At the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference on December 6, SEED staff member Chris Avery and SEED leader Patricia Matos signed copies of the new NAIS book Diversity Work in Independent Schools, to which they are both contributors.

This post is by Allison Spire, a SEED leader and K-1 teacher at Our Community School in Chatsworth, California.

Since attending SEED New Leaders’ Week, I can no longer teach the traditional pilgrim stories (the single story) I have always known. I keep hearing the voice of Chimamanda Adichie saying in her video (in that beautiful voice), "Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans, and not with the arrival of the British, and you have an entirely different story." At first, since I had not had an opportunity to develop new curriculum, I simply focused on a general theme of "being thankful." I believed that was, at least, better than teaching the single story—until I could get my act together.

SEED leader and San Francisco teacher Judy Logan shares her story of how using Serial Testimony, SEED's method of intentionally structured conversation, helped her multi-racial class of middle school students respond to the O.J. Simpson verdict in a constructive way, without shame or blame.