IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All

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Intersection Allies: We Make Room for All book cover

IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All is written by Chelsea ohnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi and illustrated by Ashley Seil Smith. With a foreword by civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality, this celebration of solidarity, allyship, and community is spoken in the voices of children of varying backgrounds, abilities, and identities.[1]

Plot

Told in simple rhyming text, IntersectionAllies introduces the stories of nine kids from diverse backgrounds. Allie uses a wheelchair; her friends make sure she is included in all their games. Kate identifies as nonbinary; her friends make sure she feels safe in all spaces, including school bathrooms. Adilah wears her hijab proudly; her friends love and support her religious expression. Nia’s family marches in a Black Lives Matter protest; all her friends join in solidarity. The Dakota Access Pipeline protests are also highlighted by Dakota and her tribe. Immigrant stories are included as well, with Gloria, Heejung, and Yuri sharing their experiences and receiving loving encouragement from their friends. Their unwavering support for one another helps readers understand what intersectionality means and looks like.[2]

Anti-racism value

IntersectionAllies doesn’t just focus on race, although that is one of the things the book touches on. It focuses on diversity as a whole. The story introduces nine children who defend and welcome each other’s differences, ranging from gender fluidity to disability to language. Some of them are relevant to students and some of them are not, but it’s still nice to expose them to these new things in a way that can kind of be fun for them.[3] One of the most moving illustrations shows a young girl participating in a Black Lives Matter protest.

References

  1. Intersection Allies: We Make Room for All. Retrieved on December 28, 2020.
  2. IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All. Retrieved on December 28, 2020.
  3. Reeve, Jackie (2020). 14 Antiracist Books for Kids and Teens Recommended by BIPOC Teachers and Librarians. Retrieved on December 28, 2020.