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In our anti-bias/multicultural workshops and in discussions with early childhood teachers over the past two decades, "What if all the children in my class are white?" has been one of the most frequently asked questions. Almost always posed by white teachers, it echoes the persistent confusion about the purposes of anti-bias/multicultural education for white children and, in particular, the misconception that ethnic and cultural diversity is only about people who are "different than" whites. Even when teachers believe in the value of anti-bias/multicultural education, they often wonder how to incorporate it meaningfully in classrooms with no apparent racial, ethnic, or cultural diversity.
Many teachers of young children now have become more aware of how racism affects white children as well as children of color. They understand that a false sense of racial superiority is isolating and damaging and poorly prepares white children to function in a diverse society. Recent examinations of how whites create and perpetuate racism, and how they can work to combat it (for example, see Brown 2002), underscore the potential benefits of teaching white children to value diversity and to identify and resist racism.
How can teachers who serve all-white or predominately white groups engage children in learning about racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity and social justice? This article offers suggestions.
Getting started
To prepare to engage white children in anti-bias/multicultural explorations and activities, we need to know ourselves and the children and families we serve. We must explore our own values and views through reflection and conversation. Here are some ideas and actions that can open our hearts and minds and lay the ground-work for classroom experiences.
* Become an intentional and acute observer of children's ideas and images related to race and culture. When adults observe unobtrusively, they hear children express many racial ideas and stereotypes among themselves (Van Ausdale & Feagin 2001). Pay close attention to subtle actions, conversations, and dramatic play situations. For instance, do children laugh at pictures of people who look different from them? Or avoid playing with dolls of color?
* Create opportunities for conversations intentionally. Use books and pictures and use persona doll stories to encourage children to talk about differences and issues of prejudice and discrimination. (see Whitney 1999 for detailed instructions on...