Early Risers

Latest Episodes:

Grassroots Work on Structural Racism Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Structural racism is different than interpersonal racism. It is the set of policies and practices that put BIPOC communities at a disadvantage from the earliest stages of life. So how can we work in our early childhood communities to identify structural racism and make change so that young people - BIPOC and white - are no longer harmed by structural racism? Jen Neitzel shares examples from her work in communities across the United States.

Guest: Jen Neitzel is the executive director of the Educational Equity Institute based in North Carolina. Neitzel works with educational communities across the United States to deconstruct whiteness, dismantle racist policies and identify opportunities to introduce equity into classrooms and other community spaces.

Discussion Guide:

Early Risers Season 5 Episode 4 Discussion Guide

Episode Resources:

More information about the Educational Equity Institute

More from Jen Neitzel on the anti-racism work at the Educational Equity Institute

Making the Classroom Reflect the Community Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Theressa Lenear was practicing anti-bias education long before it was widely known as an approach to early learning. As a young Black teacher in Alaska, she tapped into her intuition to guide her practices with young children. She created a classroom-wide deep respect for her students’ cultures. She shares her perspectives on how to support BIPOC children in underserved communities.

Guest: Theressa Lenear is an early childhood education instructor at Goddard College. She has worked with young children and their teachers for nearly 40 years. She is profiled in the book “Stories of Resistance: Learning from Black Women in Early Care and Education.”

Discussion Guide: Early Risers Season 5 Episode 3 Discussion Guide

Episode Resources:

Theressa Lenear’s profile in the book “Stories of Resistance: Learning from Black Women in Early Care and Education”

Theressa Lenear’s personal statement about her insights from her career in early childhood education

Theressa Lenear’s article in Exchange magazine about the conflict between two young students, which she discusses in the episode. (Paywall)

Being in Community With Children Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Many programs that offer innovation in education ask teachers to adopt a new curriculum or implement a new procedure in their classroom. But when it comes to anti-bias work, Veronica Reynoso says there is no new curriculum. Instead, you need to be in community with children and disrupt the biases and stereotypes they pick up from the world. She explains how she does this and how the children respond.

Guest: Veronica Reynoso is an early childhood teacher and mentor teacher at Hilltop Children’s Center in Seattle, Washington. She grew up in Chicago in a Mexican American family. She has been featured in articles, podcasts and a film highlighting her anti-bias practices in the classroom.

Discussion Guide: Early Risers Season 5 Episode 2 Discussion Guide

Episode Resources:

More from Veronica Reynoso on this Embrace Race webinar

More from Veronica Reynoso in this Exchange article (paywall)

Veronica Reynoso and other early childhood teachers are featured in this film “Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years”

Making Space for Teachers on Race Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

If we adults want to work with young children on issues related to race and racism, we first need to work with ourselves. Marie Lister describes the learning communities she facilitates with teachers to help them become aware of, and address, their own biases. She discusses how the work adults do in these communal learning spaces can benefit young children immeasurably for years to come.

Episode Resources: Marie coaches early childhood teachers through the nonprofit Before Racism

Discussion Guide: Early Risers Season 5 Episode 1

Parent Highlights with Dr. Richard Lee Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Dianne is joined by Dr. Richard Lee, a distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Asian American Studies program at the University of Minnesota. Together, they explore some of the parenting stories featured in season four of Early Risers. Dianne and Dr. Lee also share valuable insights to help parents discuss race and racism with the young children in their lives.

Early Risers Season 4 Episodes 4-6 Discussion Guide
https://files.apmcdn.org/production/e079d17c73189c6473b07d6574350544.pdf (pdf)

Parenting Through Race and Identity: A Somali American Mother's Story May 31, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Early Risers, we delve into the parenting journey of Ayan Omar, a Somali American mother living in St. Cloud, Minnesota with her husband and two young daughters. As an interracial and interfaith couple, Ayan and her husband have faced unique challenges in raising their children. In this conversation with host Dianne, Ayan shares her experiences navigating conversations about race and racism with her daughters, and how her own upbringing in a predominantly Black community has informed her parenting approach.

Early Risers Season 4 Episodes 4-6 Discussion Guide
https://files.apmcdn.org/production/e079d17c73189c6473b07d6574350544.pdf (pdf)

Episode resources:

"Raising Multiracial Children" by Farzana Nayani: This book offers practical guidance and advice for parents raising children with multiple racial identities, including how to navigate conversations about race, cultural identity, and discrimination.

"Raising Race Conscious Children": This website offers resources and articles for parents who want to have conversations about race and racism with their children, including how to talk about privilege, intersectionality, and allyship.

"The Conscious Kid": This website provides resources and articles on how to raise racially conscious children and combat racism and bias, including book recommendations and tips for having conversations about race with kids.

"LET’S TALK! A Teaching Tolerance Guide": This PDF offers free resources and lesson plans for parents and educators to teach children about social justice, diversity, and anti-bias education.

"EmbraceRace": This organization offers resources and webinars on how to raise children who are resilient, empathetic, and racially conscious, including tips for talking about race, supporting children's racial identity, and combating racism.

Navigating Parenthood as Black Parents in a Majority White Community May 17, 2023

Show notes

Cecilia Amadou is a Ghanaian mother raising her son in the Fargo-Moorhead area of Minnesota. In this episode of Early Risers, Cecilia shares her experiences navigating parenthood and conversations about race and racism in a community that is over 90% white. As Black parents with roots in Africa, Cecilia and her husband offer a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of raising a child in a predominantly white environment.

Early Risers Season 4 Episodes 4-6 Discussion Guide
https://files.apmcdn.org/production/e079d17c73189c6473b07d6574350544.pdf (pdf)

Episode resources:

“Mothering While Black: Boundaries and Burdens of Middle-Class Parenthood” by Dawn Marie Dow – This book examines the complex lives of the African American middle class—in particular, black mothers and the strategies they use to raise their children to maintain class status while simultaneously defining and protecting their children’s “authentically Black” identities. Sociologist Dawn Marie Dow shows how the frameworks typically used to research middle-class families focus on white mothers’ experiences, inadequately capturing the experiences of African American middle- and upper-middle-class mothers.

"Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America" by Jennifer Harvey - This book offers insights and practical advice for white parents who want to raise their children to be allies in the fight against racism.

"Parenting for Liberation" - This online community offers resources and support for parents of color who are seeking to raise socially conscious and empowered children.

Parenting as a Black and Biracial Single Mother in Minnesota May 03, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Early Risers, host Dianne speaks with Acacia Ward, a young Black and biracial single mother of three living in Rochester, Minnesota. Acacia shares her experiences growing up in a predominantly white community and how she's navigating conversations about race and identity with her children. As a mother of a son with a Sudanese father, Acacia offers insights on how she and her co-parent are helping their child appreciate his cultural heritage. This episode offers a candid and thought-provoking discussion on parenting, identity, and cultural awareness.

Discussion guide https://files.apmcdn.org/production/cbcec99ae3656a8fe878d98392d3a83a.pdf

Episode resources:

Raising Race Conscious Children - This website offers resources and tools for parents on how to talk to children about race and racism. It includes articles, book recommendations, and a podcast.

Parenting for Liberation - This website offers resources and support for parents of color, including workshops, webinars, and coaching. It focuses on empowering parents to raise socially conscious and confident children.

Navigating Parenthood as Black Parents in a Growing Minnesota City Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Early Risers, Dianne speaks with Kai and James Miller, a married couple raising their two daughters in Rochester, Minnesota. Kai and James share their experiences as Black parents in a growing city that's becoming more racially diverse.

Despite the demographic changes, the Millers have struggled with feeling isolated while working to ensure their daughters see positive representations of themselves in school and the community.

Even with these challenges, Kai and James are taking concrete steps to build their daughters' confidence and self-esteem. We can all learn from their insights on navigating parenthood and identity in a changing landscape.

Discussion guide

https://files.apmcdn.org/production/cbcec99ae3656a8fe878d98392d3a83a.pdf

Episode resources:

Raising Race Conscious Children - A website and book series dedicated to providing resources and tools for parents to have conversations with their children about race and racism. The website includes articles, book lists, and discussion guides.

The African American Parenting Group is an online community for African American parents to connect, share resources, and support each other.

"Parenting in the Age of Black Lives Matter" is a resource guide compiled by the organization EmbraceRace. It includes articles, videos, books, and podcasts for parents who want to engage in conversations about race and racism with their children.

"Talking to Children About Racial Bias" is a guide created by the American Psychological Association that offers tips for how parents can talk to their children about race and racism.

The National Black Child Development Institute is an organization that provides resources and advocacy for black children and families. Their website includes articles, resources, and events related to parenting and education.

White Parents Navigating Anti-Racist Parenting in Minneapolis Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Early Risers, Dianne speaks with Ellen Guettler, a white parent raising her two boys in Minneapolis. Ellen shares her journey of practicing anti-racist parenting in community with other white parents. Growing up, Ellen attended integrated public schools in St. Paul during the 1990s. She remembers feeling tensions around race and racism but never had the opportunity to talk about these issues with adults. Now, as a parent, Ellen is committed to navigating these conversations with her young children. She shares some of the questions and discoveries she's encountered on this journey. We can all learn from Ellen's insights and experiences, as they offer valuable perspective on navigating anti-racist parenting as a white parent in a diverse community.

Early Risers Season 4 Episodes 1-3 Discussion Guide
https://files.apmcdn.org/production/cbcec99ae3656a8fe878d98392d3a83a.pdf

Episode resources:

Teaching Tolerance - A website with free resources for educators and parents to promote social justice and anti-bias education. It has a variety of articles, lesson plans, and activities that can help parents understand how to talk about race and racism with their children.

Raising Race Conscious Children - A blog that provides resources, tips, and insights on how to talk about race with young children. It offers specific advice for parents of different races and backgrounds, including white parents.

EmbraceRace - A nonprofit organization that aims to educate and support caregivers to raise children who are "thoughtful, informed, and brave about race." They offer webinars, resources, and a supportive community to help parents navigate conversations about race and racism with their children.

Anti-Racism Daily - A daily newsletter that provides insights and resources on how to fight racism and become a better ally. It offers practical advice for parents and caregivers on how to have conversations about race and raise anti-racist children.

Parent Toolkit - A website that offers resources for parents on a variety of topics, including race and diversity. It has articles, videos, and activities that can help parents navigate conversations about race and racism with their children.

"Talking to Children about Racism, Police Brutality, and Protests" - An article from Ahaparenting.com that provides guidance for parents on how to talk to children about these complex issues. It offers age-appropriate strategies and tips for how to promote empathy and understanding.

"Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race" - A talk by Erin Winkler, a professor of Africology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In this talk, Winkler explains how children learn about race and offers insights on how parents can help them develop a positive racial identity.

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