Anti-Racism in Early Childhood Education: Challenging Whiteness to Implement Just Practices

This comprehensive and timely text explains the need for, and application of, anti-racist teaching with children birth-age 8.

Systemic racism remains a longstanding social, economic, and cultural reality in the United States, Canada, and beyond. By actively implementing the anti-racist strategies in this book, early childhood educators can create learning environments that are not only inclusive and equitable, but that also help young children develop a strong understanding of race and racism so they can become agents of social change.

Moving beyond theorizing anti-racism and whiteness, chapters provide actionable guidance to help readers identify and resist racism in early years teaching. A diverse group of over 35 contributors offer insights on children's racial knowledge, classroom practices that cultivate children's racial pride and agency, anti-racist teacher preparation, and more. This valuable teaching resource will help readers take direct and intentional action against racist behaviors, practices, policies, and beliefs to dismantle and interrupt racism within and beyond their early learning environments.

Book Features:

• Explores why anti-racist curricula and practices are needed in early childhood classrooms now more than ever.
• Offers examples of anti-racist teaching strategies such as how to choose multicultural books, find alternative spaces and time to challenge whiteness, use Afro-centric curricula, and make use of digital technology.
• Incorporates creative expressions such as fiction, poetry, photo stories, and childhood reflections.
• Looks at recent applications of anti-racist pedagogy to teacher preparation and professional development training.
• Advocates for an anti-racist early childhood education that explicitly names race and racism and works toward reconstructing early years systems, policies, and practices.