Let's Talk About Race

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The event will feature Johnson and Fine in conversation with Lisa Mullins, lead host at WBUR’s “All Things Considered. After hearing this book repeatedly recommended for engaging children in antiracist conversations, I had pretty high hopes, and I already enjoyed some of Lester's previous work. Julius Lester is the author of the Newbery Honor Book To Be a Slave , the Caldecott Honor Book John Henry , the National Book Award finalist The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History , and the Coretta Scott King Award winner Day of Tears . SREF provides opportunities for peer networking, support and development among Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and the promotion of University values around inclusiveness.

This might be through formal education and training or by accessing the vast amount of resources available for self-learning. Former University of Massachusetts professor Julius Lester presents a beautifully illustrated book about our lives and the stories we tell.

What and how the history of race in America is presented is an opportunity to engage in thoughtful, respectful, and productive conversations. This is not a day to take notes and wait for answers, but rather to use our own lived experience to create ways for positive therapeutic change. The author explains that we are all the same under our skin so we really have no reason to judge anyone based on skin color. If enough of these stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to see that our lives are the same story. Lester then asks the child to define and acknowledge his or her race, while also understanding that race is complicated because people have used/use race to prove that they are better than another.

Let’s talk about being anti-racists – Speak out against racism and develop the skills to intervene when you witness it. In 1986 the Council for Advancement and Support of Education selected him as the Massachusetts State Professor of the Year. This can help children understand that although we may look different from one another, but underneath our skin, we are all the same.

It's also possible that the Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings. I also like the author’s idea in which if a person is stripped down to the bone, we would not be able to tell anyone apart. Lester's poignant picture book helps children learn, grow, discuss, and begin to create a future that resolves differences" (Children's Literature). What a great way to talk about race, or any aspect of a person that makes them feel better than someone else. If my students were in primary grades, I'd definitely do a picture walk first because the illustrations are striking and tell a lot.