Webinar Series
Archaeology of the Self: Toward Sustaining Racial Literacy in Education
MƒA teachers can register for this event on the Small-World Network.
Date+Time
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The MƒA Equity Webinars Series invites nationally recognized educators to share ideas that support equity within STEM. Following an interactive presentation by the speaker, Master Teachers have the opportunity to discuss how these ideas might be applied in their own school environments in small groups. Teachers from MƒA, other Master Teacher programs, and people interested in learning more about MƒA are invited to attend.
Educators who develop racial literacy engage in necessary personal reflection about their racial beliefs and practices, and can teach their students to do the same. Racial literacy in schools includes reading, writing about, discussing, and interrupting situations and events that are motivated and upheld by racial inequity and bias.
As we navigate a world where current events continually highlight these challenges, it is crucial to consider how we can support all students, fostering environments where every student feels seen and valued. Sustaining racial literacy is possible through an “Archaeology of the Self™” approach, an action-oriented process grounded in love, humility, reflection, an understanding of history, and a commitment to working against racial injustice.
In this talk, Dr. Sealy-Ruiz will invite teachers to (1) engage in deep self-reflection to uncover and critically examine their own racial beliefs and practices, (2) learn about racial literacy, and (3) embark on an action-oriented journey, committing to ongoing work against racial injustice and promoting a more equitable and inclusive educational environment. Teachers will leave with practical tools and strategies to implement racial literacy in their classrooms and schools.
Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is also the founder of the Racial Literacy Project@TC and Racial Literacy Roundtables series. Her research has appeared in several academic journals, and she is the co-author of the award-winning book Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces.
Dr. Sealy-Ruiz is a multiple honoree of EdWeek's EduScholar Influencers—a list of the top 1% of educational scholars in the United States. Yolanda appeared in three documentaries: Spike Lee’s “2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright,” about the Black Lives Matter movement and the campus protests at the University of Missouri, “Defining Us, Children at the Crossroads of Change,” about supporting and educating the nation's Black and Latinx male youth, and the forthcoming "Black Girls," about advocacy among Black girls and women in society.
Yolanda has also published two poetry collections, Love from the Vortex & Other Poems and The Peace Chronicles. She opened the 2022 TEDx UPENN conference with her talk: “Truth, Love & Racial Literacy.” Connect with Yolanda on Twitter at @RuizSealey and on Instagram at @yolie_sealeyruiz.