About this session

Friday, 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Using Research to Support Racial Justice in the Early Childhood Workforce and Communities

The early childhood field, including the early care and education workforce and the communities they serve, is deeply shaped by systemic racism that underpins social, economic, and educational structures in the United States. Early educators, predominantly women of color, frequently encounter historically low wages, inadequate professional support, and inequitable access to resources, which perpetuates cycles of inequity (Austin et al, 2019; McLean et al., 2021; Lloyd et al., 2021). Simultaneously, children and families of color experience the ramifications of racism through pervasive biases, discriminatory policies, and harmful practices embedded within the early childhood sector (Iruka et al., 2022; Meek et al., 2020). Research on these topics necessitates a critical awareness of race/racism, given their deep entrenchment within the field. This approach should involve meaningful engagement with the study population—whether early educators or children and families of color—and aim to support positive change in practices and policies on the ground.

This roundtable session centers on the use of research and the roles of researchers in supporting social struggles and racial justice within the early childhood field. We bring together researchers and teacher educators whose work focuses on educators, children, and communities of color. The roundtable will focus on questions such as:

- Which research frameworks and methodologies have proven helpful in exploring race/racism in the early childhood education field and workforce?
- What challenges or tensions are encountered when conducting research on race/racism in the early childhood education field and workforce?
- What models or tools can be used to leverage research to support racial justice within the early childhood education field and workforce?
- What roles can researchers and teacher educators play in uplifting the voices of early educators and children/families of color?

This roundtable discussion will draw from the experience and expertise of panelists Cristina Medellin, Stephanie M. Curenton, Carola Oliva-Olson, and Yoonjeon Kim, as well as the collective expertise of audience members, to foster conversations and mutual learning. Yoonjeon Kim will serve as moderator.

The early childhood field, including the early care and education workforce and the communities they serve, is deeply shaped by systemic racism that underpins social, economic, and educational structures in the United States. Early educators, predominantly women of color, frequently encounter historically low wages, inadequate professional support, and inequitable access to resources, which perpetuates cycles of inequity (Austin et al, 2019; McLean et al., 2021; Lloyd et al., 2021). Simultaneously, children and families of color experience the ramifications of racism through pervasive biases, discriminatory policies, and harmful practices embedded within the early childhood sector (Iruka et al., 2022; Meek et al., 2020). Research on these topics necessitates a critical awareness of race/racism, given their deep entrenchment within the field. This approach should involve meaningful engagement with the study population—whether early educators or children and families of color—and aim to support positive change in practices and policies on the ground.

This roundtable session centers on the use of research and the roles of researchers in supporting social struggles and racial justice within the early childhood field. Roundtable discussion will draw from the experience and expertise of panelists, as well as the collective expertise of audience members, to foster conversations and mutual learning. The early childhood field, including the early care and education workforce and the communities they serve, is deeply shaped by systemic racism that underpins social, economic, and educational structures in the United States. Early educators, predominantly women of color, frequently encounter historically low wages, inadequate professional support, and inequitable access to resources, which perpetuates cycles of inequity (Austin et al, 2019; McLean et al., 2021; Lloyd et al., 2021). Simultaneously, children and families of color experience the ramifications of racism through pervasive biases, discriminatory policies, and harmful practices embedded within the early childhood sector (Iruka et al., 2022; Meek et al., 2020). Research on these topics necessitates a critical awareness of race/racism, given their deep entrenchment within the field. This approach should involve meaningful engagement with the study population—whether early educators or children and families of color—and aim to support positive change in practices and policies on the ground.

This roundtable session centers on the use of research and the roles of researchers in supporting social struggles and racial justice within the early childhood field. Roundtable discussion will draw from the experience and expertise of panelists, as well as the collective expertise of audience members, to foster conversations and mutual learning.

Session moderator
Yoonjeon Kim, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, United States

Panelists
Dr. Cristina Medellin, Ph.D., Bank Street College of Education , United States
Dr. Stephanie Michelle Curenton, Ph.D., Boston University , United States
Yoonjeon Kim, Ph.D., University of California - Berkeley , United States
Carola Oliva-Olson, EDvance College , United States

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