Finding Courage to Address Big Questions

"We are living in a time where the sentiments and meanness of racism have been fully unleashed," writes Nadia Jaboneta in her helpful book, You Can’t Celebrate That: Navigating the Deep Waters of Social Justice Teaching. "While I was growing up, my mom – an immigrant from Peru and a proud American citizen – often urged us to 'Fight for your rights!' Her self-confidence and powerful stance were shaken this year when someone in the grocery store confronted her, telling her to 'speak English and go back to your own country.'

That experience only strengthened my desire to be a leader in this work. I see firsthand how racism infuses all of our lives, White people and people of color, children and adults…I’ve begun to listen for opportunities to take up the conversation about race and religion with children as a way to plant the seeds for a more just society. To prepare myself for those moments when issues of race and religion surface in my classroom, I’ve crafted a set of questions to guide my response…

• What touches my heart about this situation?
• What in my background or personal life is influencing my feeling and thinking right now?
• What might the children’s families hope I’ll say or do?
• How do my values about diversity and equity play into this situation?"

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