Throughout my long career in education, I have been committed to ensuring that all students see themselves and their experiences reflected in literature and curricula. I saw, repeatedly, that this commitment promoted cultural pride and awareness, and increased academic engagement, personal validation, empathy, compassion, and a stronger understanding of self and others. Books have the potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of readers, thus the issue of comprehensive and authentic representation continues to be an area of concern. While we are seeing more reading materials that feature characters and text that help girls of color construct a healthy sense of self, these girls live in a society that often conveys negative stereotypes of women and girls of color through news media, social media, and reality shows. These negative images and portrayals of them do not reflect the multilayered identities and positive character traits that are more indicative of who they are. As educators, we have a responsibility to share stories that reflect their authenticity and enhance their identity development, self-esteem, and worldview. I am proud that the books curated for this collection, Rising Voices: Celebrating Girls of Color , will help many girls realize how intelligent, powerful, and beautiful they are already. This series will answer the question, “How are we represented in texts?” and create spaces that afford girls of color untold opportunities to make meaning of their true identities—not those promoted by others with different perceptions and values of them. When empowered with the knowledge of who they really are and who they can be, girls of color will defy the stereotypes ascribed to them, break through ceilings, and create new models of success. Girls of color will be unstoppable!
Dr. M. Ann Levett
Teacher’s Guide • 5
Teacher’s Guide Sampler 5
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs