One of the biggest messages we’re trying to get across with First Name Basis is that learning a person’s story and getting to know them as an individual is the best way to create understanding and foster anti-racist, inclusive communities. Heck, it’s such an important concept that it’s our name!

Getting on a first name basis with people has so much power, and it’s one of the things that made me want to watch the new documentary “Defining Us: Children at the Crossroads of Change.”

Did you know that race is the #1 predictor of whether a student will be successful in the educational system? And according to “Defining Us,” almost 50 million children attend public schools in the U.S. and more than half are students of color.

“Defining Us” goes beyond the statistics to tell the stories of BIPOC students in Los Angeles and New York — the country’s two biggest school districts — and interviews experts on the topic of race and education.

This week on the First Name Basis Podcast, I interviewed Paul Forbes and Stacey DeWitt about their work on “Defining Us.”

Paul Forbes is one of the film’s executive producers, director of partnerships and one of the experts featured in “Defining Us.” He is an anti-bias and educational equity consultant who worked in the New York City Department of education for more than 20 years and has worked for years on equity initiatives and training educators and administrators on bias, culturally responsive education and discussions about systemic racism.

Stacey DeWitt is the director and an executive producer of “Defining Us.” She is an Emmy Award-winning producer, journalist and attorney who has produced over 65 documentaries, many of them focused on children and families. She is deeply committed to the power of storytelling through video and how those stories can create change.

In our interview, we discuss:

• How the documentary came to be.
• How teachers and students can engage in conversations about race.
• The impact of systemic racism on education.
• The power of video in storytelling.

Join First Name Basis on Patreon

Support First Name Basis and our mission to create anti-racist communities by joining our Patreon community! Members of our Patreon community come together once a month for a Q-and-A session or a Policy Party to learn more. For Q-and-A sessions, Patreon members ask me and my husband Carter their pressing questions about anti-racism, inclusion and what’s going on in the world. For Policy Parties, we invite community experts to help all of us take our values into our communities and make change to policies relevant to their area of expertise. Trust me, both of these added opportunities to learn are opportunities you don’t want to miss! To learn more about becoming a Patreon member, visit patreon.com/firstnamebasis. And don’t wait! Our next Q-and-A is Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET!

 

Get your FREE Halloween costume download

Let us help you avoid cultural appropriation this Halloween with this FREE DOWNLOAD! We’ve created a printable decision tree to help you determine whether a costume falls into the “cultural appropriation” category. It’s a great resource for helping you decide and for sparking conversations with your kiddos about what makes a costume appropriation or not. Head over to firstnamebasis.org/costumes to get your copy sent straight to your inbox!

Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced In The Episode 

Watch the “Defining Us” trailer

“Defining Us” website

“Defining Us” on Instagram

“Defining Us” on Facebook 

Where to watch “Defining Us”

Paul Forbes’ company, Leading With Hearts and Minds

Stacey DeWitt’s company, CWK Network

 

Song Credit: “Sleeper” by Steve Adams” and “Dive Down” by VYEN