A timely book to help early care and education teachers, leaders, administrators, coaches, and staff deliver on the promise of high-quality education for all children. The authors provide inspiration, practical tools, and resources through the antibias, antiracist, culturally responsive practices framework.

Contents Acknowledgments  vii Introduction  1 How to Use This Book  2 1.  Racism’s Past, Present, and Future  3 What Is Racism?  3 The Effects of Racism in the United States  11 An Intersectionality Lens  18 Now What?  21 2.  Connecting Culturally Responsive, Anti-Bias, and Anti-Racist (CRABAR) Practices  23 Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias  24 Terminology Matters: Defining Bias and Racism  25 Racism in Early Childhood Education  26 Introducing the CRABAR Framework  27 Now What?  38 3.  Creating CRABAR Learning Environments  41 Spaces for Belonging: Model Learning Environments  42 The Classroom Environment: A Review  43 Reflection on Afrocentric Classroom Environments  44 Prepare to Develop Anti-Racist Classroom Environments  45 Now What?  58 4.  Developing a CRABAR Assessment View  61 Purposes of Assessment  62 Using a CRABAR Lens for Assessment of Classroom Quality  68 Emerging CRABAR Assessments  75 Now What?  79 How Assessments Should be Used  81 5.  Valuing the Early Childhood Workforce to Sustain CRABAR Practices  83 The Vast Role and Limited Compensation for ECE Professionals  84 Low and Inequitable Wages for ECE Professionals Explained by Legacy of Racism and Sexism  85 Now What?  97 6.  Using the RICHER Approach to Elevate the CRABAR Practices  99 Deference to Whiteness in ECE Settings  101 The RICHER Framework  103 Now What?  116 Conclusion  121 Resources  123 References  125 Index  143 About the Authors  155 Land Acknowledgement  155 Body Acknowledgment  157

“This book lays a clear foundation that you can grasp and start using in your everyday work with Black and Brown children and their families in any setting. It motivated and moved me to my core like no other book has. It validates what I think about for my children and future generations.” —Dawn A. Yazzie, faculty, Georgetown University