Anti-Racism in Early Childhood Education

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.

Kerry-Ann Escayg is an associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Flóra Faragó is an associate professor in human development and family studies at Stephen F. Austin State University. Terry Husband is a professor of early childhood literacy at Illinois State University.

“It is the moral and ethical responsibility of early childhood educators—now more than ever before—to providing curricular and pedagogical opportunities for young children to feel safe engaging in meaningful conversations that challenge whiteness and assert anti-racism as the norm in and beyond early childhood classrooms. And that is exactly what this co-edited volume achieves!”
—From the Foreword by Nathaniel Bryan, associate professor of early childhood education, The University of Texas at Austin

“Anti-Racism in Early Childhood Education is a powerful, unique, creative, and courageous work. Maintaining an authentic commitment to racial justice and eradicating systemic racism requires that our efforts begin with early childhood education in schools, homes, and local communities. This book offers a nuanced understanding of the issues at stake as it challenges dominant approaches to early childhood education, amplifies the saliency of anti-racism in the early years, and creates ethical and inclusive learning environments. Additionally, the work contains practical anti-racist teaching strategies. One of its chief strengths, however, lies in the diverse group of contributors coming from different geo-spaces, academic backgrounds, and rich educational experiences. All the writers bring passion and commitment to making this work stand out as a must-read not only for educators, teacher educators, and school administrators, but also for policymakers, parents, and community workers. This is a brilliant and captivating contribution to the existing literature.”
—George J. Sefa Dei, professor of social justice education and director of the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies, OISE, University of Toronto