Abolition and ethnic studies in early care and education

Abstract

The authors enter this conversation on equity, inclusion, and belonging in early care and education with abolition and ethnic studies as necessary standpoints that must be embodied to build what the world can and should be for its youngest inhabitants. Early care and education systems have been marked by damaging practices, pathologizing portrayals, and carceral pedagogies, which demand radical reimagining. The authors offer this writing as a collective—of early childhood educators, motherscholars, and community workers—realizing that there is more expertise and possibilities for change from the collective than any one person alone. This article shares how ethnic studies and abolition gave the authors the language and concepts to put their dreams of humanizing learning experiences for young children into action. They describe key concepts and examples of how abolition and ethnic studies can serve as methodological frameworks to attend to the survivance of young children and communities of color.