antiracist · reading · social action · social justice

Read With Us: How To Be An Antiracist

Stacey Shubitz

TWT is committed to ongoing social justice work. Such a critical responsibility extends beyond the school day and beyond the school year. This summer, we will be reading How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Engaging in an ongoing dialogue is a critical component of this process, and we hope you will join us in doing so.

Educators must take an active and constant role in eradicating systems that oppress BIPOC students. Participating in this reading, alone, does not grant us an anti-racist identity. Rather, we hope this book fuels the lifelong process of acknowledging systems that work for and against people based on skin color, of becoming aware of our own implicit biases, and of taking action against all that is unjust. 

This collective reading and response will take place across three Zoom meetings:

  • Wednesday, June 24th from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT: Discuss How To Be An Antiracist, introduction through chapter 9.
  • Wednesday, July 22nd from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT: Discuss How To Be An Antiracist, chapters 10 through 18.
  • Wednesday, August 12th from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT: Discuss next steps we will take personally and professionally.

Each meeting will begin with a full-group welcome. We will spend the majority of the time in breakout rooms, for small-group discussions, using some of the questions that Kendi suggests in his guide. Each session will close with a full-group share. A Padlet will be curated to share resources, such as articles and videos.

Our capacity with Zoom for hosting this book study is 100 participants. While we know plans change, we are asking you to commit to all three sessions if you sign up (below). These sessions come at no charge, though participants will need to access their own copy of How To Be An Antiracist. 

UPDATED ON JUNE 2ND, 2020 at 1:15 PM: Thank you for your interest in reading How to Be An Antiracist with us this summer. I look forward to continuing our journey with dedicated educators like you to help address the racial injustices affecting us, our children, and our communities.

There was a tremendous response to studying Kendi’s book together. As stated above, the capacity Zoom allows for hosting is capped at 100 participants. Therefore, it has become necessary for me to (a) close the Google Form and (b) create a waiting list.

It’s my hope there will be more opportunities to study texts and take action together. In the meantime, please check out Kendi’s discussion guide for How to Be An Antiracist should you wish to read and discuss it with your colleagues, friends, or family members.

Published by Stacey Shubitz

I am a literacy consultant who focuses on writing workshop. I've been working with K-6 teachers and students since 2009. Prior to that, I was a fourth and fifth-grade teacher in New York City and Rhode Island. I'm the author of Craft Moves (Stenhouse Publishers, 2016) and the co-author of Jump Into Writing (Zaner-Bloser, 2021), Welcome to Writing Workshop (Stenhouse Publishers, 2019), and Day By Day (Stenhouse, 2010). I live in Central Pennsylvania with my husband and children. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, doing Pilates, cooking, baking, making ice cream, and reading novels.

12 thoughts on “Read With Us: How To Be An Antiracist”

  7. “How to Be an Antiracist” is one of the most important books I’ve read and one I recommend over and over. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I can do as a retired educator to effect change. This reading together is an exciting opportunity, but I’m holding off on signing up because I do have a conflict on June 24 and don’t know if I can change it.

    Like

    1. It’s so hard to find a time that works for everyone. I’m sure there will be asynchronous conversations that grow out of the summer Zoom sessions. If that happens, we’ll certainly invite our entire community to participate.

      Like

Comments are closed.