May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and to help guide impactful and meaningful change, we offer a list of “do’s and don’ts” for celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in your workplaces, schools and communities.
In this conversation, we discuss racial trauma - what it is, how it manifests, and how we can move to a place of healing.
To assist with conversations about anti-Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) violence and hatred, we are sharing previous resources from other times we have addressed race and racism over the years. Click the links for more on each of these topics.
Parents, teachers and those who work with children are eager for support in how to have tough conversations with children about race and racism that can help them understand the world and become advocates for a brighter future for new generations. We hope these tips help.
Here are a few of our favorite books about social justice issues, movements, and heroes.
Momentous Institute has decided to capitalize all references to race including Black and White. Read more...
Momentous School librarian Jennifer Grauberger shares her experiences in diversifying the school library to more accurately reflect the student population.
White parents must talk to their children about race in order to create a world where these conversations are no longer necessary. Here are a few suggestions on how to explain what is happening in today's headlines.
Parents understand it is important for children to celebrate the differences of others. Here are a few strategies that can help children value their unique friendships.
Dear White Teachers, Are you like me, a white teacher in a classroom with mostly students of color? Do you feel secretly uncomfortable at the idea of talking about race in the classroom? Keep reading...
Every child deserves the opportunity to be successful based on his or her unique gifts and talents, but not every child has equitable opportunities.
This post comes from former Momentous School teacher, Jorgelina Marin, on helping students' develop a strong sense of self.
As adults, one of our first instincts is to protect and comfort children who are afraid. But that instinct can be challenging when a child’s fear is real, and there’s nothing we can do to protect them from it. One big area where we see this fear is around the topic of immigration. Keep reading...
"With great external work in society comes great work within ourselves, too. As we are confronted with emotions that seem too large to hold, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and to let rage drive us." Read more...
Have you heard the term “reverse racism”? Let’s break it down.
"Many educators, including myself, have failed to make the children we work with feel seen—because for many years, we have not acknowledged race as a fundamental element of identity. We need to make space for race. But how?" Read more...
Parents have the opportunity to help teens explore these racial differences. It may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep reading...
Minerva Holmes asked her mixed-race family members to weigh in on what it's like growing up bi-racial. Here's what they had to say...
Read our four considerations for creating meaningful diversity opportunities for children.
We make many assumptions about the race and ethnicity of others. Let's talk about some commonly misused and misunderstood identifiers. Keep reading...
There’s nothing quite as upsetting or challenging as a child making a racist comment. How do we respond? Read more.
Misconceptions and misinformation can quickly become the norm if educators do not address differences within a classroom. Here are some tips for how teachers can be proactive in the process of talking about race and ethnicity in the classroom.
Race is a topic that many parents shy away from. However, parents must realize that when nothing is said about race, a lot is actually being communicated. Read more...
If you’ve been in any conversations about race, you’ve likely heard the term “microaggressions”. You may be wondering two things – what are they, and what is the big deal? Keep reading...
We all have stereotypes. But the reality is, they can be very harmful. Read on.
We’ve talked about how the “colorblindness” approach is not the most helpful way to interact with people of different races and cultures. Now you may be wondering… but what is the best approach?
A published letter from Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African president Desmond Tutu, further explains why her friend's comment, “I don’t think of you as Black” was offensive to her. Read the excerpt and reflect.
One pervasive approach to working in communities of color is the so-called “colorblind” approach. We’ve all heard the line, “I don’t see color.”
But there’s a fatal flaw in this approach.
The term “white privilege” has entered the common vocabulary when discussing issues related to race. We hear it all the time, but today we want to take a minute to really explore the topic. What is “white privilege” and what can we do about it?
In the coming weeks, we will share strategies about how to have these difficult conversations with kids. But before any conversations take place, let’s do some reflecting about race and the children in our lives.
Before we go any further on discussions about race, we have to talk about the starting line.
Like with all things, silence speaks loudly. When we don’t talk about subjects that matter, we’re explicitly making a choice to be silent.
So, let’s talk about race.
Should having diversity in the classroom dictate how diverse the learning is? During the Changing the Odds 2019 conference, Austin Channing Brown speaks on the importance of diversity in learning for students.