profiling antiracist activists who focus on education as a means to combat racism, spreading anti-racist awareness through literature, workshops and lectures. Dawnell Powell will be discussing individuals who have chosen to become actively antiracist through the justice system, in an attempt to provide restorative justice for people of color who have been systematically disadvantaged. Kelly Kraft will be profiling what we have termed “Empowered Victims,” or people whose lives have been affected by the devastating impacts of racism, and who have responded by turning their pain into power through activism.

When looking at the complex and difficult issues surrounding racism, one can often feel overwhelmed by the massive obstacles we as a society have yet to overcome; it is our hope that by examining these moving accounts of ordinary citizens responding to the need for action in the fight against inequality, we can provide some hope for those who wish to get involved in anti-racist action. It is our hope that in providing information about the various activists we have selected, children and anyone else interested in learning about the anti-racism will have a valuable resource to help illustrate the powerful impact that a single individual can have on the system.

Justice System:

Anti-racist activism is especially needed in the justice system. Many people of color have been wronged by the injustices in the justice system. It is important to stand up against unfair practices towards people of color (ie. Different sentences for people of color and whites for the same crime). It is also important to reexamine past cases that occurred in our country when overt racism was more prevalent, through restorative justice. According to restorativejustice.org, Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders (Van Ness, 2007). Restorative justice is important so that individuals, institutions and organized groups can answer for their offenses.

Margaret Burnham: Civil Rights Lawyer and Professor

Margaret Burnham was born in 1944 in Mississippi. She attended and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Burnham’s experience working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee led her to become a civil rights lawyer. For two years, 1970-1972, Margaret worked as a staff attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense fund in New York. Her focus was in litigating student rights cases and school desegregation cases in the South. In the 1970s she represented civil rights activists and political activists like Angela Davis. In 1978, Burnham was appointed to the Boston Municipal Court and became the first African-American woman in the Massachusetts Judiciary. In 1982, Burnham became the director of the National Conference of Black Lawyers in New York. However she did not stay in New York, she soon returned to Massachusetts in 1989 and founded the law firm Burnham, Hines and Dilday.

Burnham’s practice focuses on litigating civil rights and employment cases. In 1993, former South African president Nelson Mandela, asked Ms. Burnham to serve on an international human rights commission to investigate alleged human rights violations committed by the African National Congress.

Ms. Burnham currently works as a professor of Law at the Northeastern University School of Law. As a civil rights lawyer, Burnham has helped to document civil rights cases. She continues to be an anti-racist activist in her work with restorative justice. In 2007, she helped to document and to educate others about a reopened case of the murders of two college students in Mississippi during the summer of 1964.

In 1964, Mississippi had a Freedom Summer event in which college students from the North came to the South in order to educate blacks and register blacks to vote. During Mississippi Freedom Summer, five murders occurred all of which were race-related. The murders of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, three college students and civil rights activists are well known as these murders were the basis of the movie Mississippi Burning. The murders of Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Moore are lesser known. Dee and Moore, both 19, were college students killed in Meadville, Mississippi after attempting to hitch a ride on May 2, 1964. James Seale and Charles Edwards, two Klansmen kidnapped the two hitchhikers, mistaking them for civil rights workers. Seale and Edwards posed as law enforcement officers and questioned the teenagers about allegations of gun-running in Franklin County. Dee and Moore were then taken into Homochitto National Forest and tied to a tried and lashed with a bean pole. Seale and Edwards with the help of other Klansmen then weighed down the bodies of Dee and Moore with a Jeep motor block and threw them into the Mississippi River.

The bodies of Dee and Moore were found during a high profile search for the bodies of Chaney, Schwerner and Goodman. Seale and Edwards were investigated and at one point arrested. However, they were let off when the judge claimed that Seale and Edwards suffered from harassment in jail and defamation of character from the media coverage of the case. With the insistence of Thomas Moore, Moore’s brother and Thelma Collins, Dee’s sister, the case was reopened in 2007. James Seale, 72, was tried and convicted for the two murders and sentenced to 3 terms. He is serving time in a medical facility since he now has cancer.

Terry Davis: Legal Investigator

When the news of injustice in Jena, Louisiana spread across the country, legal investigator Terry Davis went to Jena, Louisiana to investigate the case. Davis, a Smith alumna, is a legal investigator that does work as a mitigation specialist on death penalty cases. After graduating from Smith College, Davis went into the field of education before becoming a union activist and a factory worker. As a union activist, Davis led campaigns in Wisconsin, Illinois, California and Virginia. She still maintains connections to the labor movement and continues to be an activist.

The incidents in Jena, Louisiana began with a simple request from several black students. They asked their vice principal if they were able to sit under an oak tree which only white students normally sat under. After they were told that they may sit wherever they wanted, they sat under the tree only to return the next day to find three nooses hanging from the same tree. This racially-charged incident was said to be a prank and led to the suspension of three white students for three days. Over the next three months racial tension grew in the high school culminating in off campus fights and a fire in the main academic building. Four days after the fire, Barker, a white student, was beaten by several black students. The students claimed that Barker was spouting racial epithets which resulted in the fight. Barker was hospitalized, treated and released in the same day. The students involved in the beating were arrested and charged with attempted murder. These charges were dropped to second-degree aggravated battery. This case caused so much outrage since the white students involved in fights throughout the school year had only been given suspensions and also because Mychal Bell, 16, was being charged as an adult. Bell sat in jail for months facing a possible sentence of up to 22 years in prison.

Since Jena, Louisiana has had "self-imposed" segregation for years, many doubted that Mychal Bell and the rest of the Jena 6 would receive fair cases. Davis took an important role as an anti-racist activist and gave her assistance to the Jena 6 case, working as an investigator on behalf of Mychal Bell. For six weeks, Davis worked pro bono, interviewing witnesses in Jena, Louisiana in 2007. Davis not only gave her time and effort to the case but also continued to tell others what she had learned in Jena, Louisiana through radio broadcasts, newspaper articles and college talks.

Empowered Victims:

In this section, we will look at profiles of two antiracist activists whose lives have been personally affected by the devastating impacts of racism. After surviving horrific acts of racist violence, these individuals have fought to turn their pain into power through activism.

Dr. Marty Nathan: Survivor, Activist

Martha “Marty” Nathan is an anti-racist activist who has dedicated her life and work to promoting equality and fighting racism, sexism and other forms of injustice. Born Martha Arthur, Marty learned about inequality and the importance of activism early on in childhood through the example set by her father, who as a bus driver in Ohio spent his free time advocating for worker’s rights, arguing for fair wages and the admission of black employees into the union (Wheaton, 1987). As quoted in Wheaton’s book Codename GREENKIL: The 1979 Greensboro Killings (1987), Nathan said of her father, “He was a real model for me…Those two issues- the working person as a force in society and antiracism- I can’t remember when they were not a significant portion of my life” (36).

Marty graduated from Duke University Medical School, where she met and fell in love with Mike Nathan, also a graduate with the same passion for activism and social justice. The two were married in 1978 and had a daughter, Leah, shortly afterwards (Bradford, 2001). At a public hearing for the Greensboro Truth and Community Reconciliation Commission, Marty Nathan described their relationship: "I guess every marriage is dedicated to an ethic, and among other young doctors we knew it usually meant making as much money as the couple could… That was not our goal or our ethic. And our love, instead, was based on an admiration and support and a hell of a lot of romance and humor for working with black community leaders to end racism and poverty in our community and overseas" (Transcript, 2005).

As part of this activism, Mike and Marty both joined the Workers Viewpoint Organization (WVO), a group which advocated for workers rights, and later changed its name to the Communist Workers Party, or CWP (Wheaton, 1987). Along with several of their friends who were also part of the WVO, the Nathans went to China Grove, North Carolina in July of 1979 as part of a protest against the Ku Klux Klan. The confrontation was successful, and the CWP planned another anti-Klan rally in the town of Greensboro, to take place in November of the same year (Bradford, 2001). The November rally, however, resulted in tragedy.

On November 3, 1979, Marty and Mike traveled to Greensboro with several friends and members of the CWP. The rally quickly turned violent; as the protesters gathered, a caravan approached with more than 30 armed members of the KKK and the Nazi Party, who opened fire on the protesters. In the aftermath of the Greensboro Massacre, five protesters had died, and another ten had been wounded (Bradford, 2001) Those who had died were: James Waller; Cesar Cauce; Sandra Smith; William Sampson; and Michael Nathan, Marty’s husband, who died two days later of gunshot wounds to the head (Transcript, 2005). The remaining protesters, including 3 of the wounded, were arrested while the KKK escaped (Wheaton, 1987). The attack had been devastating; as Nathan said, “I was in a state of shock…The man who I loved had been murdered, and Greensboro was in a state of siege” (as cited in Bradford, 2001).

The Klansmen and Nazi Party members were eventually arrested and tried in two separate trials; they were acquitted both times. None of the widows or surviving protesters were ever asked to testify in the trial, which was held with an all-white jury, many of whom explicitly expressed anti-Communist and pro-KKK sentiments (Nathan, 2005). In addition, as the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission later found, the police had an informant in the KKK, Edward Dawson, who had given them information about potential for Klan violence on the morning of November 3, 1979. Dawson was never called to testify in either trial, and police presence had been cleared from the area before the shooting began (Nathan, 2005). In 1985, after two trials, Marty and the other widows brought a civil suit against the defendants in the previous criminal trials, and on June 8, 1985, the defendants were found liable for the November 3, 1979 Greensboro Massacre. Marty Nathan and her daughter, only 6 months old at the time of the killings, were awarded $350,000 dollars. Nathan and the others split the money, and used a large part of it to establish the Greensboro Justice Fund, an organization which supports “grassroots organizations throughout the South that are working for racial justice, civil rights, and social change” (Bradford, 2001). On the 20th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre, Marty and the others started the Greensboro Truth & Community Reconciliation Project was formed, with the goal of discovering what had actually happened in Greensboro, looking at the consequences, and finding ways to help the community heal through acknowledging and understanding of the truth behind the events of November 3, 1979 (Borg, 2007). The goal is best expressed by Nathan in her own words: “This is Truth and Reconciliation: coming to grips with the most painful part of our lives” (Nathan, 2005).

Marty Nathan has continued to speak out as an antiracist activist, and remains active in the various Greensboro funds which she helped establish. As of 1995, the Greensboro Justice Fund had given over $500,000 to groups working for racial, economic, and social justice (Nathan cited in transcript, 2005). Nathan’s work illustrates the importance of learning from the past, and using constructive actions to combat racism and other injustices in our society. Speaking at a meeting of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission on September 30, 2005, Nathan addressed the crowd about the importance of activism, and using our pain to mobilize us into action, rather than allowing it to defeat us. “You can’t replace those brilliant young lost lives, but you can tell the world the truth, and tell our society how to prevent this from ever happening again…I think it is time now for change, and I hope and believe that you are the vehicle for that change…There must be an apology to the dead, the living, the wounded, and the terrified” (cited in transcript, 2005).

Dr. James Cameron: Survivor, Founder of the Black Holocaust Museum, and Activist

James Cameron was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1914. At the age of 4, his family left Wisconsin and moved to Birmingham, Alabama before settling in Marion, Indiana when James was 14. It was here that his life would almost end in an act of racist violence (Lamb, 2006). At the age of 16, Cameron and two of his friends, Abe Smith and Tommy Shipp, were arrested for the robbery and murder of Claude Deeter, 23, and the rape of Mr. Deeter’s girlfriend, a woman named Mary Bell. On the night of August 6th, the young men had been driving around when Smith suggested that they rob someone. In recalling the events of that night, Cameron remembers that as the young men approached the parked car of Mr. Deeter and Miss Bell, he had a strong change of heart. He got out of the car and ran, unable and unwilling to go through with the robbery (Carr, 2006). As he ran, he heard the sound of gunshots. In an interview with Dr. Robert Franklin, Cameron recalls: “I ran away from the scene of the crime. And after I ran away about 2 or 3 blocks I heard some shots rang out in the stillness of the night, just like that. Well, I was foolish for being out there with them but I wasn’t foolish enough to go back…I kept on running till I got home” (Franklin, n.d).

When he arrived home, Cameron was extremely anxious; he tried to convince himself that this had just been a poor decision, but as he wrote in his memoir years later: “The trouble was this was Marion, Indiana, where there was little room for foolish Black boys” (as cited in Carr, 2006. p16). Cameron was arrested and brought to jail, where Shipp and Smith were already being held. Mr. Deeter had been shot and killed, while his girlfriend claimed to have been raped, though she later recanted (Carr, 2006). Within 24 hours of their arrest, on August 7, 1930, members of the Ku Klux Klan broke into the jail and dragged the three men out, where an angry lynch-mob stood waiting. Abe Smith and Tommy Shipp were hung in front of a crowd of thousands; Cameron was beaten, and had a rope hung around his neck: “He had rope burns around his neck from the noose. He’d been dragged from the jail and beaten bloody and carried to the tree where the other two men were already hanging. In his account of those last moments- when he was certain he was going to die- he had a vision” (Carr, 2006) In Cameron’s vision, he heard a voice commanding the mob to let him go, and they did (Lamb, 2006). He had survived the lynching, a horrific act of violence which had claimed the lives of his two friends. After the lynching, Cameron was arrested and charged as an accessory to murder and robbery. He was sentenced to 2-21 years in jail, and served 4 years before being released. No one was ever charged for the murders of Abe Smith and Tommy Shipp, or for the attempted murder of Cameron (Founder - Dr. James Cameron, updated 2008).

After his release from prison, Cameron went on to become a powerful activist, dedicating his life to combating racism and inequality. After serving as the Indiana State Director of Civil Liberties from 1942-1950 (Founder - Dr. James Cameron, 2008) and starting Indiana’s first chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the 1940s, Cameron and his family moved to Milwaukee in 1953 (Carr, 2006). Despite facing continued adversity in his pursuit of equality, Cameron continued working for fair treatment of people of color and advocating for their rights, marching in Washington in the 1960s alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other well-known civil rights activists (Founder - Dr. James Cameron, 2008). In addition, Cameron began to write, putting together numerous pamphlets promoting civil rights (Carr, 2006), and publishing his memoir in 1983, A Time of Terror, after mortgaging his house to get the money for publishing (Carr, 15).

In October 1970, Cameron and his wife took a trip to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and museum in Israel. Cameron was inspired by this journey, and upon returning home he was determined to create the next part of his legacy, the Black Holocaust Museum: “When I came out and composed myself, I told my wife, ‘Honey, we need a museum like this in America to show what has happened to us black people and the freedom-loving white people who have been trying to help us” (Carr, 2006. p.23). In 1988, Cameron opened the Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, an institution dedicated to documenting the injustices of African Americans (Founder-Dr. James Cameron, 2008). Among the exhibits on display are the photograph of the lynching which nearly took Cameron’s life (Terry, 1995) and a piece of the rope which had once been tied around Cameron’s neck during the lynching (Lamb, 2006). In 1993, Cameron was officially pardoned by Indiana governor Evan Bayh, and given a key to the city; when presented with the key, Cameron said, “Now that the state of Indiana has forgiven me for my indiscretion … I, in turn, forgive Indiana for their transgressors the law in Marion on the night of August 7, 1930. I forgive those who have harmed me and Abe and Tom, realizing I can never forget the traumatic events that took place that night” (Carr, 2006. p.25, 26). Cameron passed away on June 11, 2006, at the age of 92.

Cameron’s quote about forgiveness illustrates the most important part of Cameron’s legacy; while we may be able to forgive, we owe it to ourselves never to forget the past. Educating ourselves and others about injustices in the past, and speaking up in when we see racism and inequality in the present are perhaps the most important and powerful ways to do this; as Cameron said when asked why at the age of 85, he had traveled hundreds of miles to participate in an anti-KKK rally: “Silence equals consent” (Carr, 2006. p. 435).

ANTIRACIST EDUCATORS

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum

Beverly Tatum grew up in Bridgewater, Massachusetts in the late 1950s and 1960s, where her father was an art professor at the local college; Bridgewater State College. Both her grandparents and her great-grandfather were all professional educators who attended historically black colleges. Due to the landmark decision of Brown vs. Board of Education, Tatum was fortunate to be the first one in her family to attend an integrated college or university of her choice. In 1975, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from Wesleyan University and in 1984, her PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Westfield State College as a psychology professor, and then in 1989, she joined Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. In the thirteen years that Beverly Tatum spent at MHC, she was first a professor of Psychology; then she became the department chair of Psychology and finally, the Dean of the college. She also acted as the president of Mount Holyoke for a semester while President Joanne Creighton was on sabbatical. In 2002, she was elected as the ninth African American female president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

As a professor, she focused her teachings on the psychology of racism. The primary focus of her research is on racial identity and development and with numerous articles and two books published on these topics; Mount Holyoke College President Joanne Creighton praised her in College Street Journal saying, “As a scholar and writer, she has helped shape the national discussion on issues of race” (MHC Vista, 2000). One of her well recognized articles, “Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: An Application of Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom” was published in the Harvard Educational Review in 1992. In her 2000 article which was published in Liberal Education, Dr. Tatum introduced one of her new strategies; “The ABC Approach to Creating Climates of Engagement on Diverse Campuses." Her ABCs are: affirming identity, building community, and cultivating leadership. She tested her concept when she began her service as dean of the college at Mount Holyoke, and on October 30, 1999, she presented a paper on her findings at the annual meeting of the American Council on Education” (USA TODAY, 2004).

Dr. Beverly Tatum has been recognized as a leader in her field and has served as a diversity trainer for educational institutes throughout the country. She put her research on the development of racial identity in a real life application at a middle school in Northampton, Massachusetts:

In 1996 she created and directed a model two-year program, funded by the Carnegie Corporation, to teach interracial and intercultural awareness to students at JFK Middle School in Northampton, Massachusetts. The two-year program applied her theories about diversity to a real situation and it amplified her previous success of working with educators and students in racially mixed schools (USA TODAY, 2004).

She has also written two books including, Assimilation Blues: Black Families in a White Community which was published in 1987 and “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” in 1997. Her last book was named in 1998 as the Multicultural Book of the Year by the National Association of Multicultural Education. The main focus of her book is on racial interactions, particularly among the younger generations- a study on the development of racial identity. In December 1997, she participated in the Summit on Race Relations and America's Public Education System, which was a program created by President Bill Clinton to improve race relations in the United States. Dr. Tatum was also featured by Oprah Winfrey during the Martin Luther King Jr. broadcast in January 2000 focusing on the youth and race in this country. Through her numerous articles, journal publications and books, Dr Beverly Tatum has addressed the issues of self-segregation and racial identity development and has offered ways to talk about racial issues in our schools, our homes and in our communities.

Tim Jacob Wise

Tim Wise, a writer and anti-racist activist was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond where he gained his anti-racist training. While Wise was an under graduate student at Tulane University, his work on anti-apartheid activism received recognition and praise from former South African president Nelson Mandela and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu (Tim Jacob Wise: Full Biography).” Since he began his career as an anti-racist lecturer in 1995, Wise has spoken in forty-eight states and on more than 400 college campuses. Throughout his anti-racist activism and education, Tim Wise focuses mainly on white privilege and institutionalized racism in the United States.

In the early 1990s, Wise began his career as an anti-racist activist by becoming the associate director of the Louisiana Coalition against Racism and Nazism. This organization’s main purpose was to defeat neo-Nazi political candidate David Duke who was running for governor of Louisiana (Tim Wise, Beyond "Diversity"). Tim Wise has worked as both an educator and conducted numerous anti-racist training on several campuses including the Fisk University Race Relations Institute in Nashville, where he served as an advisor. In addition, he co-taught a master’s level class on racism in the summer of 2005 at Smith College in Northampton, Ma. As a major component of his activism in schools, Wise also provides anti-racist training to teachers and professors, in order to help aid them in addressing the issues of white privilege and institutionalized in the classrooms. He has also trained other professionals including, physicians and medical industry professions on ways to fight and eliminate racial inequalities in healthcare and journalists at the Poynter Institute in Florida on different approaches to eradicate racial bias in reporting (Tim Wise, Beyond “Diversity).

Tim Wise uses various forms of education to promote anti-racist awareness and actions. He has written numerous articles and lectured thousands of people on white privilege, affirmative action and institutionalized racism since 1995. White Like Me: Reflections of a privileged son and Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White are both books written by Wise. In these widely renowned books, he discusses the privilege and advantages that white people have over people of color (Tim Wise, Beyond “Diversity”). As a white man and an anti-racist activist, Wise has recognized the privileges that he possess because of his skin color and he fully discussed this topic in his book White Like Me. Due to the work that he does as an activist, Wise has been featured on hundreds of television and radio shows worldwide. He has also received awards and recognition including the British Diversity Award in 2001 for best featured essay on race issues. In October 2007, Mount Holyoke College welcomed Tim Wise in Chapin Auditorium where he lectured an auditorium full of students, faculty, staff and community members on the issues of racism and white privilege. The focal points of his talk were racism, white denial and the cost of inequality in the United States. Tim Wise is now the director of the newly-formed Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) in Nashville, Tennessee.

These two individuals who are both educators, activists and authors, have spread the awareness of racism and the importance of anti-racist education in this country. Dr. Beverly Tatum has reached out and educated many people about racial identity development and racism through the research that she has conducted and her books on racial identity and development. As an educator and anti-racist, Tim Wise often lectures on white privilege and racism. He also conducts anti-racist workshops with professionals such as law enforcement officers, college professors and journalist in a campaign to fight and eradicate institutionalized racism.

Conclusion

Through the experiences of Burnham, Davis, Nathan, Cameron, Tatum and Wise, we can see that there are many paths you can take in standing up against racism. It is important to look back and see the wrongs committed by some and try to create justice for the victims and their families through restorative justice. We can also work to protest injustices that we see today in our justice system. We can also learn and be inspired by the experiences of those that have survived racist acts. However, before we can work against racism we must confront our own racism and biases and we can learn more about anti-racist methods and promoting cross-racial dialogue through educators like Tatum and Wise. By moving beyond heroes and holidays and we allow children to see that everyday people still are working towards eliminating institutionalized racism, even after the Civil Rights movement. Our hope is that by this introduction to some of the anti-racist activists of today, people will be inspired and get involved in anti-racist activism in their own capacities.

Bibliography 1.Anonymous, (2000) MHC Vista: Beverly Daniel Tatum, Building Bridges across difference. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/vista/0002/tatum.shtml

2.Anonymous, (2008) Tim Wise Beyond "Diversity": Challenging Racism in an Age of Backlash. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from http://www.speakersandartists.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=156

3.Borg, Linda. (2007, February 12). Coming to Terms with a Community’s Past. The Providence Journal. Retrieved April 13, 2008 from http://www.projo.com

4. Bradford, Robert. (2001, updated) Out of the Ashes. Duke University; Medical Alumni News. Retrieved on April 15, 2008 from http://medalum.duke.edu

5.Carr, Cynthia. (2006). Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted Town, and the Hidden History of White America. New York: Crown Publishers.

6.Criminal Justice Institute, (2002, April 16). Wrongful Convictions: A Call to Action. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from Harvard Law Web site: http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/clinical/cji/innconf02/bio-burnhamm.htm

7.Franklin, Robert A. (n.d) An Interview With Dr. James Cameron, Founder of America’s Black Holocaust Museum. Retrieved April 13, 2008 from http://www.clt.astate.edu/rfranklin/james-camerontext.htm

8.Lamb, Yvonne Shinhoster. (2006, June 13) James Cameron; Survived Lynching, Founded Museum. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2008 from http://washingtonpost.com

9.Marklein, Beth Mary. USA TODAY (2004) Spelman president Beverly Daniel Tatum. Retrieved April 30, 2008, from http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-05-14-beverly-tatum_x.htm

10.Mitchell, J (2007, August 25). Ex-Klansman Is Sentenced to Life for Killings in 1964 Retrieved May 6, 2008, from New York Times Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/us/25klan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

11.Nathan, Marty. (2005, September 29). Revisiting the Mistakes of Nov. 3. The News and Record. Retrieved April 13, 2008 from http://www.news-record.com

12.Roesgen, S (2007, Sept 5). Residents: Nooses spark school violence, divide town. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from CNN Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.six/index.html?iref=newssearch

13.Sallick, Humphries Karen. (2007) Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President, Spelman College, Her Biography. Retrieved April 30, 2008, from http://www.embracingthejourney.com/bios/beverlytatum.htm

14.Tatum, Beverly D. (1997) Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. New York: Basic Books.

15.Terry, Don. (1995, July 10) Man’s Museum of Memories Relives the Terror for Blacks. The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com

16.The Black Holocaust Museum. (2008, updated). Founder- James Cameron. Retrieved April 13, 2008 from http://www.blackholocaustmuseum.org/founder.html

17.Van Ness, D (2007, November 17). Introduction. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from Restorative Justice Online Web site: http://www.restorativejustice.org/intro

18. Wheaton, Elizabeth. (1987). Codename GREENKIL: The 1979 Greensboro Killings. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press.

19.Wise, Tim (2008) Tim Jacob Wise: Full Biography. Retrieved April 30, 2008 from http://www.timwise.org

20.Weissman Center for Leadership and Liberal Arts, (2008). Mount Holyoke College: speakers. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from WCL Spring 2008 Bearing Witness Web site: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/wcl/16038.shtml#Terry_Davis

[edit] White antiracist activists of western Massachusetts

Rev. Andrea Ayvazian is a white antiracist activist, ordained minister and educator living in Northampton, Massachusetts.

The Rev. Andrea Ayvazian has been a social justice activist since the 1970’s and, more specifically, an antiracist activist and educator since the mid-1980’s. In print and in public she often refers to herself an ally for people marginalized by systematic oppression (Ayvazian, neym cite and publication). Currently, she is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and pastor of the Haydenville Congregational Church in Haydenville, Massachusetts (add cite from cooley-dicksinson at zoom).

From 1969-1973 she attended Oberlin College (Ohlson) where her social justice activism began when she participated in demonstrations and projects involving gender issues and civil rights. Her focus on antiracism work took hold in when 1985 she became a consultant with the Equity Institute and together with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum traveled to 33 states nationwide co-leading antiracism workshops and seminars across the (WP conference URL). Rev. Ayvazian and Dr. Tatum also founded Communitas, Inc., an antiracism education and training program whose mission was to dismantle racism. (http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj9601&article=960111). Which Rev. Ayvazian coordinated for eight years and delivered over 100 anti-racism seminars, workshops, and consultations nationwide (Zoominfo). Her consulting work expanded into formal teaching about racism at the college level with graduate level courses at the Smith College School for Social Work and undergraduate psychology courses at Mount Holyoke College. (Zoominfo).

Even though Andrea had a Ph.D. from Yale, she pursed and completed a Masters of Divinity and became an ordained minister. In 1998 Rev. Ayvazian was appointed as the Dean of Religious Life (Zoominfo) at Mount Holyoke College, a position she held for the next six years. During that time, she established new programs and projects that brought inequalities, especially those involving bringing racism into focus. Among others, she led the conversion of the traditional chapel to an interfaith sanctuary, established an Afrocentric Worship Service and helped to launch the Service and Leadership Odyssey Program with the goal “to connect deeply with one another to discuss our diversity and our unity as a group” (College Street Journal). The leadership program brought together a diverse group of students, faculty and staff to work on leadership and complete community service projects both locally and in the South in low-income and communities of color(College Street Journal).

In her current position as pastor of the Haydenville Congregational Church Rev. Ayvazian has continued her antiracist activist work through involvement with and leadership of various social justice projects within the western Massachusetts community as well as with national efforts that advance social change and highlight the role that privilege plays in maintaining social inequalitites (see cooley-dickson, zoom, http://www.religiouswitness.org/index.html) Rev. Ayvazian also practices her activism in her every day life. She and her long-time partner, Michael Klare, have made the decision to postpone their marriage until gay and lesbian couples can share the same rights and benefits as heterosexual couples (Ohlson, 2001). They have also made a conscious effort to expose their child to professionals of color throughout his lifetime. Rev. Ayvazian has dedicated her time and energy to educating the faculty, administration and parents in the public schools which her son attended on issues concerning racism and inequality. Thus, on a personal and professional level Rev. Ayvazian continues to challenge systems of oppression wherever she encounters them (cite zoom info).

References: Ayvazian, A. (1990, October/November). Being not doing. Fellowship, 15.

Ayvazian, A. (1995, January/February). Interrupting the cycle of oppression: The role of allies as agents of change. Fellowship, 6-9. Ayvazian, A. (2002, August). New England Yearly Meeting of Friends - Outline of comments by Andrea Ayvazian. New England Yearly Meeting: Ministry and Counsel Working Party on Racism. Retrieved December 5th , 2006, from http://www.neym.org/ministryandcounsel/racism/ayvazian_notes.html Conference on Understanding Whiteness, Recognizing Privilege: Continuing the conversation on racial justice. Biographies of presenters. Retrieved December 5th , 2006, from http://whiteprivilege.hampshire.edu/bios.html Ohlson, K (2001) Marriage: For Better? Or Worse? Oberlin Alumni Magazine. Retrieved December 5th, 2006, from http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/oamcurrent/oam_fall2001/marriage.html Zoominfo: People, Companies, Relationships. Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian,. Retrieved December 5th, 2006, from http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=57282990 Group Forming to Practice and Consider Meaning of Service and Leadership (1998). College Street Journal, 12 (3). Retrieved December 5th , 2006, from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/csj/980918/6serviceandleadership.html Religious witness for the earth. http://www.religiouswitness.org/index.html

Diane Beers is a white antiracist activist whose work combines issues of race, gender, sexuality, and the environment.

Diane Beers is an associate professor of history at Holyoke Community College, lives in Orange, Massachusetts, and is a member of the NAACP. She grew up in a working class area of southern Pennsylvania, received a BA from Hood College, and a Ph.D. in African American history at Temple University. During her undergraduate years she became involved in social justice movements such as the anti-apartheid movement and was greatly influenced by her professor, historian Dr. Gerald McKnight to pursue doctoral work in African American history.

While at Temple, she enrolled in courses with Dr. Kenneth Kusmer a white social historian nationally known for his research and writing on race. And she was mentored by Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas, a nationally known African American historian and scholar at Temple. Diane’s participation with a historical project involving the Philadelphia response to the National Anti-Lynching Movement with Dr. Collier-Thomas solidified Diane's determination to teach social justice issues.

Since 1999 Diane has taught in the history department at Holyoke Community College. Her courses span social history, environmental history and African American history. She firmly believes that education is a key component in fighting all forms of oppression. In addition to her teaching, Diane is a member of the Task Force on Free Speech and Civil Discourse (add website here) and has given anti-racist presentations to the Holyoke community on the topics of: The History of Affirmative Action, Holyoke Community College Forum 2005; and The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education-50th Anniversary Celebration, Holyoke Community College Forum 2004. Diane is currently a member of the NAACP.

Diane’s current writing focuses on a history of the animal protection movement. Her book For the Prevention of Cruelty: The history and legacy of animal rights activism in the U.S. ISBN 0804010870. Although some activists do not see the connections between her antiracism and animal rights, Diane has pointed out during interviews that it is important for people to have an “awareness of the linkages between different forms of oppression” www.satya.mag.com/apr07/gaudreau.html and she sees these linkages as central to her activism.

www.hcc.edu/about/DBeers_000.htm

www.satya.mag.com/apr07/gaudreau/html

www.hcc.edu/FreeSpeechandCivilDiscourseminutes.htm

http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=183899547

Sandy Lemlin-fitzpatrick is a white antiracist educator and activist living in Belchertown, Massachusetts. Sandy Lemlin-Fitzpatrick has been working to bring multicultural education and racial/prejudice awareness not only to her peers and family, but to her elementary aged students at the Crocker Farm School in Amherst Massachusetts where she has been teaching kindergarten and first-graders for 8 years.

Sandy Lemelin-Fitzpatrick has not always been an anti-racist activist. Sandy grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts and was raised in a strict Catholic home where she was taught that everyone was created equal. But time and time again she did not see that everyone was treated equally. It was not until she was in graduate school pursing a Masters Degree in Social Work, however, that she realized she had many privileges associated with her white skin. And after completing a professional development course in antiracist multicultural education offered through the Amherst School, she knew she had to use her white privilege to challenge the racial inequities she saw. Thereafter she taught in ways that advanced the principles of multicultural education with her students and peers.

She started to adults about race when she took a position in Amherst as a member of the Becoming a Multicultural School System (BAMS) Committee, a group geared to observing the issues surrounding race and discussing options for addressing racism in the schools. Sandy was also a participant in Study Circles of Amherst through which a racially-diverse group of community members made plans for implementing changes that would challenge racism and minimize inequities. Through the work of BAMS and Study Circles, she helped to implement a requirement that all teaching staff enroll in antiracist professional development as a means for helping educators understand the role that racism plays in schools and for designing methods to minimize its effects.

Sandy also puts her antiracist beliefs into practice everyday in the classroom through her curriculum. She teaches children the fundamentals of inequality and prejudice by using examples that children as young as 5 years old can relate to. She believes that since young children are exposed to racism early in their lives, they should be exposed to antiracist practices as well. In the next phase of her life Sandy will be implementing antiracism in a different but related way. She has just completed a certification program for principals and will be starting as a principal at the Highland Elementary School in Westfield, Massachusetts in September where her administrative practice will be guided by her strong commitment to antiracism and social justice.

www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/cpr/reports/2000/0008/pdf (BAMS)

www.arps.org/curriculum/ProfessionalDevelopmentGuidingPrinciples.php (BAMS and professional development)

www.arps.org/cf/ (crocker farm site)

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search.asp?mode=g&county=Hampden&town=442 (wesfield schools)

www.arhsparentcenter.org/pdfs/Februaru_2007.pdf (study circles of Amherst)

www.studycircles.org/

Anita Magovern is a white anti-racist, religious leader and educator who lives in western Massachusetts.

As a young person Anita was aware of the economic disparities among peoples of the world and wanted to do something to improve the quality of lives people who lived in poverty. To that end she joined the Maryknoll Sisters whose focus is on cross cultural development work and bridging the gap between peoples.

As a Maryknoll Sister, Anita worked in Tanzania for twenty years first as a linguist in a language school in Musoma, Tanzania from 1969-1974. Then after studying the work of Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire, she decided she wanted to help people assessed their own situations and use their own skills and talents to create solutions.

Thus, from 1975-1984 Anita did adult community education work in the rural villages setting up seminars with women’s groups, youth groups, and village or church leaders to assist them in assess the constraints and barriers which prevent them from moving forward both socially and economically. Among her particular projects was training other women as village health workers so that they could begin to teach others and address basic sanitation and health issues in the community which they ultimately did. She helped set up a loan fund, so that women and their husbands could borrow with no interest funds to develop money-making projects of their own and increase income for their families.

Back in the U.S. Anita lived in the low-income town of Newburg, New York educating young people to do community work. Among the projects she was involved in include: alternate housing for the poor, a child care project, distribution center, and work with the elderly. From 1995 to the present (2006), Anita has lived in the United States and continues work with communities of color and low income communities in ways that will improve the quality of their lives. As the Catholic Chaplain at Mount Holyoke College, Anita helped to create opportunities for young people to do community work through the C.A.U.S.E. Program. Among the 14 projects she helped to create are those involving home building in the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Mexico, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Anita believes that these projects begin to create the necessary links that “will evoke social awareness and change.”

C.A.U.S.E. ( http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/cause) Elliot House Staff. (http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/religiouslife/13833.shtml

Patricia Ramsey is a white antiracist activist and educator in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Patricia Ramsey is a professor and scholar in early childhood development with a focus on social development and multicultural education for young children. She grew up during the period of the civil rights movement and witnessed Rev. Martin Luther King’s speech on television. Her parents were “good middle-class liberals who supported equal rights for all but they were not activists.” (Derman-Sparks and Ramsey, 2006, p. 9). Her family lived in an all-white suburb, and she attended schools that were not racially diverse. As a result, she did not have a grasp on the different experiences people of other races encounter in their daily lives.

After graduating from Middlebury with a degree in American Literature, Patricia participated in the VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) program, an organization that places volunteers with “community- based agencies to help find long- term solutions to the problems caused by urban and rural poverty (Vista website).” In her eighteen months volunteering with VISTA, Patricia lived in a Mexican- American community in California, where she became active in helping to elect the first Mexican- American official to office. Patricia has also worked in Honduras and lived in Mexico, experiences which she feels “have made me acutely aware of my cultural and economic advantages and have forced me to examine my biases and assumptions” (p. 10).

In graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Patricia earned a doctorate in education and learned about the importance of multicultural education in the classroom which then became a focus of her work. As a faculty member in Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts since1984 and through her leadership as director of the Gorse Child Study Center she has worked with undergraduates and colleagues in examining how children develop early attitudes about gender, race, and social class. She has also studied how teaching from a multicultural perspective affects children's early awareness and attitudes about groups of people that are unfamiliar to them. She believes that multicultural education can help to create a world in which “children can be whole, where they do not feel that they have to choose between conflicting identities and loyalties, and where they can reject cynicism for hope and joy” (2004. p. xvi).

In addition to writing about young children’s development and learning, she has consulted with many educational programs and written about how to structure professional development efforts for teachers that attend to multicultural aspects of teaching and learning. Because of her focus on multicultural curriculum for young children and antiracist multicultural staff development for faculty, the Gorse Child Study Center serves as a model for other educators wanting to design and implement schools and programs that are equitable and effective sites for learning. (p. xi-xii by Nieto in teaching and learning in a diverse world).

Patricia Ramsey is currently the chair of the Psychology and Education Department at Mount Holyoke College. She is also the mother of two adopted boys from Chile who have given her additional opportunities to uncover and examine her white middle class assumptions as she witnesses “the painful reality of the pressures and invalidation that children of color experience” ( p.10) in schools today.

Patricia Ramsey realizes that she will never be “completely free of the assumptions that reflect the unearned privileges that come to her as a white person” (p.10), but she continues to stand up for injustice and educate the next generation of educators so that our world will one day become a more just and equitable one.

Written Work: Ramsey, P.G. (1995). Changing social dynamics in early childhood classrooms. Child Development, 66, pp.764-773. Ramsey, P.G., & Lasquade, C. (1996). Preschool children's entry Attempts. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 17, 135-150. Alvarado, C., Derman Sparks, L., Ramsey, P.G., (1999). In our own way: How anti-bias work shapes our lives. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Ramsey, R.G. & Williams, L. R. (2003). Multicultural education: A resource book. New York: Routledge. References: www.friendsofvista.org(vista)

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/psych/faculty.html#pramsey (mhc profile)

Ramsey, P.G. (2004). Teaching and learning in a diverse world, 3rd Edition. New York: Teachers College Press. Derman-Sparks. L. and Ramsey, P. G. (2006). What if all the children are white? Anti-bias multicultural education with young children and families. New York: Teachers College Press.

Russ Vernon-Jones is a white anti-racist activist and educator. Currently he is the principal of Fort River Elementary School in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Russ Vernon-Jones believes that “racism is a major force in our society but so too is antiracism. Antiracism takes the efforts of many people (of all races) to end racism, and young people can be an important part of this long-term struggle.” (antiracism on line)These beliefs are inscribed in the antiracism website he created for students and adults. They also guide his practice as an educator working with a diverse population of students and parents in the Amherst school district.

Russ’s message about the importance of challenging social inequalities including those dealing with race are echoed in the mission statement and school improvement plans of the Fort River Elementary School. One of the central beliefs under girding the school’s missions is “We seek to learn about and become effective in eliminating practices, attitudes and behaviors by which people are mistreated, denied their full dignity or the realization of their full potential, including those based on gender, race, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, etc.”(mission) Similarly, a primary focus of the school’s improvement plan is that the teachers and staff “explore and develop approaches that result in every student developing a meaningful commitment to equity and justice for all peoples, and some of the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives needed to act on that commitment throughout their lives.” (school improvement). These beliefs about equality and justice permeate Russ’s decision-making in terms of curricular decisions, staffing, policies and procedures, and projects.

In addition to his leadership as a principal, Russ also advances the principles of antiracism outside of school through his coordination of the Antiracism Project. This organization is dedicated to ending racism and consists of students, parents, staff, and educators of the wider Amherst community. The organization has created a website which invites others to engage in learning, sharing and taking action against racism. Presently, the primary project of the organization is "Youth Helping To End Racism" which encourages young people to make a commitment to work towards eliminating racism, while also connecting with like-minded peers. The website offers information on understanding racism by providing shared experiences, perspectives, tips on how to listen and also examples of how anyone can be an anti-racist. In addition to the website, the organization also runs workshops and programs in schools for students, parents and educators.

Russ’s antiracist leadership and activitites, however, are not without controversy. In 1997, for example, he hosted at his school a breakfast event for African American parents and staff who had previously felt marginalized and whose concerns about racism were not being taken seriously by some members of the community. After the breakfast, some white community members who felt excluded by the “Blacks only” event openly critiqued Russ in the press (Avenoso, 1997), and one white parent withdrew her child from the school altogether. (Rockwell)

Russ’s believes that racism can be ended, but that it won’t happen quickly or easily. But he is in for the long-haul regardless of the critiques that come his way. For when it comes to confronting racism, being active is the only way to be.

www.arps.org/fr/

www.arps.org/fr/mission_and_belief.htm (mission) http://www.arps.org/fr/school_information.htm (school improvement plan) www.hampshirecog.org/amherst.html www.lewrockwell.com/orig/lyman1.html www.anti-racismonline.org (website on the schools links page) Avenoso, K. (March 6,1997). Blacks only event faulted by parents; Amherst school draws criticism. Boston Globe, Metro Region, Pg. B1.

[edit] Nationally known white anti-racists

Barbara Beckwith (1937- present): Barbara Beckwith is a contemporary anti-racist activist who spreads her message of diversity and awareness through writing, activism, and teaching.

Barbara received her B.A. in English Literature from Wellesley and later completed her M. Ed, in Secondary Education at Tufts University. Beckwith began her life’s work by teaching English in public alternative schools in the Boston area before turning to English as a Second Language (ESL) educator. While teaching ESL as part of Boston’s WIN program, Beckwith became frustrated with administrators’ demeaning attitude towards adult learners, many of whom were people of color. In 1983 Beckwith received an M.S. in Print Journalism from Boston University and began writing articles speaking to the inequalities she saw between racial groups.

Through the ‘80’s and ‘90’s Beckwith wrote freelance for several prestigious publications including, The New York Times, Boston Globe and Harvard Educational Review, tackling issues of equal educational access and fair standardized testing. In 1989 she published a book, “Standing Up to the SAT (ARCO)”, which provides a critical look at the racial biases of the SAT. Her writing, which examines similar issues of racial hierarchy and under representation of minorities, is based largely from her own encounters with these themes. Her personal essays and articles have been included in a number of anthologies. Beckwith has also been a co-chair and member of the National Writers Union since the early 1980’s, pushing issues vital to writers of color.

In 2000, Beckwith took a 5-week adult ed course founded by Jennifer Yanco, and then became one of its co-facilitators. Since its inception this program has reached nearly 400 people ages 13-82. The workshops build off of participants’ personal experience and emphasize effective action and speaking up against racism that is systemic in the United States. With this workshop as an inspiration, Beckwith has begun compiling essays from ordinary people as part of her “White People Write About Growing Up White” project.

Aside from Beckwith’s anti-racist work, she also is an activist for other issues of equality and representation. Her work includes topics like LGBT and women’s’ rights. An avid squash player who made it to National’s at age 60, Beckwith also writes essays about her experiences as an older woman and the obstacles she has faced. Not one to back down from a challenge, Beckwith continues fighting for equal rights for many groups.

Linda Mornell is a well known community activist who has contributed to the tremendous positive growth of many inner city youth.

Linda founded Summer Search, a national program serving over 600 students around the Bay Area, Boston, Napa, Seattle, Philadelphia, Silicon Valley, and New York areas. Summer Search is designed to challenge and motivate high school students to realize their infinite potential by providing them the resources they need in order to succeed. Summer program opportunities include; wilderness expeditions, community service organizations, challenging academic programs, and home-stay in foreign countries. Students are asked to examine themselves deeply, take initiative in the path towards their own success, owning up to their mistakes and learning from them. Linda noticed that after returning from their life changing journeys, the students were overwhelmed with the difficulties in returning to a community of negativity that hindered their growth and success. In order to do more for her students, she recreated the mission of Summer Search to include year round mentoring for her students. The mentoring is centered around meaningful conversations that help the students challenge their community’s perceptions of them as well as their own. All of the students who have participated in this program have graduated from high school and 83% of them have gone on to college or are preparing to do so.

Before starting Summer Search, Linda worked as a counselor for families and adolescents, taking a special interest in teenagers and their development from 1972 to 1989. She was inspired to found Summer Search after observing positive changes in her own children after returning from demanding summer programs. She initially began working out of her home in an effort to raise donations for scholarships to send 14 high school students from low-income families and underprivileged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area on demanding summer programs all over the country.

Linda’s foundation looks for youth that possess three main qualities: resiliency, altruism and potential for leadership. She believes that if given the appropriate resources and tools, youth who are faced with tremendous hardships and responsibilities at an early age will succeed. She believes that the investment in these young people will ultimately give them the skills and confidence they need to bring about change in their communities and around the world. Linda has inspired hope and is responsible for giving many underprivileged youth the opportunity to see their potential and allowing them to reach it by providing them with the tools and resources they need.

References • Summer Search. Copyright © 1999-2005. Summer Searchwww.Summerserach.org • Zoominfo. Copyright © 2007. Zoom Information Inc. http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=44722386 • A Community of Nonprofit Organizations. Wainwright Bank & Trust Company. © 2001, 2000 Wainwright Bank & Trust Company. Site designed and developed by Blueplate Interactive Technologies, LLC http://www.communityroom.net/NPOBackground.asp?302 • CSB5. © MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. http://cbs5.com/jeffersonawards/local_story_174190128.html

Paula S. Rothenberg is a nationally known anti-racism activist and feminist living in New Jersey.

Paula Rothenberg is currently a Professor at William Patterson University in Wayne, New Jersey where she teaches philosophy and women’s studies. In addition to her work as a Professor, Rothenbert is the Director of the New Jersey Project on Inclusive Scholarship, Curriculum, and Teaching; the only state-funded project in the nation whose mission is to reform curriculum by incorporating gender, race/ethnicity, class, culture, and sexualaity into college and university curriculum nationwide. Rothenberg received her undergraduate and graduate degree from New York University.

She is a prominent anti-racist activist in the United States, traveling and giving speeches throughout the country. Rothenberg has published several books relating to anti-racism. She has assembled essays of other anti-racist activists such as Tim Wise, Bell Hooks, and David Roediger, into compilations on topics such as racism, sexism, feminism, and classism. In all of her works, she writes a well organized introduction presenting her arguments and in the conclusion she calls for individuals to take action. She is a believer in individual action and its power to address racism and other forms of oppression (White, 2005). From challenging crude “jokes” to challenging decisions made by the local school board (Personal communication, November 24 2006), the individual has the power to be an anti-racism activist in their own personal lives.

Books authored by Paula S. Rothenberg include: 2005: Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically about Global Issues 2004: White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism 2004: Invisible Privilege: A Memoir about Race, Class, and Gender 2003: Race, Class and Gender in the United State, sixth edition 1996: Creating an Inclusive College Curriculum 1993: Feminist Frameworks, third edition Articles Articles written by Paula Rothenberg include: 2000: "Beyond the Food Court: Goals and Strategies for Teaching Multiculturalism” 2000: "Curriculum Transformation Movement” 1998: "Women Studies Then and Now” 1996: "Teaching U.S. History as Part of Diversity Studies” 1993: "The Inclusive Curriculum and Its Critics”

REFERENCES Rothenberg, Paula S. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. 5th ed. Rothenberg, Paula S. Racism and Sexism: An Integrated Study. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. Rothenberg, Paula S. White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism. New York: Worth Publishers, 2005. 2nd ed.

http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/njp/overview.html 
 http://www.paularothenberg.com/ 

Rothenberg, Paula. "Re:Anti-Racism Activist." E-mail format. 24 November 2006

Tim Jacob Wise is a nationally recognized anti-racist writer and activist living in Nashville, Tennessee.

Wise is the Director of the Tennessee-based Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) (www.timwise.org). AWARE is an organization that works to educate white Americans about the social and economic impacts of racism within communities and institutions. The organization mission is “to educate white Americans about ongoing institutional racism in society; to raise awareness among whites to the harmful effects racism has on people of color and themselves; and to provide the tools for whites to support equity and justice” (www.unbrokencircle.org). In addition to his work with AWARE he currently speaks to numerous groups across the country conducting anti-racism training sessions and has spoken to over 400 colleges and universities. Wise received his B.A. in political science from Tulane University and was trained by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond in ways to dismantle racism and become an anti-racist. Wise has trained physicians and others in health related occupations on how to combat racial inequalities in healthcare as well as corporate, government, entertainment, military, and law officials. Wise has been called on for his expertise In Washington state and New York to serve as a consultant for the plaintiff attorney on federal discrimination cases (www.timwise.org).

In the early 1990’s, Wise worked at the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism serving as the Associate Director and from 1999 to 2003, he served as an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute. In addition to his work, in 2001, Wise trained journalists to abolish racial bias in reporting at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. He extended his teaching In 2005, and co-taught a graduate course on Racism at the Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts and led a training program against racial privilege and bias at the Defense Equal(www.timwise.org).

Wise has written many works on anti-racism including two books titled, “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son” and “Affirmative Actions: Racial Preference in Black and White”. Some of his more recent written essays include; “Passing the Buck and Missing the Point: Don Imus, White Denial, and Racism in America,” “A Particularly Cheap White Whine, Racism, Scholarship, and the Manufacturing of White Victimhood,” “Rationalizing the Irrational: Racism and the Fallacy of Personal Experience,” “The Oprah Effect: Black Success, White Denial and the Reality of Racism,” and “‘Erasing Katrina’: Historical Revisionism and the Denial of the Obvious”. His writing is accessible to many people as it has been published in popular, professional, and scholarly journals. Wise was the recipient of the 2001 British Diversity Award for best feature essay on race issues. Other awards include the National Youth Advocacy Coalition’s Social Justice Impact Award in 2002.

In addition to his written works, Wise has been a featured guest on many renowned radio and television programs (www.timwise.org). Tim Wise has contributed positively to the field of anti-racist education and is well known for his writing, lectures, training sessions, and appearances on television and radio shows. (www.timwise.org). Websites www.timewise.org www.unbrokencircle.org

[edit] How a White Ally Can Be A Role Model

Becoming A Model For Systemic Change By Kelsey, Maria, Jen, Jillian

“We have tremendous power as citizens of a democratic society and, if we choose to use it, we can wield that power to elect leaders who are committed to overcoming global inequality. We can only take these actions if we refuse to divide ‘us’ and ‘them,’ if we recognize ourselves as part of a fundamentally connected humanity, if we embrace the power we have to shape the world.” --Holly Hanson

Anti-racism involves taking action against racism that is woven into the fabric of society. Many white individuals have become white allies and anti-racist activists. In order for white individuals to become an anti-racist they must first confront their own prejudice and gain an understanding of the ways in which having white privilege may play a role in inequalities that people of color face on a daily basis. Often times white people come to realize they have unconsciously contributed to perpetuate racism in society. Many white students are able to confront these challenges with the help of Professors. Professor Holly Hanson could be seen as an anti-racist in today’s society. Holly Hanson is a white anti-racist Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College. She has served as a role model to many students empowering them to advocate for social justice. Hanson, however does not associate herself with the term anti-racist. To Hanson the term anti does not fully transmit the idea of activism. She feels that many just put a label or “button” on themselves saying that they are anti-racist but do not actively ponder the question, “what does a society look like that’s not characterized by racism?” To challenge the cycle of racism and create equality is the main aim of an anti-racist or one who is actively against racism.

In order to do this one must look at the racism in society and then become aware of what they can do to change this in their personal lives. This reflection is called viewing society through an “anti-racist lens.” For many, anti-racism comes through self-exploration. For Holly Hanson her “lens” came through her upbringing. She saw racial disparities and diversities as a young child. Her parents were both college Professors and made sure that she was able to recognize the inequalities in society. Her mother was part of the first generation to receive head start training which changed the lives of her entire family.

These experiences formed her desire to see the world and how political inequalities effect the development and depression in the world. She believes that the educational system is not entirely at fault for creating inequalities but rather the social injustice of society. In order to change the system as a whole the people within the society need to become aware of the racism that is still prevalent. As an educator Hanson has become a model for her students. In order to help us further understand the extent to which one can use anti-racism to make a difference, we have interviewed anti-racist educator Holly Hanson, a professor from Mount Holyoke, whose views helped us gain some insight to how we, as individuals, could somehow make a difference.

In modern society, it is difficult to completely eradicate racism due to the incomplete understanding of what racism is. Before we can consider ourselves anti-racists, we must look at our society and see how we can make a difference, however minimal it may be. People can make a difference by the everyday choices they make. For instance supporting local business owned by people of color. Changing one's course of actions and choices can impact how society is made up and how individuals within society perceive one another. Immediate and gradual resistance to institutionalized racism can help with the development of positive societal perceptions of people of color. Holly Hanson has made it her mission to do so as observed in the following quote:

“One thing I think is really important is economy, so I try to buy from minority owned businesses, businesspeople. Before I came to South Hadley, my dentist and my doctor were people of color. In South Hadley, my dentist isn't, but my doctor is.”

Through this action, Dr. Hanson is directly influencing the performance of people of color in her surroundings. She recommends these businesses to her friends, peers, and colleagues to further support the economic livelihood of the people who own them. Word of mouth and direct participation is often the most reliable and effective method of support for minority owned businesses. Dr. Hanson's decision not only to buy from minority owned businesses, but to make sure she made use of local professionals of color is a testament to her desire for fairness in modern society. Through her actions she is helping to create systematic change.

Dr. Hanson has been a role model for her students to follow. On an individual level students can make a difference through their actions and aid in creating change. To make a difference in government students can write letters to Congress and other legislators to make them aware of racial discrimination and how it affects not just people of color, but society as a whole by molding them into one mindset. For example, in Massachusetts the transitional living program application still uses Negroid for African Americans to check for race and Yellow for people of Asian descent. Students can call the individual transitional housing programs to raise their concern and educate them on the harmful effects this language has on society.

Resources: http://www.odnetwork.org/events/conferences/conf2004/followup/214M.pdf

WHAT EDUCATORS CAN DO?

Professors can implement multicultural curriculum and serve as role models to their students and provide support and encouragement when working through issues of race. First educators have to explore and identify their own cultural preconceptions by carefully and truthfully engaging in reflective self-analysis. Until that step has been reached there will not be productive multicultural education, because being an anti-racist educator means much more than providing content and knowledge. Anti-racist education is about building a cultural climate or safe zone for the classroom, for students to feel secure to learn and communicate and reach their full development.

Educators must look beyond content integration where an occasional hero or holiday is added to a curriculum to represent diversity. Educators need to make clear to students that all knowledge is socially constructed, just as race is, and therefore ideas in society change over time. Teachers should become familiar with and use practices of equity pedagogy, where teachers alter their teaching methods to accommodate the various cultural differences of their students to help inspire academic achievement. This practice can happen at all grade levels and in fact the younger the better as children will be able to recognize the stereotypes and biases that they are constantly being exposed to in this world. There are programs such as Teaching Tolerance that help teachers integrate multicultural education into their curriculums, providing lesson plans and guidance needed in doing so. In higher education, professors can look at the systemic forms of racism on campus and then try to create change through a more constructive curriculum and programs which will enable students to take action. Institutions should aim to influence their students to become the catalysts for change.

“YOU SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO TAKE A FIRST YEAR SEMINAR TAUGHT BY VARIOUS FACULTY MEMBERS OF THE MULTI-CULTURALISM AND ANTI-RACISM PRACTICES. THIS WOULD LEAD TO STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF DIFFERENT RACIST ATTITUDES IN MODERN SOCIETY AND NOT JUST A SELECT FEW AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.” HOLLY HANSON

Resources: www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/20_02/orga202.shtml Banks, J.A. Teaching strategies for ethnic studies www.teachingtolerance.org (10 Ways to Fight Hate on Campus)

WORKING TO END RACISM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL

It is true that racism cannot be eradicated by any one individual but it is equally true that it takes the personal responsibility of each person in order to advance equality. Listed below are some simple steps one can take to ending racism on a personal level.

• *Make it your personal obligation to recognize how racism is denied, ignored or justified in your community.

• *Realize that it's your responsibility to speak out against racist comments or jokes, regardless of whether or not your racial group is the target.

• *Become more involved in cultural events that do not usually attract your own racial/ethnic group. Include family and friends in an effort to promote understanding and appreciation.

• *Support institutions that are currently or historically owned by minorities. (Dr. Hanson made this a priority in her own life by consciously visiting doctors and professionals that were people of color).

• *Participate in a diversity program.

• *Be proactive in eliminating the gaps that exist between whites and minority groups. For more information on finding a chapter in your area, visit http://www.nul.org/howtogetinvolved.html

• *Encourage and speak openly about the importance of minority representation in all leadership positions. Don't underestimate the power of your vote and voice. If you are a parent, form a coalition with other parents to stress the importance of a diverse student and teacher population. Demand to see equality working in action.

• *Educate yourself. Many influential writers and scholars have produced work for the purpose of educating whites on their privilege and in recognizing the inequalities that exist past the Civil Rights Movement. An impressive compilation of work, including selections on anti-racism for children, can be found at: http://www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk/books/DisplayCategoryBooklist.php?CatID=20 as well as http://www.tolerance.org.

• *Network with other anti-racist groups. Sign petitions, raise money or just be aware. Inspiration for an idea or help for getting starting can be found below: Resources: http://www.nul.org/howtogetinvolved.html http://www.now.org/chapters/index.html - designed specifically for women http://www.blink.org.uk/act_now.asp http://apex-ny.org/content/index.php?page=programs