Resources for Anti-racist and Anti-bias Teaching
Today, many educators are re-examining their everyday teaching practices to ensure that all learners are taught from an anti-racist/anti-bias perspective. In support of these efforts, the Barbara Bush Foundation has created and curated a collection of educational resources for classroom use.
We are proud to continue working for equity in literacy, inspired by the belief of our founder that, “If we don’t give everyone the ability to simply read and write, then we aren’t giving everyone an equal chance to succeed.”
Three Black Women of Literacy
This unit focuses on three Black women of literacy—Harriet A. Jacobs, Susie King Taylor, and Septima Poinsette Clark—who were inducted posthumously into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2020. All three contributed to the quest of literacy for African Americans, specifically in the area of adult literacy. All three women had their own personal literacy journey and went on to teach other freed slaves and Black people to read and write. Their stories illustrate a collective effort to bring equity and dignity to those they served and highlight the impact they had on Civil Rights.
In the unit, learners explore questions around one’s actions, legacy, and contribution to our world. They engage in readings, view media, and write reflections about the women and topics introduced, applying their newly gained knowledge to their own lives and literacy journey. Lessons were crafted to allow for learner voice and choice, and educators are encouraged to support learner participation in the development of activities. Because the lives of the women focused on literacy instruction, learning activities were specifically crafted to focus on the development and practice of reading strategies and written reflection.
Diversity Toolkit for Teachers
These resources were compiled to support educators in teaching with an anti-racist/anti-bias lens in their classrooms. The many offerings include virtual trainings on anti-racist teaching and racial equity, educator resources, tools to inspire classroom exploration and conversation, booklists, lesson plans, and much more! This varied list of resources may also be found in the unit of study, “Three Black Women of Literacy,” which highlights the inspirational stories of Harriet A. Jacobs, Susie King Taylor, and Septima Poinsette Clark.
Anti-racist/Anti-bias Lessons
We are pleased to share these lessons collected from teachers across the United States. This offering includes anti-racist/diversity lessons spanning elementary through high school, which may be downloaded and printed for teacher use.
We hope adult educators find the lessons and other offerings useful and inspirational in their teaching. We would love to hear from adult educators and learners who engage in the lessons. We are especially interested in learner testimonials as we strive to provide engaging, relevant lessons for today’s world. Inquiries, suggestions, and learner testimonials may be sent to Pam Cote at pam@barbarabush.org