Ep. 104: Interrupting Whiteness One Zoom Session At a Time

EQ: Why do we need racial affinity groups to combat racism and how do they lead to sustainable change?

Guests: 

• Emily Meadows is an LGBTQ+ consultant and published author specializing in international schools. If you missed our conversation on creating inclusive spaces, go download Episode 99.

• Tamara Friedman is a NBCT, school leader, and classroom teacher. She works towards implementing culturally relevant and anti-racist pedagogy in her classrooms and currently teaches 4th grade at The American School of the Hague.

In this episode we discuss the distinctive ways that racism and white supremacy manifest in an international school context. While commonly appearing in the form of deflection because the school is “diverse”, explicit anti-racism work is long overdue. Our guests, Emily and Tamar,  share their journey to establishing the Whiteness Accountability Group for International Educators including how it is rooted in volunteer participation, leading through vulnerability and story-telling, and collective leadership. Additionally, they discuss the need for accountability to each other, group participants, and to people of color.

To understand the purpose and framing of racial caucusing, check out the following documents: 

• Overview/Handout

• Racial Affinity Grouping

• Roots for Justice Racial Caucusing

• Anti-Racism Consultants for International Schools

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Racial Equity Tools & Culturally responsive Leadership, Me & White Supremacy by Layla Saad

• Megan: If you work in a school, make sure you know what your School’s Culturally Responsive Teaching policies are and know who the leadership team is that is responsible to implementing those.

• Tamara: Franchise Kendall Understanding White Privilege and Harvard Implicit Bias Test

• Emily: Join our group by emailing us; Learning for Justice Standards;