RACISM AND ANTIRACISM IN NONFICTION FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES.

The Common Core State Standards' focus on nonfiction texts has prompted middle schools to include more historical nonfiction, including books that focus on the United States' racialized past (and present) such as We Are Not Yet Equal by Carol Anderson (2018) and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You (2020) by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. But books for youth about racism have been shrouded in controversy, anti-critical race theory legislation, and calls for censorship, suggesting that we need a better understanding of the books' content. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use content analysis to examine messages about racism and antiracism in We Are Not Yet Equal and Stamped. Findings indicated the texts suggest racism takes numerous forms, and it is foundational and persistent throughout the United States' past and present, manifesting as scientific racism, institutional racism, racist violence, representational racism, and racist language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]