“I love my morenita skin.” Creating a Culturally Empowering and Unapologetic Social Justice-Oriented Children’s Book

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Arts based educational reesarch and critical narrative(s)

Abstract

We are all storytellers. We can produce knowledge by using our talents to tell stories in a variety of formats that challenge negativity, especially as it pertains misconceptions and stereotypes about our identities and communities. Informed by critical race counterstorytelling, I created an unapologetically social justice-oriented children’s book. In this paper, I explain why counterstorytelling, as a framework, served as the foundation for this children’s book and I include several examples of the pages. Additionally, I discuss how and why this children’s book is a tool for cultural empowerment in my community. Ultimately, I argue that counterstorytelling via a children’s book challenges systems of oppression, while also providing an avenue to address pressing societal/educational challenges through inter- and transdisciplinary dialogue.

Author

• Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Portland State University