Overview

Equip your students--and yourself--to grapple with racial identity and crucial questions about race. Open Windows, Open Minds, explores why racial identity work is critical, especially for White-identifying students and teachers, and shows educators how to use literacy instruction to provide more windows to racial awareness, antiracist thinking, and pro-human action in the classroom. It includes: Exercises that push educators to examine their own racial identity before facilitating antiracism work with students Developmentally appropriate teaching strategies for guiding students toward understanding racial identity and engaging in action-oriented learning Tools and resources for navigating challenges, finding allies, and creating partnerships

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9781071852897

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Reviews

Afrika Afeni Mills's book fills an important gap in the arena of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She helps us understand why White students need to build their cultural competence if we are to truly have a society that is bias-free. If you're a White educator or parent, this book will help you to let go of the things that no longer serve you and to teach your students to embrace those things that will help create welcoming environments where all feel a sense of belonging. -- Zaretta Hammond * Author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor * Afrika Afeni Mills expertly offers just the right blend of reflective questions for increasing racial consciousness, with numerous resources, and asks us as White educators to heal ourselves so that we might provide a more accurate racial understanding for all of our students. Doing the exercises within this book is a must-do for any educator who wants to further the work of racial justice in schools. -- Jenna Chandler-Ward * Co-Founder, Teaching While White * In this book, White teachers have an answer. The work of being pro-human is hard and in some ways requires that teachers reinvent the wheel. Afrika Afeni Mills has done a fantastic job of laying out a process for these teachers to follow. From the prologue to the very end, there are nuggets of wisdom and powerful examples that offer concrete ideas. Considering the struggles our schools are facing and the needs White students have for ABAR learning, this is a timely and necessary book. -- Lorena German * Author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices * Afrika Afeni Mills's Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students is a must-read for K-16+ educators who want not only to espouseantiracism practices but also to do the deep transformative work required for this within schools and communities in a way that orients us all toward freedom and liberation. -- Anneliese Signh * Associate Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development/Chief Diversity Officer Office of Academic Affairs & Provost, Tulane University * Afrika Afeni Mills's work is, in short, exceptional. She guides her readers through some of the most important reflections that we can undertake, often with a clever approach that places our answers in conversation with other thoughtful educators around the country. Next, she guides us through practical strategies that not only are grounded in the early chapters' reflective practices but also show us how to inspire students to start-or continue-their own journeys of rigorous reflection about their racial identities. I love how, when doing this, Mills never offers the empty generalities that we have become accustomed to in recent times. She instead embraces complexity and shows us how we can encourage our students to do the same. Open Windows, Open Minds is truly a must-read, in every sense of the phrase. -- Matthew R. Kay * Teacher, Author, Not Light but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and Co-Author, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA * The key contribution of Open Windows, Open Minds is Afrika Afeni Mills's ability to carefully, transformatively step readers-and especially White teachers-through our own knowing better so that we can do better supporting students' abilities to know and do better. -- Paul Gorski * Founder and Lead Equity Specialist, Equity Literacy Institute * Open Windows, Open Minds is a powerful and instructive guide for White educators who are striving to become more effective allies, accomplices, and co-conspirators. Afrika Afeni Mills offers a progression of reflection and action that will empower White educators to dismantle our internalized biases and prejudices and provide better learning opportunities for our students. -- Donalyn Miller * Teacher, Author, The Book Whisperer * Open Windows, Open Minds isn't simply a book you will read. It's a brilliant book you will reread, mark up, keep near, talk about, and encourage others to read. It's a critical text for anyone committed to living an antiracist life. It's a book you will start reading for just ten minutes and then discover you have sat still with thoughts racing for an hour. It's a how-to book that is also a why-you-must book. -- Kylene Beers * Author of When Kids Can't Read; Notice and Note; and Forged by Reading Past President of the National Council of Teachers of English *

Afrika Afeni Mills’s book fills an important gap in the arena of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She helps us understand why White students need to build their cultural competence if we are to truly have a society that is bias-free. If you’re a White educator or parent, this book will help you to let go of the things that no longer serve you and to teach your students to embrace those things that will help create welcoming environments where all feel a sense of belonging. -- Zaretta Hammond * Author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor * Afrika Afeni Mills expertly offers just the right blend of reflective questions for increasing racial consciousness, with numerous resources, and asks us as White educators to heal ourselves so that we might provide a more accurate racial understanding for all of our students. Doing the exercises within this book is a must-do for any educator who wants to further the work of racial justice in schools. -- Jenna Chandler-Ward * Co-Founder, Teaching While White * In this book, White teachers have an answer. The work of being pro-human is hard and in some ways requires that teachers reinvent the wheel. Afrika Afeni Mills has done a fantastic job of laying out a process for these teachers to follow. From the prologue to the very end, there are nuggets of wisdom and powerful examples that offer concrete ideas. Considering the struggles our schools are facing and the needs White students have for ABAR learning, this is a timely and necessary book. -- Lorena Germán * Author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices * Afrika Afeni Mills’s Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students is a must-read for K–16+ educators who want not only to espouseantiracism practices but also to do the deep transformative work required for this within schools and communities in a way that orients us all toward freedom and liberation. -- Anneliese Signh * Associate Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development/Chief Diversity Officer Office of Academic Affairs & Provost, Tulane University * Afrika Afeni Mills’s work is, in short, exceptional. She guides her readers through some of the most important reflections that we can undertake, often with a clever approach that places our answers in conversation with other thoughtful educators around the country. Next, she guides us through practical strategies that not only are grounded in the early chapters’ reflective practices but also show us how to inspire students to start—or continue—their own journeys of rigorous reflection about their racial identities. I love how, when doing this, Mills never offers the empty generalities that we have become accustomed to in recent times. She instead embraces complexity and shows us how we can encourage our students to do the same. Open Windows, Open Minds is truly a must-read, in every sense of the phrase. -- Matthew R. Kay * Teacher, Author, Not Light but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and Co-Author, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA * The key contribution of Open Windows, Open Minds is Afrika Afeni Mills’s ability to carefully, transformatively step readers—and especially White teachers—through our own knowing better so that we can do better supporting students’ abilities to know and do better. -- Paul Gorski * Founder and Lead Equity Specialist, Equity Literacy Institute * Open Windows, Open Minds is a powerful and instructive guide for White educators who are striving to become more effective allies, accomplices, and co-conspirators. Afrika Afeni Mills offers a progression of reflection and action that will empower White educators to dismantle our internalized biases and prejudices and provide better learning opportunities for our students. -- Donalyn Miller * Teacher, Author, The Book Whisperer * Open Windows, Open Minds isn’t simply a book you will read. It’s a brilliant book you will reread, mark up, keep near, talk about, and encourage others to read. It’s a critical text for anyone committed to living an antiracist life. It’s a book you will start reading for just ten minutes and then discover you have sat still with thoughts racing for an hour. It’s a how-to book that is also a why-you-must book. -- Kylene Beers * Author of When Kids Can’t Read; Notice and Note; and Forged by Reading Past President of the National Council of Teachers of English *

Afrika Afeni Mills expertly offers just the right blend of reflective questions for increasing racial consciousness, with numerous resources, and asks us as White educators to heal ourselves so that we might provide a more accurate racial understanding for all of our students. Doing the exercises within this book is a must-do for any educator who wants to further the work of racial justice in schools.--Jenna Chandler-Ward Co-Founder, Teaching While White Afrika Afeni Mills's book fills an important gap in the arena of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She helps us understand why White students need to build their cultural competence if we are to truly have a society that is bias-free. If you're a White educator or parent, this book will help you to let go of the things that no longer serve you and to teach your students to embrace those things that will help create welcoming environments where all feel a sense of belonging.--Zaretta Hammond Author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor In this book, White teachers have an answer. The work of being pro-human is hard and in some ways requires that teachers reinvent the wheel. Afrika Afeni Mills has done a fantastic job of laying out a process for these teachers to follow. From the prologue to the very end, there are nuggets of wisdom and powerful examples that offer concrete ideas. Considering the struggles our schools are facing and the needs White students have for ABAR learning, this is a timely and necessary book.--Lorena German Author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices Open Windows, Open Minds is a powerful and instructive guide for White educators who are striving to become more effective allies, accomplices, and co-conspirators. Afrika Afeni Mills offers a progression of reflection and action that will empower White educators to dismantle our internalized biases and prejudices and provide better learning opportunities for our students.--Donalyn Miller Teacher, Author, The Book Whisperer Open Windows, Open Minds isn't simply a book you will read. It's a brilliant book you will reread, mark up, keep near, talk about, and encourage others to read. It's a critical text for anyone committed to living an antiracist life. It's a book you will start reading for just ten minutes and then discover you have sat still with thoughts racing for an hour. It's a how-to book that is also a why-you-must book.--Kylene Beers Author of When Kids Can't Read; Notice and Note; and Forged by Reading Past President of the National Council of Teachers of English Afrika Afeni Mills's work is, in short, exceptional. She guides her readers through some of the most important reflections that we can undertake, often with a clever approach that places our answers in conversation with other thoughtful educators around the country. Next, she guides us through practical strategies that not only are grounded in the early chapters' reflective practices but also show us how to inspire students to start--or continue--their own journeys of rigorous reflection about their racial identities. I love how, when doing this, Mills never offers the empty generalities that we have become accustomed to in recent times. She instead embraces complexity and shows us how we can encourage our students to do the same. Open Windows, Open Minds is truly a must-read, in every sense of the phrase.--Matthew R. Kay Teacher, Author, Not Light but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, and Co-Author, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA Afrika Afeni Mills's Open Windows, Open Minds: Developing Antiracist, Pro-Human Students is a must-read for K-16+ educators who want not only to espouseantiracism practices but also to do the deep transformative work required for this within schools and communities in a way that orients us all toward freedom and liberation.--Anneliese Signh Associate Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development/Chief Diversity Officer Office of Academic Affairs & Provost, Tulane University The key contribution of Open Windows, Open Minds is Afrika Afeni Mills's ability to carefully, transformatively step readers--and especially White teachers--through our own knowing better so that we can do better supporting students' abilities to know and do better.--Paul Gorski Founder and Lead Equity Specialist, Equity Literacy Institute

Author Information

Afrika Afeni Mills is a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and an education consultant. She works with colleagues, teachers, coaches, and administrators to transform practices. Before these roles, she gained extensive experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, teacher developer, and school administrator since 1999. Afrika has been featured on podcasts, blogs, delivered keynote addresses, and facilitated sessions at conferences across the United States. Afrika believes that all educators can be motivated, engaged, dynamic practitioners and leaders when provided with the support needed to create student-centered, antibias, antiracist, culturally responsive learning environments that inspire wonder and creativity and nurture true diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion. Recognized for her contributions, Afrika was named among Brightbeam′s Top 22 Education Influencers of 2022 and is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Learning Forward. She holds an M.Ed. in Elementary Teaching from Boston College′s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, graduating at the top of her class.

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