The International Literacy Association (ILA), in partnership with Kwame Alexander, award-winning children’s book author and founding editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint Versify, announced today “How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids,” a Facebook Live event starting at 7:00 p.m. ET this Thursday, June 18.
The free event is a follow-up to June 4’s overwhelmingly successful KidLit Rally for Black Lives, hosted by advocacy group The Brown Bookshelf. Alexander, a frequent ILA conference keynoter, organized the rally with fellow authors Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds in less than 48 hours—a “roll of thunder” call to action in response to the killing of George Floyd in late May.
“Teachers and parents must educate and empower students to imagine a better world,” said Alexander. “For that to happen in the classroom and at home, they’ve got to be better prepared. The rally, this town hall, are all small efforts to get them ready for this paramount work.”
“How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids” is a perfect example of “the work we [at ILA] should be doing,” said ILA Vice President of the Board Dr. Stephen G. Peters, who will deliver opening remarks.
“ILA is an anti-racist organization that stands for justice and equality,” Peters asserted in a joint statement issued by ILA leadership earlier this month.
The first half of the event will be a panel discussion hosted by Kwame Alexander.Featured guests are as follows:
• Cornelius Minor, author of We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be
• Tiffany M. Jewell, author of This Book Is Anti-Racist
• Pam Allyn, global literacy expert and coauthor (with Ernest Morrell) of Every Child a Super Reader
• Noni Thomas López, head of school at The Gordon School in Providence, RI
• Karyn Parsons, author and founder of Sweet BlackberryStephen G. Peters, vice president of the ILA Board of Directors, will deliver opening remarks.A live Q&A will follow the panel discussion.
WHAT: How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids
WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLiteracyAssociation/
HASHTAGS: #KidLit4BlackLives; #ILAequity
