Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

This edition of the newsletter highlights equity and anti-racism themes around the upcoming holidays. Please join the Equity and Anti-Racism conversation at Hyde-Addison by joining us on Konstella, utilizing the resources here and/or participating in the monthly Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force meeting. As parents, teachers and staff, we are interested in doing our part to promote equity and end racism in constructive, supportive ways.

Check out A Racial Justice Guide to the Winter Holiday Season for Educators and Families, by the Center for Racial Justice in Education, for a library of culturally sustaining, anti-racist holiday lessons and resources for families during this Winter holiday season. Though the Winter holiday season is a joyful time for many, it can be a challenging time for non-Christians and members of marginalized communities. The guide includes links to articles on Christian privilege, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other topics to support an inclusive understanding of religious holidays and dominant culture during the Winter holiday season.

December is a great time of year to learn about some holidays you might not be familiar with. From December 26 through January 1, many members of our Hyde-Addison community will be celebrating Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture that was founded in 1966, based on African harvest festival traditions. Kwanzaa celebrates the seven principles of African Heritage, one on each of the seven days of the holiday: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Watch Night is an annual New Year's Eve tradition rooted in African American religious traditions. As explained by the National Museum of African American History & Culture: “On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. Just a few months earlier, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the executive order that declared enslaved people in the rebelling Confederate States legally free. However, the decree would not take effect until the clock struck midnight at the start of the new year. The occasion, known as Watch Night or ‘Freedom's Eve,’ marks when African Americans across the country watched and waited for the news of freedom. Today, Watch Night is an annual New Year’s Eve tradition that includes the memory of slavery and freedom, reflections on faith, and celebration of community and strength.”

Please see how two of our amazing students have celebrated Kwanzaa over the years. Be sure to check out the video on the third slide.

Struggling to find the perfect gift for grown folk or kids in your life? How about books? Check out NPR’s 2021 “Books We Love” list. This interactive book concierge is a great year-end reading and gift-giving guide, with something for everyone on your list. You can mix and match between subjects to find reading inspiration—books from around the world, graphic novels, identity and culture, sports, memoir—it's all there! Many of these titles will deepen understanding of equity and race. Your little one will love The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith.

For the grownups on your list, check out Ashley C. Ford’s beautifully-written memoir Somebody’s Daughter, a heartbreaking story about her father’s incarceration and the resulting family trauma, packed with poignant reflections on race, class and gender in the United States.

Someone on your list might also love the brilliant debut collection of short stories My Monticello by veteran public school art teacher Jocelyn Nicole Johnson who lives and writes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Hyde-Addison ES teachers have compiled a list of their favorite holiday books. Please see below.

Many books on this list are available as read-alouds on YouTube. Here are links to Imani’s Gift at Kwanzaa by Denise Burden-Batmon and Freedom Soup by Tami Charles, a story about a delicious Haitian New Year tradition, read aloud by Senator Cory Booker.

PBS has endless Winter holiday activity suggestions, including holiday crafts and more book lists, on their website that you can filter by age and learning area. These are some lovely suggestions for five meaningful holiday traditions for kids.

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their culture, race or ethnicity this month? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

December

• Christmas (December 25, 2021)
• Kwanzaa (December 26, 2021-January 1, 2022)
• Watch Night (December 31, 2021)

January

• Three Kings Day (January 6, 2022)
• Orthodox Christmas (January 7, 2022)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 17, 2022)
• International Day of Education (January 24, 2022)
• International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27, 2022)

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.