J is for Justice

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Hey y’all! Welcome back to your Advocacy Alphabet with Natasha Kile, your AECA Public Policy Chair. Today, we’re talking about J is for Justice.

If we’re serious about equity in early childhood – and I believe we are – then we must be willing to say the harder thing: that race matters in our systems, in our classrooms, and in our outcomes. Not because we want it to, but because the data tells us it does, and looking away doesn’t make it less true.

Research has shown for years that Black preschool children are suspended and expelled at rates far higher than their peers – despite decades of knowledge that suspension and expulsion in early childhood are ineffective and harmful. Studies have documented that implicit bias influences how educators perceive and respond to the behavior of children of color. These are not comfortable findings. They are necessary ones.

Racial justice in early childhood spaces begins with honesty – honest reflection about the biases we carry, the systems we operate within, and the ways those systems have historically failed children and families of color. It continues with action. Anti-bias education is not a one-time training or a diversity bulletin board. It’s an ongoing, intentional practice of examining our assumptions, diversifying our materials, and creating spaces where every child sees themselves reflected and valued.

As advocates, we have a responsibility to push for policy that addresses these disparities directly. It means advocating for data collection and transparency around discipline disparities. It means insisting that the voices of families and educators of color are centered – not consulted as an afterthought – in the decisions that affect them most.

Justice is not a destination we arrive at. It is a direction we choose, every day, in every classroom and every policy conversation.
Choose it anyway.

NAEYC’s resources on advancing equity and anti-bias education offer a strong starting point for reflection and action. Visit naeyc.org to explore.

Do you have an advocacy story you’d like to share? I would love to feature your voice in a future column. Reach out to me at policy@arkansasearlychildhood.org.

p.s. You can find all the posts in the Advocacy Alphabet series here

Natasha Kile
AECA Public Policy Chair