Book Discussion Group

1. When did you first become aware of your own race?

2. What do you remember from childhood about how you made sense of human differences? What confused you?

3. What childhood experiences did you have with friends or adults who were different from you in some way?

4. On a scale of 0-5, how comfortable are you talking about race/racism? Explain.

0 = I would rather not talk about race/racism.

1 = I am very uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

2 = I am usually uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

3 = I am sometimes uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

4 = I am usually comfortable talking about race/racism.

5 = I am very comfortable talking about race/racism.

5. Were you able to connect with any thoughts and ideas expressed in the video?

6. As a school, how comfortable are we collectively in talking about race/racism?

7. Why did you join this book group? What are you hoping to gain from it personally?

8. What goals should we set for this group? What do we want to accomplish and/or grapple with collectively in our shared context? As a result of our work together, what are some potential outcomes you envision?

1. What aspects (if any) of Irving’s talk resonated with you/your experience? How so?

2. What aspects (if any) of Irving’s talk felt scary/uncomfortable/confusing? How so?

3. What are some of the predominant assumptions/beliefs you have learned or internalized that have shaped your worldview? What assumptions/beliefs have you had to contend with/reevaluate?

4. What questions arose for you as you watched this talk? What do you wonder?

5. What are some related topics you’d like to explore further? (e.g. historical events, historical causation, internalized racism/bias, racial identity, etc.) What resources could you use to help you in your journey? Don’t worry if you’re not sure...We can always brainstorm resources.

6. What are one or two areas for growth we can focus on at HSS (practice, curriculum, school culture)? What action steps can we take to identify blindspots individually and collectively?

Reflecting on our own experiences:

Myths:

1. It’s all about what parents say.

2. Families control what their children learn.

3. It’s something that just happens to kids.

4. Families of color have this figured out.

Refer to the myths above and the discussion from the Embrace Race webinar.

What surprised you? What perspectives/ideas had you not considered? What reinforced your experiences (as a child, as a parent/family member/community member, as an adult, as an educator, etc.)?

Speaking with students about race and equity:

As educators, how can we discuss the concept of inequality/inequity in developmentally appropriate ways? Consider the age level(s) you work with. What might these conversations sound like with kindergarteners? Second graders? Fourth graders?

As educators, how can we balance conversations about “unfairness” or inequality with conversations about empowerment and empowering students to work for a more just world? Consider the age level(s) you work with. What might these conversations sound like with kindergarteners? Second graders? Fourth graders?

Perhaps empowering our students goes beyond conversation and moves toward action; what might this look like in kindergarten? In second grade? In fourth grade?

How can we have conversations with our students about history, about society, about equity while making sure everyone feels seen/heard, included, and empowered? How do we avoid “othering” certain groups? How can we draw connections between history and the present in developmentally appropriate ways?

Growing our own skill sets:

Think about the discussion we had during our first book group meeting. How did you respond when asked about your comfort level in talking about race?

Ali Michael refers to talking about race as a “skills based competency”. As such...

What skills do you want to develop to feel more comfortable/become more proficient when talking to students and colleagues (and everyone you encounter) about race?

Examples for consideration (not a comprehensive list):

• Develop understanding my own identity

• Develop understanding of historical causation

• Develop understanding of current local/national environment

• Explore my own internalized bias

What work can you do on your own? How can others help so that you feel supported? Where/how can you seek/ask for this help?

Brown/Kendi Podcast

Brown and Kendi discuss the idea of being either anti-racist or racist in a given moment/with a given action. They also discuss the impossibility of being not racist. What do they mean by these terms? How would this concept apply in the school setting?

Kendi discusses the systemic nature of racism (citing collective policy decisions as central drivers of structural racism - not solely individuals’ prejudicial behaviors). How does this play out in public education systems? Think small scale as well as large scale. Consider your own experiences in school and your experiences as an educator. Consider the current circumstances we find ourselves in in this country with regards to the pandemic and remote/blended learning.

Brown and Kendi discuss a quote from a Will Smith movie. The essential concept is: Danger is real. Fear is not real. Fear is a choice. Consider this idea in the context of working for racial justice, of working during the Coronavirus pandemic, of the work we undertake as educators generally. What does it mean to you?

It is important that white and non-black people of color take on the work of anti-racism without a sense of charity or sympathy. Yes, we should want to help lift up those who have been marginalized and oppressed, but as Kendi points out white people have been both victimizer and victim of systemic anti-black racism; white people are both harming and being harmed. Being anti-racist can be a self-serving act for white people. What do you think of this idea? In what ways can you envision the lives of all people improving in a society reshaped by anti-racist ideas and policies? Personally, how do you imagine your life and your teaching improving as you embrace the work? Collectively, how will our school improve and better serve all students as we commit to anti-racist teaching and policies?

McKamey Article

What are some of the key practices of an anti-racist educator? How does this represent a shift in approach as compared with “traditional” models and/or the “norm” in many schools?

From an anti-racist perspective, what aspects of your teaching practice/approach to students/approach to self-reflection are you most interested in investigating with an eye toward growth? What resources (people, books, professional development opportunities, etc.) can help you? What resources are you in need of? How can we be helpful to one another in this journey?

What aspects of being an intentionally anti-racist teacher have you found to be most challenging for you? Or, if you are nearer the start of this journey, what aspects of this approach do you anticipate will be most challenging for you?

With regards to prejudice, Tatum asserts:

• It is not our fault, but it is our responsibility to interrupt the cycle (p. 87).

• What do you think about this idea? What are the implications for us as educators? In our other roles (be that as parents, as family members, as friends, as community members, etc.)?

• Tatum differentiates between the terms racism and prejudice. How does she define each term? Does this differentiation align with your understanding of these concepts? Has your thinking about either of these concepts shifted? How so?

Tatum asserts the following about labeling someone as “racist”:

However, if one defines racism as a system of advantage based on race, the answer is no. People of color are not racist because they do not systematically benefit from racism (p. 90)....

In my view, reserving the term racist only for behaviors committed by Whites in the context of a White-dominated society is a way of acknowledging the ever-present power differential afforded Whites by the culture and institutions that make up the system of advantage and continue to reinforce notions of White superiority (p. 90).

She goes on to suggest that some folks may not agree with this idea.

• What do you think?

• Does this assertion make sense to you?

• What questions/thoughts do you have in response?

Think about your self-identity: the ways you view and describe yourself.

• What broader social, cultural, and/or historical contexts influenced your ideas about who you are?

• How did these conditions/events influence the ways you think about other groups of people?

Consider the concept of dominant and subordinate groups.

• What aspects of your identity fall into each of these categories?

• How do you think that has shaped your experiences and viewpoints?

Tatum states that, “Dominant groups, by definition, set the parameters within which the subordinate groups operate.” She goes on to explain that “the dominant group has the greatest influence in determining the structure of society” (p. 104).

• In the context of the education system, who is the dominant group?

• Can you provide examples of how the dominant group sets the parameters of school?

• How are the norms, experiences, knowledge and cultures of the subordinate groups de-valued in school?

• What are the consequences of this systematic de-valuing?

Tatum uses the phrase “dominant allies”.

• What does she mean by this phrase?

• What is the role of a dominant ally, and how can people in this role be most useful in the quest for racial justice?

• What would you expect a dominant ally to notice/do/say/stand for in a school setting?