EXCERPTS
You spent the month of February learning about Black history in Canada and wondering how do I address anti-black racism? In this Black History Month follow-up conversation, Natalie Royer, Belonging Specialist at Saroy Group, will share her story as a Black ECE navigating the sector and facilitate a dialogical space for us to "look deep within [ourselves] and ask the hard questions: Why do I choose to do nothing? What am I afraid of? Why do I think it is not my place act?" (Royer, 2021, para 9).
This conversation is a space for critical thinkers to explore ways to address anti-black racism in early childhood education. The session will consist of facilitated small group discussions offering various opportunities for participants to recognize and respond to the work that needs to happen.
To prepare for this conversation, you are invited to read and engage with the Re-imagining Early Childhood Care and Education in a Post-George Floyd World: An Open Letter and to think with the following questions:
- What you believe the barriers are now?
- How do we overcome these barriers as a sector and in our own practice?
You can share your ideas, questions and/or possibilities about how we can address anti-black racism in early childhood education in this Padlet.
We highly encourage you to attend this Black History Month follow-up conversation. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate ideas, questions and possibilities together about how we can address anti-black racism in early childhood education. We're sure that your ideas will make the facilitated small group conversations, a rich and meaningful experience.
Natalie Royer is a belonging consultant, strategist and coach at Saroy Group Inc. She provides training sessions primarily in the education sector and consults with companies and organizations on how to promote a space of belonging using an equity, diversity and inclusion lens. She has worked in the healthcare sector (i.e. Hospital For Sick Children) and she has taught at colleges and universities for over 10 years. With a background in early childhood education, she advocates for the next generations and hopes as leaders we can create an inclusive space where everyone can thrive.
This conversation will not be recorded to ensure a safe/brave space for all participants.
Access Information: The AECEO is committed to ensuring that our learning experiences are accessible to all educators; including educators with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We believe that taking care to create a learning experience where no person's voice, spirit, or knowledges are lost because they are unable to attend, benefits everyone. ASL-English Interpretation and live captioning will be available at this session. Please contact info@aeceo.ca for access inquiries.
