Our current times in education require teachers to possess more than the literacy of the content topics they teach. To understand our world, including the world of education and the changes needed for all to thrive, acquiring Racial Literacy is key. Individuals who develop racial literacy are able to engage in necessary personal reflection about their racial beliefs and practices, and teach their students to do the same.

Racial literacy in schools includes the ability to read, write about, discuss and interrupt situations and events that are motivated and upheld by racial inequity and bias. Sustaining racial literacy across the life span is possible by engaging in an “Archeology of the Self” – an action-oriented process requiring love, humility, reflection, an understanding of history, and a commitment to working against racial injustice.

This workshop is designed for K-12 educators and continuing professional development credit on case by case basis.

The session will be lead by Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz who is an award-winning Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on racial literacy in teacher education, Black girl literacies, and Black and Latinx male high school students. A sought-after speaker on issues of race, culturally responsive pedagogy, and diversity, Sealey-Ruiz works with K-12 and higher education school communities to increase their racial literacy knowledge and move toward more equitable school experiences for their Black and Latinx students. Sealey-Ruiz appeared in Spike Lee’s “2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright”, a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement and the campus protests at Mizzou. Her co-authored book [with Dr. Detra Price-Dennis] Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Toward Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces will be published in April 2021. 

To register for the session, please email info@jmih.org

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