ABAR = Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist

You’re a someone who cares about equity, inclusion and diversity, and you’ve realized that there are significant gaps in your bookshelves and classroom lessons. You sense that you have some implicit bias that you’d like to better understand. You’d like to do something about these issues–but you’re not sure how.

We launched TTA to help you discover and integrate learning materials that embody the ideals of social justice and work against white supremacy and racism within your schools, libraries, and homes. That’s why we’ve worked hard to create tools and resources that incorporate an anti-bias & anti-racist (ABAR) approach.

We recognize that it can be difficult to know where to start in your personal anti-racist journey. That’s why we offer a variety of personalized options, from coaching to courses to curriculum materials. One of our hallmarks is a collaborative approach, and we look forward to working with you and your specific needs. We know that it’s hard to take that first step, but we’re here when you feel a little uncomfortable and always ready to help you make a plan to engage and learn!

We offer solutions to find a varied ABAR experience through curated book lists, classroom curriculum, teaching guides, and other learning materials.

One of the reasons we offer curated book selections is that while you can modify words when reading aloud (for example, changing a pronoun to make a character gender neutral), it’s not possible to change the illustrations. Written and spoken language influence gender and racial socialization by providing direct information about the existence or invisibility of people in various societal roles, and using a range of books can expand those horizons.

We hope our learning materials will provide the springboard that you need to dive into this work. 

We also believe that it’s useful to create study groups, which can facilitate the work of processing these complex and challenging concepts through dialogue and shared intentions. We can give you the tools to build a constructive study group experience.

TTA believes that by giving children the agency and power to articulate their own needs, they develop their ability to fully embody their intellectual potential. Promoting equitable policies that integrate positive representations of marginalized groups into every classroom, every day helps children to experience and envision the world at its most inclusive.

What is implicit bias?

Everyone holds implicit beliefs or biases about various social groups, which can have a negative impact in our social educational, business, and social environments. Implicit biases are harmful because they influence the way we perceive and interact with other people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, and appearance – without our conscious awareness. Learning to identify and overcome implicit biases is an important step toward overcoming prejudice and social, racial, and gender stereotypes.