Dear White Teacher: 13 Books to Read on Racial Literacy

Bethany M. Edwards Multicultural Education, Racial and Social Justice, Teacher Education, Teaching Strategies book enthusiasts, equality in education, social justice books for children, social justice education, teachers for social justice

Children’s literature is driven by what schools, families, and libraries purchase. In my thirteen years in teaching, I’ve seen the deterioration of curriculum affecting racial literacy. This is caused by teachers and curriculum creators with increasingly limited power to determine what they’re teaching and the resources they can draw from. The answer to implicit racism just might be in children’s literature.

Teachers, that means if there is time to put pictures of flair pens and color coordinated art bins on Instagram, there is time to research how to break the system of racial inequality in the classroom.

If there is time to put pictures of flair pens and color coordinated art bins on Instagram, there is time to research how to break the system of racial inequality in the classroom. #equaled Share on X

Dear White Teacher: Books Promoting Racial Literacy

Schools continue to purchase books that align with curriculum that is oftentimes created by outside agencies. When texts are predetermined, those in positions of power to purchase books for classrooms tend to stick to traditional children’s literature. This leads to teachers maintaining this status quo.

We know 80% of teachers in America are White females. There is no way around it; white teachers are teaching black and brown kids through their white lens, myself included.

The solution is proactively asking questions and listening to people of color. Students, colleagues, professors, neighbors. But first, do the work yourself. Don’t ask a person of color to do the emotional, mental, and academic labor for you.

There are no shortcuts to dismantling the systemic racism that pervades the education field. There are no excuses either. Our children’s lives are at stake.

Crippled by Fear: Why Good Teachers Don’t Speak Up

Most schools fail to act on racial microaggressions because the stress of negotiating such conflicts is extremely high due to fears of incompetence, public exposure, and accusation.

Instead of facing these conflicts head on, schools perpetuate a set of avoidance or coping strategies.

Pro Tip: Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) — National network of affiliated groups and individuals organizing White people for racial justice. You can also check out SURJ Families for resources targeted at White kids and families.

Within these groups, students, educators, and social service support staff will find workable strategies to improve their racial literacy skills to read, recast, and resolve racially stressful encounters when they happen.

Furthermore, Better Help is an excellent resource for information about signing up for therapy.

The Heavy Burden of Teaching Racial Equality

All families often turn to educators for suggestions about what to purchase to support their children as readers at home. The problem is that many teachers also have limited knowledge of the field of children’s literature. And the lack of access to diverse books hurts ALL children, not just children of color.

Teachers also have few opportunities to engage in professional development that could increase their knowledge of what is available and which texts could tap into the identities and interests of their students.

So the burden is on the overworked, underpaid teachers who are stretched so thin it’s ridiculous. Yes, sleepless nights from grading papers and purchasing school supplies with the last few dollars of your paycheck are huge obstacles. But not doing the work to fight institutional power is going to cost some children their lives.

And teachers, aren’t we in the business of doing everything in our power to stop that from happening?

White Teachers Problems Are Not Trivial

White anxieties may seem trivial to some. After all, black and brown people are being shot and imprisoned and targeted for violence every day. So, many choose to ignore the “trivial” problems of white people.

However, The Perception Institute report explains that white anxieties are important. This is precisely because they contribute to these systemic racist outcomes.

White teachers who are anxious about appearing racist may be afraid to give students of color critical feedback, are setting them up for failure.

The same goes for medical care and other arenas. Doctors who are anxious about racial interactions may cut visits with black patients or patients of color short, which can (and does) result in lower quality health care.

In short, racial anxieties tend to compound further racial anxieties.

Instead, let’s break the cycle of racism with our most powerful weapon that we use in the classroom everyday– one book at a time.