Blackness at the Center

An Antidote to Anti-CRT Rhetoric for Early and Elementary Literacy Classrooms

Abstract

The contemporary moment has been marred with attacks on diverse children’s literature and critical and antiracist pedagogy. The increasing numbers of banned books and curricular materials are aimed at diluting and silencing discussions of difference in classrooms. Moreover, race and racism continue to be “bad words” to some early childhood and elementary educators. As three teacher educators committed to justice-centered pedagogy, we reject the omnipresent whiteness that invades early childhood and elementary education and instead seek to shift the gaze to Blackness. Using the ghost pipe plant as a conceptual metaphor, this article will outline practical, instructional strategies and methods for educators who seek to challenge the persistent and overwhelming anti-CRT discourse and censoring by amplifying the stories, lifeworlds, and futures of Black children, families, and communities. We distill how educators can operate from a place of race consciousness to move beyond fear and colorblindness toward actualizing liberatory teaching and learning for Black children through critical engagements with Black children’s literature.