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

Tembo, S ORCID: 0000-0001-8821-5476, Wilkinson, B, Blessitt, E and Ruddick, I (2025) 'What white people did next: insights on building an anti-racist early years forum.' Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, 6 (3). pp. 581-596.

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	anti-racist practice, early childhood education, racial literacy, white educators, collaborative autoethnography
Divisions:	School of Education
Date Deposited:	24 Nov 2025 13:14
Last Modified:	24 Nov 2025 13:14
ISSN:	2717-638X
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17410

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