On Monday we commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of advocating for racial and economic equality and justice for communities of color. It’s the perfect time of year to commit to making the world a more just place and having positive conversations about race with our students.
Faith Sweeney, chair of CEA’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity Affairs Commission, currently works as a gifted teacher in Westport and in her pervious role as a literacy coach has often lead discussions about race with elementary students. She uses literature to ground those conversations and help students understand how language impacts people.
When it comes to books for adults, Sweeney recommends teachers check out the following titles.
- Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools, by Glenn E. Singleton
- Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension, by Sara K. Ahmed
- Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, by Zaretta Hammond
- Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, by Gholdy Muhammad

Westport teacher Faith Sweeney.
Sweeney emphasizes that when choosing literature to share with children and in conversations with students it’s important to not only talk about injustices or civil rights struggles. “It’s important to choose books that show children of color in everyday situations.”
She says that there are many ways to incorporate conversations about race into the curriculum, but that if a teachable moment comes up, it’s okay to pause and create space for discussion. “The curriculum is always going to be there, but you’re not going to get that moment back. We don’t know all of the answers, and it’s okay to share that with your class and say, ‘I don’t know enough about that right now, but I will research it and get back to you.'”
Sweeney has compiled a Padlet with a diverse book collection for pre-k to fifth graders and also shares lists she has created of books that support positive conversations about race.
CEA’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity Affairs Commission (REDAC) promotes the elevation of racially and ethnically diverse membership voices through building leadership capacity. In addition, REDAC works to develop an awareness of racially and ethnically diverse issues and encourages the development of organizational strategies to address those issues.
Save the date for REDAC’s third annual Summit on Diversity, which will take place March 29 at Amarante’s Sea Cliff in New Haven.