JEDI COMMITTEE

MISSION

The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (JEDI) Committee, led by parents, supports Les Lilas French Bilingual Community School's families, faculty, and staff. Our mission is to ensure that Les Lilas embodies its commitment to diversity and equity.

We celebrate differences of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, age, family structure, gender, and more, recognizing their enriching impact on our learning environment. We believe in creating a safe, bias-free space for our children and fostering genuine connections.

We stand against all forms of discrimination and harm, and we're dedicated to collaboration with the school for an inclusive, supportive environment that uplifts all children.

Join us in promoting inclusion and empowerment within our community. Share your unique perspectives as we work together to embrace diversity.

GET INVOLVED

To join the JEDI Committee or to learn more about how to get involved, please contact our Diversity Coordinators, Asmaa Tasfaout, Chloe McKenzie and Asli Acikel at jedi@les-lilas.com.

RESOURCES

TEACHING AND LEARNING ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS

In this video link, we learn that according to a national survey, 40% of Americans do not know Indigenous people are still alive. The speakers in this symposium explain the research data on just how potently problematic misinformation on American Indians actually is. The National Council of Social Studies still perpetuates the manifest destiny narrative that is based on a racist perception that devalues indigenous peoples. K-12 US history curriculum standards and their representation of indigenous people indicate there is a predominantly misinformed and limited inclusion of American Indians both in a pre-1900s context and after that. When we have politicians refusing to recognize sovereign nations we can see that the intention to erase an entire group of people is still a strong racist agenda all across the Americas.
If you are looking for way to familiarize yourself with American Indian history and learn about the direct effects misinformation has on present day communities, please check out this video! You can quite literally skip and play any section and learn something profound and life-changing. A big thank you to the Smithsonian’s American Indian Museum and all of the speakers who put this symposium together!

For parents and teachers looking to gather resources with the mission of learning about factual Indigenous History, check out the Reclaiming Native Truth website.

TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT RACISM

Check out the following resources to learn more about how to talk to your kids about racism:

  • Emma Redden, an expert on racial justice, offers resources, books, and workshops. You can check out her website here.
  • The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) offers tips and book suggestions to talk to young children about race.
  • The Embrace Race website has book lists for different ages that parents can use to introduce or teach antiracism.
  • Ibram X. Kendi's books can be good parent resources. His books for kids ages 12 and up include The (Young) Antiracist's Workbook, and a book he wrote with Jason Reynolds, Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You.
  • Nicola Davies, a parenting coach and founder of the Mindful Parent Academy, published How to Talk So Kids Can Learn About Anti-Racism and Social Justice. You can read more about it here.
CHILDREN'S BOOK RELATING TO GENDER IDENTITY

PICTURE BOOKS

MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

  • Melissa by Alex Gino (for ages 9-12)
    George is a 4th grader who knows she is a girl, and she works to get others to accept this. Kirkus Reviews says “George’s struggles are presented with a light, age-appropriate, and hopeful touch.”
  • Rick by Alex Gino (for ages 8-13)
    Rick is a 6th grader who is questioning his sexuality and eventually comes out as asexual. Kirkus Reviews says the author “seamlessly introduces language to describe a variety of sexualities and gender identities through the perspective of Rick, who is learning many of the words for the first time.”

FOR PARENTS TO READ WITH CHILDREN
It Feels Good To Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn, illustrated by Noah Grigni Even though this is a picture book, the text covers a lot about the topic, so it can be a resource for a broad range of ages - book reviews list it as good for ages 3 to 9.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS