If this is your first month participating in the inquiry series, welcome! Feel free to go back and use the August materials first, then use this month’s. There are a lot of materials in this email, but here are some quick tips that can help guide you through them:
- Set a day and time for your group to meet - during lunch, before school, after school. If you start with a group of 2, that’s great! If 20 folks at your school are interested now, even better! The goal is to grow our work.
- Send this month’s Primary Article to your group. You could even send this to a broader group of your colleagues - maybe it will pique someone’s interest!
- Prepare yourself to facilitate by reading through our Summary, Norms, and Discussion Protocol. If you have a large group, maybe ask a colleague to help facilitate.
- Pass the Hat at the end of your discussion and collect donations for Black Lives Matter this month.
- Complete the Feedback Form.
- Prepare yourself for September by setting a date and time, inviting colleagues, and looking out for our next Discussion Guide on October 1.
Overview
When including the black experience in their curriculum, many teachers focus on themes of oppression, bondage, and violence. While these teachers may have the well-intentioned goal of having the students generate a critical attitude towards history, it can also have the adverse effect of overwhelming students and depleting their spirits with a lopsided and incomplete understanding of the African American experience. Therefore, it is crucial, when generating any curriculum that focuses on Black folks, to include the stories of creativity, resistance, joy, celebration, and beauty. A balance of both trials and triumphs will result in a more balanced and comprehensive curriculum that offers our students a more rigorous and complete experience.
Norms
As you facilitate this work with your peers, it is important to keep some norms in mind. You can open your sessions by reviewing these (and more, if you’d like to add) with your group.
This BAR-WE Inquiry series was designed with the understanding that it is not the sole responsibility of people of color to educate white people about race. White people must take responsibility for our own growth to be anti-racist educators and community members. It also matters how we approach this work, so please keep the following norms in mind while engaging in these discussions:
This BAR-WE Inquiry series was designed with the understanding that it is not the sole responsibility of people of color to educate white people about race. White people must take responsibility for our own growth to be anti-racist educators and community members. It also matters how we approach this work, so please keep the following norms in mind while engaging in these discussions:
- Please approach this inquiry series as a learner. We all have room to grow with our understanding of race in our schools and communities. No one is an expert who has come to explain race to others; we are striving to be in dialogue with one another to learn and grow collectively.
- The inquiry series does not take the place of anti-racism or diversity trainings that school districts can and should offer. When done well, such trainings are valuable. Nevertheless, we believe that any one-off training is inadequate, and this inquiry series is designed to encourage the ongoing reflection on race in our teaching and in our schools.
- As white people engaged in this work, it is important to maintain humility around the topic of race when in dialogue with our colleagues of color. The goal will never be to explain to a colleague how they should feel about race; rather, we want to learn how to be productive allies in the work towards racial justice in education and society.
- Keep the focus on RACE. It is easier to shift the conversation to colorblind versions of the topics; nevertheless, we must persevere through any discomfort to identify how race is central to our work and advocacy for justice in our schools.
- Finally, as you keep in mind the ongoing nature of this work, please expect and accept non-closure. It is OK to “hang in uncertainty” and not rush to quick solutions. We believe sustainable, meaningful growth will result from the commitment to reflection.
Suggested Discussion Protocol
In our experience, we have found conversations about racism and white supremacy to be most fruitful when primarily done in small groups (4 or fewer people). This makes folks more willing to share, and also gives each person more time to talk and process. We have also found it productive to use a protocol for these conversations - and have someone serve as a timekeeper during each segment.
- 10 mins - If you have the time, give everyone a chance to write and reflect on the article and questions at the start of the session. You can also ask people to do this in advance and bring their reflections with them. We don’t recommend starting without giving everyone time to reflect individually first.
- For the rest of the protocol, it is recommended that you split into groups of 2-4 people, so that everyone can have a chance to share and discuss. If you have limited time, use smaller groups.
- 3 mins - Person 1 shares their reactions and reflections on the article and questions
- 5 mins - others ask questions of Person 1 and Person 1 answers
- Key point: Other group members should limit their reactions to each Person’s reflection with ONLY questions, not statements. This can be hard at first, but we’ve found it to be a fruitful structure for conversation.
- Key point: Other group members should limit their reactions to each Person’s reflection with ONLY questions, not statements. This can be hard at first, but we’ve found it to be a fruitful structure for conversation.
- Rotate through the group members following the Share-and-Question structure
- 3 mins - Person 1 shares their reactions and reflections on the article and questions
- End with open discussion - however much time you have.
- If you have a larger group, this would be the time to bring the small group discussions back together.
- If you have a larger group, this would be the time to bring the small group discussions back together.
Primary Article
Guiding Questions
- How do our students view the Black experience when the “whole story” in our curriculum is one of oppression, bondage, and violence?
- What happens when students of color and white students learn about the positive contributions of African Americans?
- How do we ensure that our lessons are grounded in a meaningful context, such as the Harlem Renaissance or the Great Migration as suggested in the primary article, as opposed to presenting seemingly individual accomplishments?
- How do we infuse the curriculum across subject areas with stories of creativity, joy, celebration, and resistance within the African American community throughout history?
Feedback Form
We want to know who is using these resources, what they find useful, and any recommendations for improvements in the future. We hope that one person in your group can take a few minutes to fill out our feedback form to let us know how it went.
Pass the Hat
In addition to being accountable to our colleagues and students of color, we believe it is important to be financially accountable to people of color who are doing this work on a daily basis. Each month, we will recommend an organization led by people of color, in education and beyond, doing the work of pushing for justice.
At the end of each monthly discussion, pass a hat (or a box) and collect donations for the designated organization. You can then have one group member go online and donate in the name of your school. If you want, you can add “Building Anti-Racist White Educators” after your school name.
This month, we encourage you to donate to Black Lives Matter, “an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.” With more than 40 chapters, BLM is at the forefront of this work.
You can donate here.
If you are looking to buy refreshments for your session, we recommend supporting businesses owned by people of color, especially Black-owned businesses, if at all possible. In Philly, we recommend Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, Franny Lou’s Porch, and Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books.
At the end of each monthly discussion, pass a hat (or a box) and collect donations for the designated organization. You can then have one group member go online and donate in the name of your school. If you want, you can add “Building Anti-Racist White Educators” after your school name.
This month, we encourage you to donate to Black Lives Matter, “an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.” With more than 40 chapters, BLM is at the forefront of this work.
You can donate here.
If you are looking to buy refreshments for your session, we recommend supporting businesses owned by people of color, especially Black-owned businesses, if at all possible. In Philly, we recommend Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, Franny Lou’s Porch, and Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books.