What white people did next: Insights on building an anti-racist early years forum

Shaddai Tembo; Beth Wilkinson; Erin Blessitt; Isabel Ruddick

doi:10.37291/2717638X.202563651

Authors

Shaddai Tembo Bath Spa University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8821-5476
Beth Wilkinson Easton Community Children’s Centre https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3866-7129
Erin Blessitt Hotwells Children's House https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7579-5707
Isabel Ruddick Easton Community Children’s Centre https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6458-4128

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202563651

Keywords:

Anti-racist practice, Early childhood education, Racial literacy, White educators, Collaborative autoethnography

Abstract

This collaboratively written paper explores the formation and purpose of the Bristol Early Years Forum for Anti-Racist Practice, a grassroots initiative led by early years educators in the UK. Through collaborative autoethnography, the authors reflect on their motivations, positionalities, and the tensions involved in leading anti-racist work within a predominantly white profession. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, racial literacy, and Emma Dabiri’s (2021) framing of coalition over allyship, the paper interrogates the limitations of racial liberalism and developmentalist thinking in early childhood education. It argues for the political urgency of anti-racist practice in the early years and examines how white educators might engage in more meaningful ways. This paper contributes to the limited body of literature on white educators' roles in anti-racism and offers insight into the transformative potential of community-based professional development.

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