inclusion in classrooms

BY SHAY CASTLE

Twenty-five years ago, a group of retired teachers decided to do something about the racial discrimination and bullying they saw in their classrooms. So they founded Reading to End Racism (RER), a program that sends volunteers into schools to share stories and lead conversations about the importance of diversity, inclusion, kindness and active intervention.

YWCA Boulder County first supported RER by providing office space. In 2013, the program was formally adopted, and volunteers began reading books and holding discussions with elementary school students throughout Boulder Valley School District (BVSD).

“It aligned with our mission,” says YWCA’s Director of Community Engagement and Equity Shiquita Yarbrough. The organization’s mission is twofold: Empower women and end racism.

“Those stories are very important because kids relate to them,”

Yarbrough says. “When they can relate, they’ll listen.”

In the 10 years since RER was implemented locally, more than 29,000 BVSD students have participated. To mark the anniversary, YWCA is hosting program founder Daniel Escalante at the Boulder Public Library on Nov. 27.

Boulder Weekly asked Yarbrough 10 questions about books, beliefs and having hard conversations.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

1) How do you pick the books? It’s volunteer-driven. Sometimes it depends on timing. If it’s Indigenous People’s Month or AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage] Month, we try to lift that up, celebrate those diversities.

A lot of times it depends on what the theme is in the classroom at the moment: if they’re learning about

Chinese culture or Japanese internment. Volunteers bring out books they feel are impactful and they can relate to themselves — and also what teachers may request.

We talk about the characters in the book and the key lessons. A lot of times, it’s the Golden Rule or how to be kind, why bullying is bad, how to be more inclusive, how to appreciate and celebrate diversity. Sometimes we do activities.

Kids see the disparities, discrimination, prejudice. They’re like, ‘That’s not right, we’re gonna do better.’

2) How have the books you’re reading changed over the years? We are getting more authors of color, illustrators of color. Within the last five years, especially since [the murder of] George Floyd, our literature has become more intentional and anti-racist. I also believe people are seeking more education and resources; people are more aware and being more intentional so that we can have a better society and world for our kids.

3) What understanding do children have of issues like race?

The younger they are, they understand there’s diversity in the classroom. If they get a student who doesn’t look like them, who dresses differently, who may have an accent — those kids understand the difference in skin color. The older they get, they can understand the difference in how they’re being treated. Being out on the playground and all kids play together but then one student of color never gets invited to play, never gets chosen. Or in the lunchroom. A lot of times, students will tell me those things.

We ask them, ‘When you see that happen, does that seem right?’ and they’ll say no. We ask, ‘Can it be changed?’ and they’ll say yes, and we say, ‘You all have power, how can you use your power to change that?’ They start giving examples: ‘Invite that person to play with you or eat lunch next to you.’

It’s opening up that idea of possibility and power. They’re given permission to do what’s right.

4) How aware are children of current events, like protests or the Black Lives Matter movement?

It varies according to their age and what’s being shared at home. I don’t think a lot of teachers talk about controversial issues.

We don’t put teachers in those situations. As an outside organization, if a kid wants to talk, we try to hear them out [while keeping the conversation focused on] how we appreciate others’ experiences whether we agree with it or not.

5) Nationally, we’ve seen a lot of pressure on schools to moderate what they teach and say about LGBTQ issues, racial issues and even American history. Has the YWCA felt any of that?

I haven’t heard from any schools that said a parent didn’t want their kid to be exposed to Reading to End Racism.

We are supported quite a bit by BVSD and the principals at the schools. At one point, when CRT, Critical Race Theory, was a trigger word, and people for some reason thought CRT was being taught in elementary schools — those who are in education know that’s not true, but people automatically thought there was a possibility we were

Recommended Reading

The YWCA’s top picks for teaching children (and ourselves) about diversity and inclusion.

For Kids

● Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo

● I Am Golden by Eva Chen and Sophie Diao

● The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio

● Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard

● Our Skin by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli and Isabel Roxas

● Hear my Voice/Escucha mi Voz by Warren Binford

● One Green Apple by Eve Bunting and Ted Lewin

FOR ADULTS

● Who We Be by Jeff Chang

● An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

● Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

● Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum talking about CRT to second graders. That’s, of course, not true.

Sometimes parents want to see the list of books that we read. We ask volunteers to share what books they are reading, and teachers can send them out to the parents. We’re being 100% transparent. If you feel this is not what you want your kids to learn, you can keep them at home.

I would invite parents who are concerned to come to a training. If someone has questions, they can contact me and we can talk about it.

6) For parents who are unsure how to discuss these topics with their children, what do you recommend?

We don’t do what we’re afraid of. We’re gonna make mistakes, but starting those conversations is truly important, and they should always start at home. Parents should teach their kids what they want [them] to know.

You don’t know what your kid is thinking or if they’re being bullied. Maybe someone is being derogatory, and they don’t know how to respond. If you don’t hold those conversations, someone might teach them an inappropriate way to respond.

We expanded our program due to parents saying, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ We have a training called How to Talk to Your Kids about Race, so we provide some tools for how to continue conversations when kids ask questions.

Parents have to provide opportunities for vulnerability and a listening space for kids to be able to utilize their power, which is their voice, without cutting them off and telling them they should think that way or not think that way.

People want to get it right, but you only get it right by getting it wrong first. That’s progress.

7) So you’ve done work with parents and kids. Who is better at approaching these issues?

I think parents learn from kids more than they teach kids. The kids are holding parents accountable.

Kids are very curious and inquisitive. When you read true stories [about things] like the Tulsa Massacre, they ask really good questions. ‘Why would