Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students

by Afrika Afeni Mills

"Afrika Afeni Mills' book fills an important gap in the arena of diversity, equity and inclusion. Most books are focused on the needs of children of color, but she helps us understand why White students need to build their cultural competence if we are to truly have a society that is bias-free. If you're a White educator or parent, this book will help you to let go of the things that no longer serve you, and to teach your students to embrace those things that will help create welcoming environments where all feel a sense of belonging."

--Zaretta Hammond
Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor

Equip your students--and yourself--to grapple with racial identity and crucial questions about race.

As antiracist educators, we strive to create learning environments where White-identifying students learn to shift from centering their own racial identity to recognizing the histories, perspectives, and experiences of others. How do we make that vision a reality?

In Open Windows, Open Minds , transformational educator Afrika Afeni Mills explores why racial identity work is crucial, especially for White-identifying students and teachers, and shows educators how to use literacy instruction to provide more windows to racial awareness, antiracist thinking, and pro-human action in the classroom. This roadmap for moving from intention to action includes:

Exercises that push educators to examine their own racial identity before facilitating antiracism work with students Prompts that lead educators from deep thinking to instructional planning and implementation Developmentally appropriate teaching strategies for guiding students toward understanding racial identity and engaging in action-oriented learning Tools and resources for navigating challenges, finding allies, and creating partnerships Engaging in anti-bias, antiracist work requires actively thinking, doing, and evolving. Open windows to racial identity and awareness in your students and help create a more inclusive and equitable society.

Genres: Nonfiction

ebook

Published June 15, 2022

About the author

Afrika Afeni Mills (she/her/hers) is an author, and Education Consultant by profession, and more expansively, she is married to her beloved husband of 25 years, mom to two amazing young adults and her canine fur baby. Her personality markers are ISFJ, Enneagram 6, and of the Five Voices, her primary voices are Nurturer/Guardian. If she was a Hogwarts student, she'd be a Hufflepuff. If she was in the dystopian Divergent world, her faction would be Amity.

Afrika works with colleagues, teachers, coaches, and administrators to transform instructional practices. She has been featured on podcasts, blogs, delivered keynote addresses, and facilitated sessions at conferences across the United States. Afrika believes that all educators can be motivated, engaged, dynamic practitioners and leaders when provided with the support needed to create student-centered, antibias, antiracist, pro-human, culturally responsive learning environments that inspire wonder and creativity and nurture true diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion.

Reviews

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honored to read this book in manuscript form and I’m thrilled it’s available for educators now!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not going to do much professional reading this summer, but I had to make an exception for this exceptional book. As a white educator, I understand the importance of de-centering my racial identity as I work with students and I am committed to becoming an ABAR (anti-bias, anti-racist) teacher. But that is not as simple as saying "I don't see color," in fact it couldn't be more opposite. Afrika's book is NOT about shaming, but enlightening and enlisting teachers, parents, and students to be more pro-human in the classroom and beyond. She offers a roadmap for "moving from intention to action" that can help us navigate the entrenched biases and systems that continue to marginalize people. This can apply not only to race but, ethnicity, disability, class, gender, sexual orientation and a myriad of other intersectional social inequities. She includes resources, exercises, lessons, and opportunities to reflect that are powerful and make this an invaluable resource. GET THIS BOOK! We can make this world a better place one teacher, one student, one classroom at a time!

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mills' book is unique in that her audience is educators who work primarily with white-identifying students. "The main goal of this book is to raise awareness about the harmful impact of neglecting to provide support for [white-identifying] students as they grapple with crucial questions about race to equip educators to push against temptation to remain silent with our students." p. 17

She starts by asking white-identifying educators (which includes me) to grapple with their own racial identity and "understanding how we have been racially socialized" (p. 50) and the need for "healing from racialization" (p. 52). "If we acknowledge White supremacy as a trauma response, however, we can address it more effectively as a condition for which we all need healing" (p. 54). She provides a plethora of resources to support us including the "Stages of White Identity Development" (p. 44).

Then Mills moves into addressing WHY we need to talk about race with our white-identifying students who are usually surrounded by mirrors. "For White students, being surrounded by mirrors results in a lack of understanding and empathy for the experiences of people in traditionally marginalized groups" (p. 62).

Mills shares ideas for getting conversations about race started with students (protocols for discussion, sample letters for parents, activities for k-12--although she leans heavily into the 4th-8th grades). Lots and lots of resources and ideas for sustaining the conversation over time.

A final thought. While there's a lot of strong ideas for initiating conversations with students, there's not a lot of content on what might happen during these conversations and how you respond in a way that nurtures students' thinking. And several of the activities could be done without ever talking about race and how we are racially socialized. I think this book is better read with a partner or professional book group with the intent to try out some of the ideas and talk about what happened, how students' thinking was nudged, how teachers grappled with responding. Mills does caution at the end of the book that this will be "messy"! Doing this work together might be the kind of support we need to provide for ourselves.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a white educator I have been looking for a book that provides some basic framing for educators who may be new to the need for racial justice in their classrooms, while also providing practical and targeted curriculum support BUT isn't too cumbersome for teachers with limited time to access. This is that book! Afrika writes with clarity and authority, and her experience with educators shines through. I literally have 10 others on my shelf but this is the one that I am eager to share with my LAUSD staff. She provides scaffolding for newer teachers while also giving practical tips and resources to educators with lots of experience in ABAR (anti-bias, antiracist) teaching. She specifically addresses white educators as well as those teaching mostly white students, while also making it applicable to BIPOC as well. This is a book all teachers need in their toolbox. No matter how long you've been an ABAR teacher, you'll find something of value that you can use with your students (and staff) in this book!

[Damon Rainie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antiracist education is essential because of the benefits it brings to all students, and Afrika Afeni Mills not only makes the case for antibias/antiracist education as essential for BIPOC students, but is explicit in her goal to show how ABAR practices fit into majority White schools, not just as a moral imperative but to prepare students to function in society. The refreshingly frank discussion of our segregated communities and the role of schools within them provided a clarion call. In the first part of the book, Mills focuses on educators’ racial identity development, then on students’ and educators’ role in supporting & spurring that development. She also troubleshoots some of the challenges of bringing ABAR practices to schools and more generally to majority White spaces. In the second part, she provides numerous resources for classrooms & schools, introducing general strategies and then zooming on a few exemplars for each. As a result, teachers can walk away with lesson ideas they can implement immediately, no matter where they are in their ABAR journey.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very informative and practical book that provides the why and the how of becoming an educator engaged in anti-bias, antiracist teaching. There are many ideas for practice and suggestions for ways to engage in reflection. Afrika Afeni Mills writes from her own experience and discussions with educators and includes examples of work from classrooms. A much needed professional resource.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an educator, I have been waiting for this book for a very long time. It has background info and so many resources for us to us and try out. I love the variety and progression of how to have brave conversations about race. I also love the reflecting pages to have us delve deeper into the work. I can’t wait to share this with my friends at school.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not an educator. I read this book because Ms. Mills came to speak to the parents at our elementary school. This book is a must read for anyone even if you are not an educator. I learned so much from reading this and look forward to putting it into practice in my own home with my children.

[Andrealea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Katie Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be in the hands of all teachers and preservice teachers especially those of us who are white. Afrika Afeni Mills provides an interactive guide to disrupting the ways in which race/ism affect who we are, how we interact with others, and how we can lead lives of transformation and liberation. She includes powerful reflection prompts with space to write throughout the book! These could be used for powerful discussion for ABAR professional learning as well.