This book club is a professional development series for educators. Though educators will be engaging with the book and participating in discussions and activities, the purpose is to ensure that participants are able to takeaway strategies to use each text in educational spaces with their students.
Title: The Three Mothers: How The Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
Author: Anna Malaika Tubbs
Facilitator: Daphanie Bibbs
Time: All sessions will be held from 10-11 a.m. ET by Zoom.
Dates: Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, Feb. 15
Abstract: Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little were all born at the beginning of the 20th century and forced to contend with the prejudices of Jim Crow as Black women. These three extraordinary women passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning―from Louise teaching her children about their activist roots, to Berdis encouraging James to express himself through writing, to Alberta basing all of her lessons in faith and social justice. These women used their strength and motherhood to push their children toward greatness, all with a conviction that every human being deserves dignity and respect despite the rampant discrimination they faced.
These three mothers taught resistance and a fundamental belief in the worth of Black people to their sons, even when these beliefs flew in the face of America’s racist practices and led to ramifications for all three families’ safety. The fight for equal justice and dignity came above all else for the three mothers.
These women, their similarities and differences, as individuals and as mothers, represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.
Title: Pro-Blackness in Early Childhood Education: Diversifying Curriculum and Pedagogy in K–3 Classrooms
Authors: Gloria Swindler Boutte, Jarvais J. Jackson, Saudah N. Collins, Janice R. Baines, Anthony Broughton, George Lee Johnson Jr.
Facilitator: Dawnavyn James
Time: All sessions will be held from 10-11 a.m. ET by Zoom.
Dates: Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16
Abstract: Pro-Blackness in Early Childhood Education: Diversifying Curriculum and Pedagogy in K-3 Classrooms outlines how teachers can achieve pro-Black teaching and the benefits for all children. Through this text, educators will see how they can engage in pro-Black teaching while addressing curricular standards. The authors center African diaspora literacy as a pro-Black pedagogy and celebrate Black people's agency, resistance, everyday lives and joy.
Through this book club, educators will: