What If All the Kids Are White?: Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families

In this updated edition, two distinguished early childhood educators tackle the crucial topic of what White children need and gain from anti-bias and multicultural education. The authors propose seven learning themes to help young White children resist messages of racism and build identity and skills for thriving in a country and world filled with diverse ways of being. This compelling text includes teaching strategies for early childhood settings, activities for families and staff, reflection questions, a record of 20th- and 21st-century White anti-racism activists, and organizational and website resources.

Bringing this bestselling guide completely up to date, the authors:

• Address the current state of racism and anti-racism in the United States, including the election of the first African American president and the rise of hate groups.
• Review child development research with a particular emphasis on recent observational studies that show how White children enact racial power codes.
• Discuss implementation of the core learning themes in racially diverse early childhood education settings, state standards for preschools and pre-K classrooms, and NCLB pressures on early childhood teaching.
• Update all resources and appendices, including reading lists and websites for finding resources and organizations engaged in anti-racism work.

Praise for the First Edition--

"By starting with a strong sense of identity that is not race-based, children can move forward to cultivate an anti-racist culture. This book offers caregivers excellent frameworks and tools to make this happen." - TC Record

"Derman-Sparks and Ramsey offer an 'alternative vision' for White identity that breaks the mold....The current status of our anti-bias work demands we read (this book) and use it well" --From the Foreword by Carol Brunson Day

"A dynamic blend of child development theory, social history, and the best pedagogical practice from two distinguished social justice educators--every teacher of young children should read it!" -- Beverly Daniel Tatum, President, Spelman College

"An accessible, practical, and essential tool for every teacher of young White children. I especially appreciated the concrete suggestions and abundance of resources from two of early childhood education's most experienced teachers."--Paul Kivel, educator and author of Uprooting Racism and I Can Make My World a Safer Place