What's Next

For teachers who have begun to learn about ABAR work independently or through other resources and are ready to explore further. It is likely that you self-identified with mainly 2s and 3s on the equity assessment, or that the statements in Ibrahim’s Learning Zone resonated with you.

Step 1: Initial Learning Resources

Read: The Elephant In The Room

White teacher Brian Wyzlic explores what teachers of all races, and especially white teachers, must reflect on and shift in their classrooms in the wake of Charlottesville.

Reading Antiracist Work in Schools // Are you in it for the long haul? will help you understand the evolution of anti-bias and anti-racist work in schools and Liz Kleinrock poses thought provoking questions about beginning or continuing this work at your school.

Follow this by writing a mission statement and actions that will help you achieve your mission.

If you are looking for ideas of how racism impacts schools to help you get started, check out some of the resources in the “right now” section of this toolkit.

Watch Verna Myers’s Ted Talk How To Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them and explore how biases impact our everyday life and how we can overcome them.

After watching, take the Harvard Implicit Bias Test to help better understand your biases, and how they may impact others.

For more general information about biases and reflection questions, read Talking About Race: Bias and How Can White Educators Be Accountable to Their Colleagues of Color? helps to understand the impact of racism on Black teachers.

First read “What White Colleagues Need To Understand” linked under “primary article” and reflect upon the “guiding questions”.

White educators read: Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism to access Tema’s Okun discussion (adapted by Dr. Anneliese A. Singh) on how white people can take on six specific responsibilities to become antiracist in an ongoing process as well as identifying key characteristics of white supremacy.

BIPOC educators read: How Indigenous Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience to explore a need to recenter education around an empowered community, collectivism, and organizing

Step 2: Reflection Questions

No matter where you begin in this process, please continue to revisit these differentiated questions throughout your process

For white educators:

In what ways have you upheld, supported, or left unchallenged racist policies or practices in your school?
How will you hold yourself accountable to your colleagues of color?
How will you sustain anti-racist work throughout the school year and beyond?
How did your biases form, and how do they impact your work in the classroom?
How will you continue to dismantle your biases moving forward?

For BIPOC educators:

What role do you want to have in dismantling racist practices in your school community?
How do you feel empowered to challenge racist policies or practices in your school? If you do not, identify the barriers.
In what ways have you observed the struggle of all racial groups under white supremacy?
In what ways has white supremacy impacted your biases toward other racial groups?
What relationships in your life give you respite, and how can you lean into those in order to sustain anti-racist work?

Step 3: Take Action

Liberate your library/Read Guide for selecting anti-bias children’s books and follow links to book reviews or this booklist

Independently or in collaboration with other anti-racist educators, use Netflix & Skills (a film analysis assignment geared for students in middle school or high school) in your virtual classroom

The 6 Rs of Consciousness Building - Tema Okun // Adapted from Racial Healing Handbook provide 6 clear Action Steps towards raising your race-consciousness

Create a professional development opportunity within your department or team where you discuss any of the articles listed. Start with a small group. Consider using Teaching Tolerance’s Let’s Talk! guides to help navigate difficult conversations.
Reflect and evaluate how your school uplifts students of color. Create an action-oriented list of ideas to further promote an anti-racist environment. Engage students in this process. Use the Week of Action Blueprint as a starting place as needed.

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