SCBWI

Society of
Children's Book Writers
and Illustrators

Rocky Mountain (Colorado/Wyoming)

Rocky Mountain (Colorado/Wyoming)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources

At SCBWI, we recognize that publicly committing to equity and inclusion is crucial to our membership and the readers we serve. Words, stories, and images are powerful: They define who we are for ourselves and for others.

Historically, content creation that reaches a wide audience of children and teens has been intertwined with a legacy of privilege, oppression, bias, and racism. We acknowledge that as part of the children’s publishing industry we share in that legacy.

Our Mission
Support the creation and availability of quality books for every young reader championing equity and inclusion. We welcome and celebrate writers, illustrators, and translators who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experiences; who seek to create quality literature for young people that reflect the lives of all children.

The Regional Team hopes to create a stronger SCBWI-RMC community that includes, engages, and embraces disparate voices. So glad you’re here!

Our Goals & Vision

  • Expand inclusivity in our membership and create a welcoming and safe environment for all members
  • Provide learning opportunities to increase social consciousness
  • Increase inclusive programming, events, and community outreach

INCLUDE underrepresented and/or marginalized communities in children’s literature who are an essential part of our SCBWI-RMC membership.

ENGAGE our members and communities by identifying resources and support and by providing professional-growth activities.

CULTIVATE a welcoming and safe place to better nurture and support communication and networking opportunities within the diverse voices of our members, the community, and potential members. Together, we craft a new and better organizational story.

Resources for Writing Outside Your Lane

RMC-SCBWI Events, Opportunities & Initiatives Coming Soon!

 

Resources

There are many resources for exploring diversity, equity and inclusion. Here are a number of them to get you started.

SCBWI HQ

SCBWI E&I Resource Library

SCBWI Equity & Inclusion

Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell
As part of SCBWI’s Equity and Inclusion Initiative, the Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell video is available free to members and the general public and focuses on how ten BIPOC creators turned racism into art.

Access the video here: Sticks and Stones and the Stories We Tell Digital Workshop

Resources collected by the SCBWI Southern Breeze region. Thank you!

Cooperative Children’s Book Center (statistics of the diversity of books for young people)

It Gets Better Project

Human Rights Campaign

Sunshine Behavioral Health

7 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists

10 Black History Movies & Docuseries to Educate Yourself on Anti-Racism

Project Implicit

YouTube Video of Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses “White Fragility”

BASICS

Quiz: What do you know about unconscious bias?

How to outsmart your own unconscious bias A TEDX talk by Valerie Alexander

Straight Talk on Race, by Mitali Perkins: Challenging the Stereotypes in Kids’ Books: “Here are five questions that’ll help you and your students discern messages about race in stories.”

We Need Diverse Books: Resources for individuals and groups involved in many levels of children’s publishing

Cooperative Children’s Book Center: Children’s Books by and about People of Color Published in the United States.

The Danger of a Single Story, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A Ted Talk on why no culture can be represented by one story.

Reading While White—Allies for Racial Diversity and Inclusion in Books for Childrens and Teens.

 

CELEBRATING OUR DIVERSITY

Inclusion on the Bookshelf, By Camille Jackson: “The lives of children with disabilities are adventurous, funny, romantic and active. There are many books available that contain characters with disabilities, but few that truly embrace social inclusion.”
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-36-fall-2009/feature/inclusion-bookshelf

Seeing Ourselves and Seeing Others in the Pages of the Books we Read, by Jess Lifshitz: “[E]very single child that walks through my classroom door deserves to see himself or herself in a book in my library.  And every single child that walks through my classroom door deserves a chance to learn about others in this world from the books in my library.” 

https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/seeing-ourselves-and-seeing-others-in-the-pages-of-the-books-we-read-by-jess-lifshitz/

Suggested Reading for the ALSC Day of  Diversity http://dia.ala.org/dayofdiversity

American Indians in Children’s Literature (book reviews and recommendations): “provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.”

http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/

February is African American History Month by Sandy Brehl: African American characters and themes should be shared all year long, not just during February as part of Black History Month activities.

http://unpackingpicturebookpower.blogspot.com/2012/02/whats-so-special-about-february.html

 

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