Sankofa Bird: Affirming Blackness From The Start of Early Childhood Education with Anissa L. Eddie

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“Ethnic-racial identity development is a universal developmental process. In the U.S., the process is situated within a specific context of racialization. All caregivers engage in ethnic-racial socialization, whether they are aware of it or not. The process is not neutral and can facilitate healthy or harmful outcomes. Justice-based ethnic-racial socialization is something we can all participate in.

I want to talk about ethnic-racial identity development and socialization in early childhood as a way to promote radical self-love and disrupt the development of harmful bias. I want to increase awareness about how and when ethnic-racial bias develops and describe ways that adults can disrupt the process with the young children in their lives. I want to explain how individual efforts connect with and support systemic efforts. I hope listeners will gain more awareness of this topic and take away actionable ideas they can implement in their lives and communities.”

–Anissa L. Eddie, PhD, MSW

Drawing on her expertise in social work and education policy and her lived experience as a Black biracial woman, Dr. Anissa L. Eddie shares how intentional racial socialization in the earliest years can disrupt anti-Blackness, foster radical self-love in Black children, counter the formation of harmful biases, and promote racial equity.

This Educational Segment covers:

• The importance of ethnic and racial identity development in early childhood education
• Interventions for disrupting internalized racism and bias in young children
• The transformative effect of representation in toys, media, and curriculum
• Practical strategies for caregivers, educators, and parents to promote inclusive mindsets
• The impact of children’s media (Sesame Street, Wimee’s World, Gracie’s Corner, etc.) in shaping equity and belonging
• Dr. Eddie’s research, including her measures for caregiver capacity and her vision for tools and resources to support racial justice in early childhood settings

Dr. Eddie also shares her personal “Sankofa Bird” journey: reclaiming what was missing in her own racial identity formation to empower future generations.

Her storytelling reminds us why it’s never too early to engage children in racial equity work in developmentally relevant ways.

Meet Anissa

Anissa L. Eddie, PhD, MSW, is an early childhood researcher and consultant. Dr. Eddie earned a PhD in child development from Michigan State University and is the owner and principal consultant at Liminality Consulting. Her work focuses on early childhood policies related to family supports, early care, and early childhood education. The scope of her work examines how public policy can be leveraged to increase equitable outcomes for young children and families – particularly within the contexts of birth equity, identity development, and social determinants of health.

Anissa also has a specific line of research focused on ethnic-racial identity development and socialization in early childhood. Anissa’s background is in social work, and she has worked as a school-based social worker, an outpatient therapist, and a college instructor. Prior to starting her doctoral program, Anissa led the PN–3 initiative in Kent County, Michigan, as a Pritzker Fellow. Anissa lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her partner, Jermale, their three sons, and their dog, Toffee.

Follow Anissa

Visit her website: liminalityconsulting.com

Follow on Instagram @liminalityconsulting

Follow Liminality Consulting on Facebook

Connect with Dr. Eddie on LinkedIn

Follow on Twitter @AnissaEddie

More from Anissa

Check out this video from the collaboration she mentioned with Wimee’s World, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.

Name Drops and Appreciations from Anissa

Influences include: – Don’t Play in the Sun: A Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex, by Marita Golden

– The work of Louise Derman-Sparks and colleagues (Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves)

– The Lifespan Model of Ethnic-Racial Identity (Williams et al., 2020) – Sesame Street (both its history and its recent work, Coming Together initiative

– Sisters of The Yam by bell hooks

– Real Self Care by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

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Social Justice Origin Stories is produced, edited, and hosted by Relando Thompkins-Jones