Teaching for Justice and Belonging

About the Authors ix
 
Acknowledgments xi
 
Chapter 1 Welcome to Our Garden 1
 
Dear Parents and Educators 2
 
Before We Begin 3
 
The Seed Growth Metaphor 10
 
Tehia 12
 
Lucretia 14
 
Reflection and Practice 17
 
Chapter 2 SOIL: The Groundwork 19
 
Race 22
 
Racism 23
 
White Space 24
 
Whiteness 25
 
Racial Ignorance 25
 
Microaggression 25
 
Justice 26
 
Belonging 27
 
Antiracism 28
 
Reflection and Practice 31
 
Chapter 3 SEED: Self-Assessment 33
 
How We Learn 34
 
How We Grow 40
 
How We Begin 45
 
Reflection and Practice 46
 
Chapter 4 ROOT: Build Racial Competency and Understanding 47
 
Amy, White Mom of Five 47
 
How to Become Rooted 58
 
Becoming Rooted Together 61
 
For Parents and Educators of Color to Consider 62
 
For White Parents and Teachers to Consider 65
 
Reflection and Practice 67
 
Chapter 5 SPROUT: Early Growth and Signs of Hope 69
 
How to Sprout 78
 
Reflection and Practice 80
 
Chapter 6 BUD: See and Celebrate Growth 83
 
How We Started with the Staff 88
 
How We Started with the Students 90
 
Seeing and Celebrating Growth 95
 
How to Bud 100
 
Reflection and Practice 101
 
Chapter 7 WEED: Uproot Growth Inhibitors 103
 
Susan, Latinx High School Teacher 103
 
Extraction 105
 
Perfection 107
 
Isolation 107
 
Denying the Dignity of Others 109
 
Fear of Discomfort 110
 
Lack of Fortitude 111
 
Lack of Self-Care 112
 
Punishing Ideological Differences 113
 
Imbalanced Teaching 113
 
Valuing Ideology over Empathy 115
 
Ignoring How Children Experience Race/ism 115
 
Bystander 116
 
Not Noticing and Confronting White Supremacy Norms 117
 
White Tears

Dr. Tehia Starker Glass is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Elementary Education, and former elementary school teacher who now works with teachers, schools, districts, and organizations around the country to revise their instruction and curriculum to be more anti-racism oriented. She is the co-founder of the Anti-Racism Graduate Certificate Program at UNC Charlotte, and educational advisor and education contributor with Brownicity.
 
Dr. Lucretia Carter Berry is the Founder and President of Brownicity, an agency whose mission is to foster education designed to create a shared understanding of race/ism to inspire a culture of true belonging and justice for all.

"Teaching for Justice & Belonging empowers parents and teachers to raise kind, creative anti-racist leaders for the next generation. Simple and practical, Tehia and Lucretia equip us to better see, understand, and dismantle racism so that our children can flourish. This is a book for every classroom and home library!"
--Dr. Michelle Ami Reyes, Vice President of the Asian American Christian Collaborative and author of The Race-Wise Family
 
"Parents and teachers know that the issues of race are profound and personal. The wisdom of this book starts in the very first pages. Filled with stories and personal reflections, their intimacy welcomes readers to a journey. A crucial resource not to be missed."
--Gerardo Martí, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at Davidson College and author of American Blindspot
 
"In Teaching for Justice and Belonging, Dr. Berry and Dr. Glass provide, from their lived and learned personal and professional experiences, healthy soil in which to cultivate an anti-bias, anti-racism growth journey, leading readers away from fruitless performative actions to genuine transformation. This book will equip pre-service and in-service K-12 educators, as well as all adults who care for children, with the tools to overcome the negative impact of racialization and work together to develop and sustain the learning spaces and experiences our children deserve."
--Afrika Afeni Mills, Author of Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students, and Education Consultant