Two teachers are planning to open a preschool in Columbia City in Seattle, Washington, that will have a curriculum focused on the stories of people of color.
According to NBC affiliate King5, the two teachers have already been holding a series of community workshops focused on the experiences of people of color, but they want to expand the discussion of race and racism to an entire preschool curriculum.
“We’re looking to create the confidence that when these kids go into predominately white schools that they can bring counter narratives to the school,” said Benjamin Gore, who, with Jasen Frelot, plans to open the preschool in the fall of this year at Columbia City Church of Hope.
“When we’re telling stories to our kids, especially about people of color, we want to make sure that we’re showing them stories about people of color that aren’t just about people existing in the past,” said Frelot.
“I like the idea of these kids being exposed to role models that don’t look like them,” parent Taryn Coe reportedly said. “And there’s a lot of Disney princess culture that happens in our house, and they see white princesses and say, ‘I want to look like that,’ and I think it’s really important that they see there are so many other ways they can accomplish things than being a white princess.”
Columbia City Church of Hope calls itself a “progressive community of faith.”
“We are creating a radically inclusive space where everyone can be real,” the church’s website states. “We work for justice, especially for those who are systematically denied it: people experiencing homelessness, those who identify as LGBT, People of Color, those who are economically marginalized.”