Publications

Warrior Princess. That’s what Nigeria Jones’s father calls her. He has raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals to connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors.

The I, Witness book series offers a unique opportunity for young readers to listen to and learn from the voices of young people impacted by injustices. Further, each book provides opportunities for young readers to deepen their understanding of what equity means by considering questions such as: Who should be centered in the work of justice? What does it mean to advocate on behalf of others? Who are the changemakers of society?

This educators’ guide includes recommendations for table setting—the work that is necessary before reading and discussing the I, Witness nonfiction book series with students, as well as teaching suggestions for work that can support students during and after they read.

All You Have To Do is an eye-opening novel that explores the lives of two characters and two critical moments in history, separated by almost three decades. The purpose of this educator’s guide is to support students as scholars, researchers, and, as educator Ernest Morell states, “producers and consumers of knowledge.” This guide engages young readers as knowledge-holders and supports their thinking about the book and the world. Educators and caregivers are encouraged to guide students in discourse and collective meaning-making that supports them in developing a deepened understanding of the systemic racism of the past and how it thrives in the present. It is through such reading and discourse that students can develop the tools they’ll need to become agents of change who work to disrupt oppression in all of its forms.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is one of the greatest classic texts for young readers. The purpose of this educator’s guide is to support students as scholars, researchers, and, as educator Ernest Morell states, “producers and consumers of knowledge.” This guide engages young readers as knowledge-holders and supports their thinking about the book and the world. Educators and caregivers are encouraged to guide students in discourse and collective meaning-making that supports them in developing a deepened understanding of the systemic racism of the past and how it thrives in the present. It is through such reading and discourse that students can develop the tools they’ll need to become agents of change who work to disrupt oppression in all of its forms.

Stamped (For Kids) traces the history of race and racism throughout the United States of America. It spotlights the work of antiracists and those who have resisted the racist ideas and policies that shape this nation.

Too often, the texts young readers access to learn about the history of the United States present a fractured version of the truth that does not always shed light on the ways racism has driven the actions of individuals, groups of people and institutions of the nation as well as the work of antiracists who confront these unsettling truths. Stamped (For Kids) makes these truths transparent revealing both the painful and promising history of this nation.

A curricular guide for Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, geared for educators and students, ages 12 and up. This guide suggests a month-long approach to reading and discussing Stamped with middle-school and high-school readers in English, English Language Arts, Social Studies, History, and Humanities classrooms.

In The Black Friend, Frederick Joseph writes that the purpose of this book is to help white people
actively work to solve “problems created and perpetuated by white people” (p. 2). Therefore, this
book doesn’t just benefit white students. It is also beneficial for white educators.

The free, downloadable Read Woke Teaching Guide helps educators and parents prepare for having conversations around race and racism and to evaluate books according to Five Pillars of Read Woke. Discussion questions and learning opportunities help students unpack the content of Read Woke Books and empower students to take action. The guide was created by Dr. Sonja Cherry‑Paul, educator, author, co-founder of the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy, and Director of Diversity and Equity at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University.

Revolution in Our Time provides a powerful learning experience for students and can be utilized in several ways. It can be read in a four- to six-week unit about the Black Panther Party. Educators can also thread chapters and sections from Revolution in Our Time to support units about chattel slavery, the Revolutionary War and the founding of America, the Civil War, the Reconstruction era, and the civil rights movement. Revolution in Our Time can also be used to help students learn about topics such as civic engagement, activism and social movements, solidarity, police brutality, and systemic racism.

IN UNSPEAKABLE, author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide young readers with the unsettling truths about the history of the United States and the impact of white supremacy and racism. Too often educators and caregivers believe that children are too young for these truths about race and racism, when in reality, they have hardly been

a secret. As truth seekers, children are always looking to make sense of the world around them.

Today is a time of great disruption and, hopefully, change. People around the world are finding their voices and using them to speak up for what they believe in or to discuss their experiences. Children and teens are among them, reckoning with events unfolding that greatly affect them, and adjusting to new schedules and realities. Kids are eager to discuss and share ideas, to ask questions and learn from new sets of circumstances.

Today is a time of great disruption and, hopefully, change. People around the world are finding their voices and using them to speak up for what they believe in or to discuss their experiences. Children and teens are among them, reckoning with unfolding events that greatly affect them and adjusting to new schedules and realities. Kids are eager to discuss and share ideas, to ask questions and learn from new sets of circumstances.