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Antiracist Pedagogy
A blog post by Hikaru Ikeda
Both a framework and a process, antiracist pedagogy is a form of Disruptive Teaching located within Critical Theory. In a perpetual state of “becoming”, antiracist pedagogical practice is lifelong and ever-evolving. Ongoing critical self-reflection, integration of learning and an anti-racist framework are needed to examine the role educational systems and teaching practices play in furthering and entrenching racism, as well as their ability and responsibility to abolish it.
As defined in Kyoko Kishimoto’s (2018) article, “Anti-Racist Pedagogy: From Faculty’s Self-Reflection to Organizing Within and Beyond the Classroom,”
Anti-racist pedagogy is not about simply incorporating racial content into courses, curriculum, and discipline. It is also about how one teaches, even in courses where race is not the subject matter. It begins with the faculty’s awareness and self-reflection of their social position and leads to application of this analysis in their teaching, but also in their discipline, research, and departmental, university, and community work. In other words, anti-racist pedagogy is an organizing effort for institutional and social change that is much broader than teaching in the classroom. (p. 540)
The Education Library recently hosted Our Stories: A Living Library of Antiracist Pedagogy. The event’s goal was to foster space for intimate learning exchanges around lived experiences of race and (anti)racism in pedagogical contexts.
A display of selected Anti-Racist Pedagogy books at the Education Library
Selected Books
Books to compliment the learning generated through the Living Library were on display at the Education Library. These resources may also be used to support theoretical learning and steps toward implementing and furthering antiracist pedagogy for Education Department faculty, students, teacher candidates and all who are interested.
The books cover a range of audiences and topics, including children’s and young adult literature, resources to inform professional practice in K-12 and higher education settings and teacher guides.
Click here to view a list of antiracist pedagogy resources available at the Education Library!
Resource Spotlight
Textured teaching: a framework for culturally sustaining practices / Lorena Escoto Germán.
LC1099.515.C85 G47 2021
http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=11944467
“Be prepared to be embraced with words, images, stories, examples, experiences, and a love for teaching in community with young people toward social and cultural justice.”—Django Paris
With Culturally Sustaining Practice as its foundation, Textured Teaching helps secondary teachers in any school setting stop wondering and guessing how to implement teaching and learning that leads to social justice. Lorena shares her framework for creating a classroom environment that is highly rigorous and engaging, and that reflects the core traits of Textured Teaching: student-driven, community centered, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. Throughout the book, Lorena shares lesson design strategies that build traditional literacy skills while supporting students in developing their social justice skills at the same time. The actionable strategies Lorena uses to bring Textured Teaching values to life illuminate what is possible when we welcome all types of texts, all types of voices, and all forms of expression into the classroom.
White double-consciousness: a critical analysis of discourse in teacher education / Kenneth P. Sider.
LB1707 .S57 2019
http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=9915342
The complicated relationship between preservice teachers, teacher education instructional practices, and White privilege is examined in this phenomenological study, suggesting that a sense of self and pedagogical wholeness are needed for preservice teachers to become capable educators who will provide the appropriate environment and support their students will need.
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Finding further materials in the UBC Catalogue
Try these basic strategies to begin your research in the UBC Library Catalogue.
Keyword Searches
Combine keywords relating to concepts of racial justice AND keywords about pedagogy. For example:
- Race, Racial
- Antiracism, Racism
- Justice
- Equity
- Whiteness
AND
- Pedagogy
- Teaching
- Education
- “Primary school”, “Secondary School”, “Higher Education”
Helpful Hints for Keyword Searches:
Use quotation marks to search for a specific phrase.
- Example: “Antiracist Pedagogy”, “Critical pedagogy”, “Critical whiteness studies”, “Racial justice”
Use a question mark to search for all words with the same stem.
- Example: Raci? retrieves results for Racial, Racism, Racialization, etc.
Subject Headings
Designed to help researchers find similar materials, subject headings are a tool indicating what a resource’s content is about. When you find a resource in the catalogue that supports your research, take some time to explore the subject headings listed in its catalogue record to find works with similar subject areas.
Some recommended subject headings:
Browse Catalogue > Subject begins with
Critical pedagogy.
Indigenous peoples–Education.
Racism in education.
Social justice and education.
References
Kishimoto, K. (2018). Anti-racist pedagogy: From faculty’s self-reflection to organizing within
and beyond the classroom. Race Ethnicity and Education, 21(4), 540-554.
Diversify Your Classroom Library Booklist
A blog post by Tiffany Tse
Did you know that in 2018, only 10% or fewer books were written by or about African, Asian Pacific, Latinx, or First Nations people out of 3,134 children’s books? The statistics were compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a team of librarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, who have been documenting books for children and teens since 1985.
Illustration by David Huyck, in consultation with Sarah Park Dahlen. Please see full citation in References below.
Children need books that reflect their identities and experiences to feel a sense of belonging, self-worth, confidence, and to imagine a greater potential for themselves. Currently, not only do some children see few representations of themselves, but these depictions are sometimes broken, fragmented, inaccurate, or unrelatable. More literature featuring characters with accurate portrayals of various ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, family structures, and other aspects is essential to encourage children and build empathy for others.
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, a well-known researcher and educator in the field of American and multicultural children’s literature, uses the analogy of “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” to express the importance of diverse books:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAu58SNSyc
Educators and librarians can support children by providing and promoting more diverse books with a greater range of experiences and authentic representations. One of the ways to do that is by accessing books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as their character (also known as #OwnVoices) or collaborated with underrepresented individuals or groups to uplift their community.
Although #OwnVoices should not be the only criteria for selecting diverse books nor should it be used for invalidating or outing authors, there is great value in supporting authors who share their own identity and experience with their characters through storytelling. Our Diversify Your Classroom Library booklist features fiction and non-fiction books written by diverse authors with characters of varying ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses, many of which were written in #OwnVoices. We also included teacher resources to supplement your learning and teaching.
This booklist can be found with our other booklists in the Instructional Planning section of our Education Library website. We hope this is helpful and our librarians would be happy to chat more about diverse books with you. Feel free to contact us at ed.lib@ubc.ca.
Further resources
We understand that #OwnVoices has become less favorable due to a push for authors and content creators to justify the representation they include in their work without safety precautions for the creators in mind. Our goal is to prioritize resources that are authored by people who belong to the communities and experiences they are writing about; within this context we utilize #OwnVoices as we stand by accurate, meaningful, and respectful representations.
Annotated Bibliography on Own Voices
References
Huyck, David and Sarah Park Dahlen. (2019 June 19). Diversity in Children’s Books 2018. sarahpark.com blog. Created in consultation with Edith Campbell, Molly Beth Griffin, K. T. Horning, Debbie Reese, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, and Madeline Tyner, with statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-about-poc-fnn/. Retrieved from https://readingspark.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/picture-this-diversity-in-childrens-books-2018-infographic/
Black History in North America Booklist
A blog post by Tiffany Tse
In light of Black History Month in February, we have curated a booklist for Black History in North America in recognition that Black History should be known and heard throughout the year.
Black History Month originally began in the United States as Negro History Week by Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and a founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). The week in February was chosen to follow the Black community’s tradition of commemorating the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who fought for freedom from slavery and the equal rights of women, and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States who also fought for the end of slavery. The week-long event evolved into a month in 1976.
In Canada, the first Black History Month was celebrated in 1988 in Nova Scotia. Canada officially recognized February as Black History Month in December 1995 to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians to Canadian heritage and culture, since the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, an interpreter known as the first African person in Canada back in the early 1600s. Black History Month is now an annual celebration with events taking place for people of all ages across Canada.
This booklist features teacher resources, fiction and non-fiction picture books, middle grade, and young adult books relevant to Black History in Canada and the United States. It celebrates the contributions of civil rights activists, musicians, students, and more. The list can be found under Social Studies on our UBC Education Library Booklists webpage located in the Instructional Planning section of our Education Library website.
We hope this booklist is helpful and our librarians would be happy to chat more about Black History books with you. Feel free to contact us at ed.lib@ubc.ca.
Sources
- How did Black History Month come to be? – CBC Team
- Black History Month – Government of Canada
- Origins of Black History Month – Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)
Collection Spotlight: June is National Indigenous History Month
June is National Indigenous History Month. Click on the book cover or title to take you to the UBC Library catalogue record for the item.
Teacher Resources
We are the land [16 pack].
E78.C2 W423 2019
We all have connections to the land. We Are the Land explores Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with and connections to the land and the importance of maintaining those ties for all people in Canada.
Grade Level: 3-8
Topic: Indigenous Education
Curriculum Links: Language Arts, Social Studies
Genre: Non-fiction.
Potlatch as pedagogy: learning through ceremony
Sara Florence Davidson and Robert Davidson.
E99.H2 D285 2018
ONLINE https://tinyurl.com/ygsfmopa
Grades: K-12. Educator Sara Florence Davidson saw how the Haida tradition of the potlatch – which she learned from her father, renowned artist Robert Davidson – could be integrated into contemporary educational practices. In this book, father and daughter present a model for learning that is holistic, relational, practical, and continuous.
Ensouling our schools: a universally designed framework for mental health, well-being, and reconciliation
Jennifer Katz; with Kevin Lamoureux; foreword by Ry Moran.
LC1203.C2 K38 2018
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/yhtxqfh4
“Author Jennifer Katz weaves together methods of creating schools that engender mental, spiritual, and emotional health while developing intellectual thought and critical analysis. Expert Kevin Lamoureux contributes his wisdom regarding Indigenous approaches to mental and spiritual health that benefits all students and addresses the TRC calls to action. Katz provides examples of flourishing learning communities that can serve as models for effective growth and change, and describes the roles of students, families, staff, teachers, and administration.”
Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives in the classroom: moving forward
BC Ministry of Education
E96.65.B6 A26 2015a
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/yfpm6dp2
Grades: K-12. This resource is designed to answer a number of questions, including what is meant by Aboriginal education and by Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives; what is required of teachers and of the education system in order to provide appropriate and authentic teaching in line with the First Peoples Principles of Learning; and where teachers can turn for guidance and support in modifying their practice to incorporate new content and approaches.
Culturally relevant Aboriginal education
Nicole Bell, Trent University, TerryLynn Brant, Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada.
E96.2 .B46 2015
Culturally Relevant Aboriginal Education provides teacher candidates and in-service teachers with relevant information to help them integrate Aboriginal, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit content, customs, and traditions into the classroom, providing students with a broader perspective of Canada and its population.
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Juvenile Literature: Picture Books
Nibi’s water song / Sunshine Tenasco; illustrated by Chief Lady Bird.
PZ7.T26 Nb 2019
http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=10002352
“Nibi is an Indigenous girl on the search for clean water to drink. Though she is faced with repeated obstacles, Nibi’s joyful and determined energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community, and in widening circles, the country and government rally around her to make clean drinking water available for all. There is a strong underlying message that even when a problem seems too large to face, every bit that everyone does help. And inaction is not an option.”
The orange shirt story / Phyllis Webstad; illustrations, Brock Nicol.
PZ7.1.W4235 Or 2018
“This is the true story of a little girl and her very important orange shirt. Six-year-old Phyllis Webstad was as excited to wear her shiny new orange shirt as she was to attend school for the first time. But her first day at the St. Joseph Mission near Williams Lake, BC was nothing like she expected. Her orange shirt was taken away from her, never to be returned.”/.
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Je ne suis pas un numéro / Jenny Kay Dupuis et Kathy Kacer ; illustrations de Gillian Newland ; texte francais d’Isabelle Allard.
PZ23.D7873 Jn 2017 French
“Irene, huit ans et ses deux freres sont forces de quitter leur famille pour aller dans un pensionnat loin de chez eux. C’est la loi! Dans cet endroit austere, on les empeche de parler leur langue et on leur donne un numero en guise de nom. ? la fin de l’anne scolaire, les enfants rentrent ? la maison et informent leurs parents des conditions execrables dans lesquelles ils doivent vivre au pensionnat. Trouveront-ils un moyen de cacher les enfants afin qu’ils n’y retournent jamais?
Inspire? de la vie de la grand-mere de Jenny Kay Dupuis, Je ne suis pas un numero met en lumiere une sombre partie de l’histoire du Canada de maniere ? sensibiliser les enfants et leur permettre d’en tirer une lecon humaine et historique.
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Les mots volés / Melanie Florence ; illustrations de Gabrielle Grimard ; texte français d’Isabelle Allard.
PZ23.F6122 Mt 2017 French
Curieuse d’en savoir davantage sur ses origines, une petite fille demande à son grand-père de prononcer un mot en langue crie. Celui-ci est attristé lorsqu’il réalise qu’il l’a oublié, conséquence de nombreuses années passées en école résidentielle. Il lui dit qu’il a « perdu les mots » lors de son passage là-bas, et elle décide donc de l’aider à les retrouver.
Un récit touchant sur les relations intergénérationnelles et une initiation tout en délicatesse à la découverte d’un épisode plutôt sombre de l’histoire du Canada.
The spirit trackers / by Jan Bourdeau Waboose; illustrated by François Thisdale.
PZ7.W11313 Sp 2017
“Native telling of the Windigo, the Night Spirit of Winter, told by an uncle elder to two Aboriginal cousins, and the tracking of the feared creature into the forest. This illustrated story is populated with raven, moose and other forest animals, the Spirit Moon and a cold winter night; a heartwarming story of family, love, togetherness and respect for the environment.”.
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When we were alone / David Alexander Robertson; Julie Flett.
PZ7.1.R598 Wh 2016
“When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history, and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength.”.
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When the trees crackle with cold: a Cree calendar = Pisimwasinahikan / Bernice Johnson ̄ -Laxdal & Miriam Körner.
E98.C14 J64 2016
“The bear sleeping safely in her den, kohkom telling a story by the fire, the trees crackling with cold–we are all connected to the seasons and the cycle of nature. The calming rhythm of the words echoes the rhythm of the land in this timeless picture book about the moon calendar of the northern Cree. Its warmly rendered watercolour illustrations bring Saskatchewan’s North to life. When the Trees Crackle with Cold is written in English and the northern Plains Cree Y dialect, inviting Cree and non-Cree speakers alike to explore the traditional moon calendar.”
My heart fills with happiness / Monique Gray Smith; illustrations by Julie Flett.
PZ4.9.G784 Mh 2016
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/yzh43wdl
The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.
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Juvenile Literature: Fiction
Ghosts / David A. Robertson.
PZ7.R544725 Gh 2019
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/ydu5pu7u
“Cole Harper is dead. Reynold McCabe is alive and free. Mihko Laboratories has reopened the research facility and is working to manufacture and weaponize the virus that previously plagued Wounded Sky. People are dying. The community has been quarantined. And time is running out. What deal did Eva strike with Choch? Who will defeat Reynold and Mihko?”.
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The marrow thieves / Cherie Dimaline.
PS8607.I53 M37 2017
“In a future world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s indigenous population – and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow – and dreams – means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a 15-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones, and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing ‘factories.’.
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Pemmican wars / by Katherena Vermette; illustrated by Scott B. Henderson; coloured by Donovan Yaciuk.
PZ7.7.V534 Pm 2017
http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=9160230
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/yzvx2eud
“Echo Desjardins, a 13-year-old Métis girl adjusting to a new home and school, is struggling with loneliness while separated from her mother. Then an ordinary day in Mr. Bee’s history class turns extraordinary, and Echo’s life will never be the same. During Mr. Bee’s lecture, Echo finds herself transported to another time and place–a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie–and back again to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time. She visits a Métis camp, travels the old fur-trade routes, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars.”
He Who Dreams / Melanie Florence.
PZ7.1.F5964 Hw 2017
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/yjwdwj7z
Juggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else. But one day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what’s happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes with a bunch of little girls, skipping soccer practice and letting his other responsibilities slide. When he attends a pow wow and witnesses a powerful performance, he realizes that he wants to be a dancer more than anything. But the nearest class for boys is at the Native Cultural Center in the city, and he still hasn’t told his family or friends about his new passion. If he wants to dance, he will have to stop hiding. Between the mocking of his teammates and the hostility of the boys in his dance class, John must find a way to balance and embrace both the Irish and Cree sides of his heritage.
7 generations: A Plains Cree saga / by David Alexander Robertson; illustrated by Scott B. Henderson.
PZ7.7.R6324 As 2012
ONLINE: https://tinyurl.com/ye388542
“7 Generations follows one Plains Cree family from the early 19th century to the present day. For Edwin, the story of his ancestors from both the distant and recent past must guide him through an uncertain present, to the dawn of a new future. 7 Generations explores the life of Stone, a young Cree warrior, the smallpox epidemic of 1870, the residential school system of the 20th century, and its familial legacy”.