Affirmation: A Tool to Build Belonging
We’re one of those Black and multiracial families that didn’t always celebrate Juneteenth.
I’m not really sure when I first learned about Juneteenth, but I remember that when I did learn about it, I thought of it starkly outside of the bounds of Black culture that I was allowed to access. White supremacy tells us that Blackness is a monolith. That if we don’t look, act, dress, speak (the list is endless) a certain way, then we are isolated from our birthrights.
When someone tells me that some part of Black culture is not for me, because I don’t have an unbroken historical connection to that thing, I use an affirmation as a simple reminder:
EVERYTHING that serves me IS for me.
Mantras (or affirmations or positive self-talk) can guide us as we respond to racial stress and conflict. While positive self-talk or affirmative writing reflections might seem trivial, research supports these practices as strategies for creating safety and belonging in the classroom, especially for BIPOC children. Affirmations help us build mental muscles, and return to known, but sometimes hidden, truths. When an outside influence seeks to us, affirmations as an intervention can right the ship.
Schools have a way of implicitly and explicitly telling BIPOC students that some experiences are not for them. Experiences of racial stress in schools; and the coinciding fears of being seen as inferior and incapable, can actually manifest in fewer cognitive resources being available for learning. Then, a cycle begins. Anxiety and stress can lead to lower grades, which leads to anxiety and stress, and onward. Affirmations are not a magic—to be effective they need to exist alongside trusting relationships—but they do help us build and maintain positive narratives about our identities.
These articles offer examples of ways to implement affirmation in the classroom:
Written Reflection as Intervention
And, these strategies can be implemented in a myriad of ways:
Positive Self Talk As A Morning Ritual
First-- curate + cultivate a list of affirmations that are meaningful to the classroom community; give students time to process + make this process dialogic
Then-- build time into morning SEL routines for students to read, sift through, and journal about their affirmations; positive self talk is habit not magic
In Practice-- create time to read and speak affirmations when threats are high; before a presentation, assessment, or project
Affirmation in Images
Support students as they use media + art + language to build visual affirmations
Be mindful of the media you allow into the space; audit for stereotypes and harm
Affirmation Discussion Circles
Our minds focus on failures and negative experiences, and it takes us a long time to move away from negative thoughts; even in the presence of contrasting evidence. We have to work at it. Dialogic conversations allow students to explore experiences in community + get new insights.
Simple Prompt: What happened today that was good?
We’ll celebrate on Saturday with takeout from a Black-owned restaurant. We make our own dessert; usually cookies topped with red icing. The kids drink strawberry pop, and I do not, because while everything that serves me is for me, strawberry pop does not serve me.
Wishing you and yours a joyous Juneteenth!