This summer and fall I started digging into the issue of white privilege in a way I hadn’t done before. There isn’t one particular book, Twitter account or person that is changing my thinking, but a tribe of people and resources are making me shift my focus. I am opening up my eyes to my own white privilege and my role as an anti-racist educator. I thought I was doing OK and that I couldn’t possibly say or do anything resembling racism, but I’m discovering that racism is so prevalent that we are all a little bit racist. And although I knew this intellectually, I hadn’t yet applied this to myself. Here are some of the resources and people that are helping me think this through. I am not at a point where I feel completely comfortable in my own skin and new ways of thinking about racism, but I am examining all of this through a different lens than I had previously and although everything feels a little shaky, I know I’m on the right path.

Here’s a list of some of the Twitter accounts that are helping me do this:

@AlexSVenet @caitteach @SonjaCherryPaul @pgorski @TchKimPossible @BARWE215 @JoelRGarza @Lyricalswordz @biblio_phile @Drlbram @triciaebarvia @ChristieNold @ClearTheAir @debreese @PaulWHankins @ValeriaBrownEdu @juliaerin80 @TheEdCollab @ncte_lla

And, here are some books that I am currently reading or want to read:

Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo

Of course neither list is exhaustive, but it is where I’m starting to interrogate my own white privilege so that I can become a more effective, guilt free, anti-racist that speaks out wherever racism rears it’s ugly head, including in schools where there are so many subtle forms of racism in operation. We need to uncover them and speak this truth if we are ever going to provide equitable learning opportunities for all of our students. That’s why it’s so important for not only white teachers, but also for Latino teachers to examine our own assumptions about color and privilege.

I am not currently in the classroom this year, but I am trying to educate myself on these issues so that I am better prepared to address them when I return in the fall.

Where are you on issues of equity, inclusion and anti-racist work? Please leave a comment so that we can all learn from and support each other in this work.