Aurora School is joining again with schools across the country in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action to celebrate Black excellence, joy and organized resistance. We encourage all families to participate in the learning and action.
To complement in-class instruction, please take a few minutes to engage your family with the 13 principles each day this week. The JEDI committee has carefully crafted a family action plan for the week. We’ll send you an email each day to help you focus that day’s efforts. There are lots of possibilities- we encourage you to make plans to follow up with further learning and action in the upcoming weeks and months. During the month of February, we invite all families to contribute to the interactive Timeline of Black Excellence display to amplify your learning and let the world know that Black Lives Matter at Aurora School. Make a plan to participate!
Only have a few minutes over breakfast?
Go over the principles for the day.
Have a few more minutes in the evening?
Watch and discuss a couple videos.
Ready to devote 20-40 minutes at book time?
Go over the questions and action items as well. You can always circle back at a later date.
Ready to share with your Aurora Community and beyond?
When you’re prepared, put your family’s learning into action through the community action ideas- write a letter, contribute to the timeline, make your family’s pledge public, spend with intent, or any other action idea in the family action plan.
Some of the resources below were designed to support and challenge families of non-Black students at Aurora to learn and take action about racial justice. Some questions and materials may not apply to families of Black students.
DAY ONE: Monday, Jan 31
National principles: Restorative Justice, Empathy, and Loving Engagement
Today’s theme: Building a beloved community
Today’s videos: (New resources for 2022 highlighted in blue.)
- Will.i.am sings “What I am” (k/1)
- We’re Different, We’re the Same (k/1)
- Remember to Dream, Ebere by Cynthia Erivo (k/1)
- I Am Human (k-3)
- PBS Kids Talk about Race, Racism, and Identity (k-6)
- What is Empathy? (2-6)
- What I Love about Being Black (4-6)
Note: Some of the resources below were designed to support and challenge families of non-Black students. Some questions and materials may not apply to families of Black students.
Today’s Questions
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How do you feel when we talk about skin color? How do you feel when we talk about Black lives?
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Think of a time when someone commented on your physical appearance (hair, lips, nose, eyes, physique). How did it make you feel?
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Think of a time when someone made a comment that hurt your feelings. How did you handle the situation? Did you feel supported?
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Think of a time when you may have hurt/harmed someone- how did you fix it? What does fixing our mistakes have to do with standing up for Black lives?
Action Ideas
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Create a family “pledge card” or poster for your home. What does your family believe? What actions does your family commit to follow through on your beliefs about racial justice and building a beloved community? Share your family’s commitment with other family members and friends via conversation, email, or postcard. You can include the phrase, “Aurora believes in BLM and so do I. I will commit to (fill in the blank) in 2022.”
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Tell someone you’re sorry for something you did and ask what steps you can take to fix it. Listen to what they have to tell you with compassion. Ask for help if you need to! You can use this strategy if you hurt someone’s feelings- including about race.
Additional resources for grown-ups:
- Dear White Parents film
- The Beloved Community: Martin Luther King Jr’s Prescription for a Healthy Society
- 21 Anti-racism videos to share with kids
- I Still Can’t Breathe – Supporting Kids of Color Amid Racialized Violence
- How Do I Make Sure I’m Not Raising the Next ‘Amy Cooper?
DAY TWO: Tuesday, Feb. 1
National principles: Diversity and Globalism
Today’s theme: Changemakers
Today’s videos:
- I love my hair/Me encanta mi cabello (k/1)
- I Am Brown (k/1)
- Celebrate Black People Who Change the World! (k-6)
- A kid’s book about racism (1-3)
- Kids Talk About Segregation (2-6)
- As Fast as Words Could Fly (2-6)
- Everybody Can Be a Changemaker (2-8)
- Empowering Children as Changemakers (2-8)
- Mighty Times- The Children’s March – documentary about the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama Children’s March (4th-adult)
Today’s Questions
- What are our family’s racial and cultural identities? What does it mean to be Black? When you hear the description Black, what comes to mind?
- What can you do if you see a Black kid being treated unfairly?
- How else can children and youth support Black lives?
Action Ideas
- Do the books you read show people of all races, including Black people? Audit your family book shelf to see how well it represents the diversity of our world. You can use this form to help you talk about what you notice in your book collection.
- Check out some of the books from the book lists below at your local library or bookstore. If they don’t have the books, request them!
Additional resources for grown-ups:
- 21 Books that Teach Little Kids about Race, Justice, and Equality
- 13 Children’s Books with Strong Black Characters
- BLM@school Week picture books
- 13 Guiding Principles Book lists
- 7 Ways to Support the Young Activists in Your Life!
- Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class
DAY THREE: Wednesday, Feb. 2
National principles: Trans-Affirming, Queer Affirming, and Collective Value
Today’s theme: Belonging
Today’s videos:
- I Belong (k/1)
- Julian is a Mermaid– Drag Queen Story Hour (k-3)
- When Aidan Became a Brother (K-3)
- My Princess Boy (k-3)
- Black Panther Party Facts for Kids (k-6)
- A Kid’s Book About Belonging (2-6)
- Kids Explain Black History Month (2-8)
Today’s Questions
- What different communities and social networks do we belong to?
- Do we notice Black people in our communities? Do we notice LGBTQI+/queer people in our communities?
- Why is it important to have Black and queer leaders?
- What can you do to make sure everyone feels included at school?
Action Idea
- Write and send a letter to anyone at Aurora (of any racial/cultural background) who embodies one of the 13 principles of the global movement for Black Lives. Share what you appreciate about them and/or why the principle made you think of them.
- Design or write a world in which one of the 13 principles is fully realized. This world can be expressed through a story, poem, collage, painting, video, or other artwork.
Additional resources for grown-ups:
- Queering Black History and Getting Free
- Queer Affirming Book List
- Windows and Mirrors- Learning about Difference and Belonging (applicable to family and school experiences)
DAY FOUR: Thursday, Feb. 3
National principles: Intergenerational, Black Families, and Black Villages
Today’s theme: Families taking action
Today’s videos:
- Love Makes a Family (k/1)
- Karamo Brown Reads “I Am Perfectly Designed”(k-3)
- The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read (2-6)
- Yolanda Renee King on her Black Family (2-8)
- PBS Kids Talk About Standing Up for Yourself and Other People (k-6)
- Ron’s Big Mission (k-3)
- How it all Began for Ronald McNair (2-8) (*Note: This sweet first hand account by McNair’s brother uses the words “Negro” and “Colored.” Parents need to be prepared to provide historical context and the updated names of Black and African American.)
- The Moms of Magnolia Street (4th-adult)
Today’s Questions
- What important contributions by Black people can we name in science? technology? art? literature? sports? civil rights? If we don’t know, how could we find out?
- What actions can our family take to make the world more safe and just for Black people?
- What resources do we need?
Action Idea
- Observe your neighborhood as well as a neighborhood that you might not typically visit in Oakland. Drive or walk through. What do you notice? How might you describe it? How might someone else describe it? You can use this inventory to help guide your conversation. Find the neighborhoods on this 1937 map featured in this article.
- Call or email your city councilperson to share an idea or proposal about an issue in your city that your family cares about and improves Black lives.
Additional resources for grown-ups:
- #BlackLoveLetters
- The Burden of Teaching My Son About American Racism
- Becoming a Parent in the Age of Black Lives Matter
- Parenting in Support of Black Lives
- The Legacy of Housing Discrimination in the Bay Area: Explained (may be accessible for older students)
- The Lines that Shape Our Cities (may be accessible for older students, especially introduction and topography sections)
DAY FIVE: Friday, Feb. 3
National principles: Black Women and Unapologetically Black
Today’s theme: Black Joy and leadership
Today’s videos:
- Don’t Touch My Hair (k-3)
- I Love My Hair Music Video (k-6)
- Lupita Nyong’o Reads “Sulwe” (k-6)
- Kids Interview Kamala Harris (2-6)
- Can Kids Change the World? (The story of Ayanna Najuma and friends) (k-6)
- Meet Marley Dias (shorter) (k-8)
- Marley Dias and the #1000BlackGirlBooks (longer) (2-8)
- We are the Dream- HBO documentary about the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (2nd-adult)
- Black and Jubilant: Unpacking Black Joy… (6th- adult) (4th-adult)
Today’s Questions
- What is something you love about yourself? What do you love to do?
- What is something you appreciate or love about others who don’t look like you?
- How might you use your gifts and passions to stand up for Black Lives?
- Why is it important to stand up for Black Lives?
Action Idea
- Spend with intent. Support a Black-owned business or organization with your time and money. Choose a restaurant, book store, or other business.
- Contribute to Aurora’s Timeline of Black Excellence by researching one or more Black figures who fought for civil rights and created joy. Follow the link for instructions about formatting!
Additional resources for grown-ups:
- 1000 Black Girl Books Resource Guide
- 16 ways to help children become thoughtful, informed, and BRAVE about race
- Anti-racist Resources from Greater Good