Commitment to
Anti-RacisT PRACTICES
“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” -Nelson Mandela
Commitment to Anti-Racist, Culturally Sustaining Practices
Nelson Mandela’s words reiterate the power of teaching and learning to empower or oppress. Racism is not simple or natural, and yet it is deeply entrenched in nearly every aspect of daily life. Throughout history, and still today, too many children are denied the opportunity to learn and discuss the important history of race in our country. Prejudice, fear, inequity and bias are perpetuated when the impact of centuries of racist institutions are omitted from learning and dialogue.
Together, we must act to prevent our young people from becoming grown people who contribute to - or fall victim to - tragic outcomes fueled by ignorance. Together, we must empower our children with the knowledge to understand the history of racism, so that they can be the generation that brings it to an end.
At the Kenny School, we commit to:
Sharing anti-racist resources within and beyond our school community, including our website with resources and guides geared towards adults and educators.
Engaging students and families in honest dialogue in age-appropriate ways that reduce the potential for re-traumatization or harm, through continued race-based affinity groups for parents and guardians and continued restorative justice circles for students.
Continued staff learning through professional development focused on race, bias, and culturally responsive teaching. All staff will participate in ongoing bias-based instructional coaching, book discussions, and a 6-hour PD series titled, “How Did We Get Here?”
Continued analysis and modification of curriculum and materials to address bias and ensure diverse representation. This includes prioritizing time on history and social studies content beyond the minimum state requirements, and implementation of supplemental resources that intentionally incorporate diverse cultures and perspectives.
English Language Arts: The Kenny School will provide all students in grades 3-6 with a new ELA curriculum titled: “Match Fishtank.” See more information here. Through this curriculum, we aim to develop students into critical readers, writers, and thinkers, and to widen their perspectives so that they can better understand themselves and the world around them. Selected texts and assignments both affirm students’ cultures, and expose them to great literature.
History / Social Studies: In addition to utilizing BPS curriculum, students in grades K-6 will receive supplemental content through “Open Social Studies,” formerly called “Understanding Our World.” This literacy-focused social studies curriculum allows students to think critically about the past and present world around them. Moreover, it aims to make every single lesson culturally relevant, connecting to the racial, ethnic, gender, class, language, and immigration experience of the increasingly diverse United States.
Students in grades 5 & 6 will also read chapters from: “A Young People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn, and receive daily social studies as a core-content class.
Strategies FOR TALKING ABOUT RACE & RACISM:
Research shows that children take note of racial differences as early as 6 months old. Even babies notice differences like skin color, eye shape and hair texture. But as kids get older, many learn not to talk about these differences. And confusion and stereotypes can fester in that silence.
Check out these great sites and podcasts to hear experiences and tips from parents and experts:
Listen to this 20 minute podcast on your next walk or drive, featuring psychologists, parents and experts on how to talk about race, racism and injustice with kids of any age.
Check out this PBS site designed for parents: "Talking About Racism"
Here are some strategies for engaging in important but difficult conversations:
Be proactive, don't wait for kids to bring up difficult topics.
Help them build a positive awareness of their own identity and of diversity. How are they reflected in their environment (and how are others who are different from them represented in their environment)? How can they be exposed to different people, opinions and cultures?
When a child experiences prejudice, grown-ups should both address the feelings and fight the prejudice.
You don't have to avoid hard topics in current events or history. Instead, give the facts in age appropriate ways, and focus on resistance and allies. With younger kids, you can use language such as: “Let me tell you who helped and/or stood up to this? / Let's talk about the helpers."
INSPIRATION
Watch inspiring, educational and empowering programs such as this "I Love My Hair!" video from Sesame Street.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Keily
Daddy, There’s a Noise Outside by Kenneth Braswell
A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
View our collection of diverse texts on Epic! (available free via clever): Collection of books K0-5: race, diversity, tolerance, equality, identity.
UNDERSTANDING RACISM, EQUITY & BLACK LIVES MATTERS:
What is Equity? What is Equality? How are they different? Watch with an Adult Who Can Help Answer Your Questions
Questions About Racism Answered for young people: Watch with an Adult Who Can Help Answer Your Questions
What is the Black Lives Matter Movement? Watch with an Adult Who Can Help Answer Your Questions
Black Lives Matters vs. All Lives Matter
Resources (SPECIFICALLY) FOR PARENTS:
Check out: Racial stress and self-care, a parent tool kit
Founded by Carol Sutton Lewis, GCP is a resource for Black and Brown children particularly boys with a focus on identity, race and education and a conscious parent approach. Recent posts include Talking to Your Children About George Floyd and Tips on Bringing Your Child to a Protest.
This 56-page free book is designed to help parents teach their children to honor differences in themselves and others and reject prejudice and intolerance. Designed for parents of kids of all ages, it offers age-specific sections from preschool through teen years.
Founded by former Viacom employee Depelsha Thomas McGruder, this site is an all around resource for supporting Black boys with political action, advocacy, mental health services, and more.
This NYC blogger with seminars, consultations, and tips is a great read, especially this list of 100 race-conscious things you can say to your child.
Offers toolkits to help multigenerational families be allies and non-racists. Topics include how to support protesters and causes for social justice at home and in communities. Their podcast, BOLD: Conversations About Race, is also a great listen.
Non-profit devoted to using books and literature to discuss and confront racism. The Conscious Kid partners with book publishers, other organizations, and children’s museums. Also a great follow on Instagram.
Embrace Race provides communities and parents with resources, including toolkits, webinars, and children’s books to raise children to be “informed, thoughtful and brave about race.” We especially love this reading list of children’s titles, these middle-grade selects, and this list of children’s books featuring POC being themselves.
Excellent resource for girls on leadership and social justice and a focus on inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Their resource section is especially helpful for parents.
Resource on talking to your child about racial bias, as written by medical doctors.
An alliance of trainers, organizers, and institutional leaders who work to create racially equitable organizations and systems.
Article from Common Sense Media with tips for parents of all ages that encourages the use of media to initiate and maintain discussions with kids about race, stereotypes and inequities.
In his book, Reynolds, who is the 2020-2021 National Ambassador for Young Person’s Literature, tells the story of competing ideas about race as they have evolved in the United States from the colonial period to the present. Consider purchasing the book from a Black-owned bookshop.
Check out: Listen to Reynolds talk about racism and the protests on this family episode of The Kojo Nnamdi Show here.
Resources and tools for parents, educators, and individuals looking to further the conversation about race.
Recommended Books
BLACK HISTORY
What is Redlining?