Access and Opportunity
When we showcase a variety of protagonists in children’s books, we provide an opportunity for all children to feel seen and heard and to learn about the unique experiences of communities close to home and across the world. Rising Voices: Honoring the Richness of Black Stories provides engaging texts that celebrate the achievements and experiences of Black people in the United States and beyond, including stories that are often missing from children’s literature. The resources in this collection help children build greater understanding and appreciation of the world they live in. Why Rising Voices? In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop used the phrase “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” to emphasize the need for all children to experience diverse stories through the characters and real-life people they meet in books. When children see aspects of their own experiences reflected in texts, they use books as mirrors. When they gain insights into the world beyond their own experiences, they use books as windows. Books later become sliding glass doors as children develop connections with the characters in the stories they read. Reading a variety of books allows children to look in and look out of their own experiences, and to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections. According to award-winning author Grace Lin, diverse books can even perform as “eyeglasses” that help children to develop a clear view of the robust world around them. Ideally, every classroom would contain a library filled with hundreds of books that reflect a variety of characters featured in a positive light. Positive representation can result in children who have higher self-esteem and increased classroom engagement (Schwartz, 2019). Providing access to high-quality literature, as well as effective instructional supports, creates environments in which teachers feel supported in expecting great things from all students.
6 • Rising Voices: Honoring the Richness of Black Stories
4 | Rising Voices: Honoring the Richness of Black Stories
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