Consenting to Learn in Public

Consenting to learning in public is a phrase I first heard through Dr. Adrienne Keene (check her out here), either through her blog or her podcast with Matika Wilbur, All My Relations. She talks about using her blog as a space to learn and grow while also making mistakes, and doing so in public. It involves being vulnerable, being open about knowledge gaps and blind spots, being willing to change opinions in the face of new knowledge and evidence, acknowledging when you are wrong, and reading and listening generously.

I intend to use this blog as a place to learn and grow in public in racial equity work, and I hope that if you're a white person reading this, that you decide to learn and grow as well. I know that I will make mistakes, and I appreciate critical feedback and constructive discussion. I am not sure how this will be organized, but I am thinking about it as I bike across the country. I hope that the resources and reflections I post will be helpful to other white folks as they work towards racial equity as well.

With that being said, I hope amplify non-dominant voices and center my posts around those voices. Recently, I have started to diversify my instagram feed by adding these black women educators:

@theeducatorsroom

@msadamsteaches

@apron_education

@helpingkidsrise

@thewokestemteacher

@mrsrussellsroom

@love.tanesha

@blackgirlsteach

Even if you are not an educator, you can benefit from listening to these women, and others like them. As I cultivate more voices, I'll add them as well, and if anyone has recommendations for who to follow, feel free to add them in the comments.