Sheldon Eakins:

Welcome, advocates, to another episode of the Leading Equity Podcast, a podcast that focuses on supporting educators with the tools and resources necessary to ensure equity at their school. Today I got a special guest with me, Miss Homa Tavangar is here. And without further ado, Homa, thank you so much for joining us today.

Homa Tavangar:

Thank you so much for having me, Sheldon.

Sheldon Eakins:

Well, I'm excited to talk to you today. We have a lot going on in our nation, in the United States, and we have a lot of things going on in this world. And so I'm glad that we're going to be able to talk about it. But before we get into that discussion, I'd love for you to share with our advocates out there a little bit about yourself and what you currently do.

Homa Tavangar:

Yeah, sure. Thank you so much. So I'm involved in a lot of different projects. I am the co-founder of the Big Questions Institute. The website is bigquestions.institute with Will Richardson, and the co-founder of the Oneness Lab with Eric Dozier. I am the author of a number of books like Growing Up Global, Raising Children to be at Home in the World, the Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners, and my newest publication is really different from my past work, that was really mostly for adults around global competence and world-class learners.

               It's a product, something between a book and a game, it's 50 cards called Global Kids, that was published by Barefoot Books, and it's activity cards that gamify and craftify how younger children, like around age five to about nine, can engage with the world through lenses that we have been very explicit about that they be anti-racist. We jokingly call this decolonizing kindergarten because we do question and take a fresh look at the way children interact with diverse cultures around the world. And we particularly have been really deliberate about centering the majority of the world's population, who are black, indigenous, people of color from the illustrations to the countries and activities that are in Global Kids. So we're really excited, I'm really excited, to share that with the world. And, in all of this, having a lot of discussions around ideas like building racial competence and justice equity, diversity in schools, and how to really reimagine schools for those Jedi principles.

Sheldon Eakins:

Jedi principles. I like that. I haven't heard that one. That's a new one for me.

Homa Tavangar:

Oh really?

Sheldon Eakins:

Yeah. That's new, but I like it. I like it. Jedi principles.

Homa Tavangar:

Oh yeah, Jedi warriors.

Sheldon Eakins:

Yes. Okay, so let's get into it and thank you for sharing, and I'll leave some links in the show notes as well so folks that are listening to this episode can get their hands on your latest... Remind me, what is it called again, the cards?

Homa Tavangar:

It's called Global Kids and it's 50 plus games, crafts, recipes, and more from around the world.

Sheldon Eakins:

Recipes too, so we can throw down in the kitchen as well. Okay.

Homa Tavangar:

Yeah. And it's designed to be really simple. So if a six, seven-year-old wants to make Jollof rice from Ghana, they can go at it. We have all kinds of things. Even noticing where your food comes from, all kinds of things that make you more aware of your relationship to the world. It's the joy part; filling our children with joy and wonder about the world as opposed to fear. And so much of the narrative around the world, especially now, is very fear-based.

               Of course, this was written and published before Coronavirus, but that was still very much the story that has been emerging really since 9/11. A lot of my work centers in removing that fear and the right that every child has, every child deserves the world, every child, regardless of whether their parents have a passport, whether they've ever been on an airplane, we can start to explore and connect with our wider world. And so a lot of my work has centered in that wonder, discovery, joy that the world can bring.

Sheldon Eakins:

I mean, you had me at ingredients and recipes. But now I'm just like, "Okay, I've got to get my hands on these cards." So is this elementary? Because I've got little ones, I got a 10 and a 7, and I think this would be very helpful for them. So I want to grab a copy myself.

Homa Tavangar:

Yeah, absolutely. It's exactly for their age. I'm going to put this because you and I are speaking on Zoom, so I'm going to let you see it and I'm going to try to describe. But one of the things we try to do in the different cards is follow the advice of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and be aware of the danger of a single story.

               The card I just showed you is inspired by Rwanda. I travel all over the world and talk to educators and parents. And if I ask them, "When you think of Rwanda, what do you think of?" They're going to say, likely, "Genocide, tragedy, catastrophe." But if you ask someone from Rwanda who would probably pronounce the country differently, like "Arwanda," I think, is the way they would pronounce it, that's not how they would describe their own country, their home. Just like, "How would you describe your home?" They would tell me other things.

               We found out for example, that Rwanda's the first country in the world to ban single use plastic bags. And so for your seven-year-old, we want to show them this country through the innovation. It's a story of innovation and it's a story of incredible creativity and resilience that's coming out of Rwanda, which also has more female leaders in power than any other country in the world. And so they're coming up with these solutions. So the activity is something that kids can do around making a plastics penalty pot for their family inspired by a traditional art form in Rwanda. So you learn the traditional art form, you make this plastic penalty pot, so that if anyone in your home uses like a single use plastic bag, your child can maybe find you a quarter or whatever, and you put it in the jar.

               So there's a service element, there's a factual element about the country, there's a way to engage. I find that the most wonderful way to engage children in their learning is through meaning, through... That student-centered, student agency kind of work is much more around reframing questions like, "What problem do you want to solve?" As opposed to, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Which feels so final and overwhelming that I think many adults are still trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. So taking away that pressure and giving kids that opportunity to just know more and be more curious.

               You don't have to get on an airplane to begin to explore some of the beauty of this country and some of the innovation and to learn a new story about countries that maybe they never had even heard of before. So that's one example of some of the exciting, fun, simple... It's also screen free. So it's a way to sit down with this, and not constantly be online and on a screen.

Sheldon Eakins:

I love how you brought up the inspiration behind this product because you said, the dangers of a single story. I mean, those who are doing equity work have more than likely seen that video. And like you said, there's a narrative of Rwanda. What is it? The Tutsis and Hutus, I believe are the two tribes and genocide and everything that goes on. But there's so much more to this country. And just that card alone... So here's the question that I have for you, Homa.

Homa Tavangar:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Sheldon Eakins:

When you were putting this together, when you were doing your research, how were you able to try to avoid the cultural appropriation side of things versus the cultural appreciation side of things? Walk us through that kind of process.

Homa Tavangar:

That was actually one of the central questions behind every single activity that we created. And as somebody who's been working on global citizenship and helping all kinds of organizations and educators understand our role in the world, and how we can be global citizens. And I'd love to talk a little bit about even what is a global citizen. That was front and center on my mind.

               We had a couple of examples that were really challenging for cultural appropriation. When we tried, it was really important to me that we had some cards that reflected indigenous culture. And I look at some of the research, things like facts, like indigenous people make up less than 5% of the world's population, but they protect more than 80% of the world's biodiversity. So our survival literally depends on indigenous people.

               And if we can reframe how we learn to listen to the wisdom, indigenous wisdom, that will be so important. And so when we depict it, [inaudible 00:11:16] a native American culture, and there are many. We struggle, because many of their craft ideas and things that... Everything from a totem pole to, a windcatcher, those are all based on sacred objects.

               One rule of cultural appropriation is, you don't use a sacred object in a craft project. You have to build in reverence, preferably you build in learning from a teacher who has that knowledge firsthand. But if you can't do that, you have to be really careful that you are not just taking a sacred object and using a culture for your costume or a throwaway [inaudible 00:12:13].

               Another one that we struggled with was, I've lived in Kenya and I wanted to depict something from Maasai culture. And so we were going to make a Maasai bead collar. How do you do that using a simple object? Well we were going to have kids cut out a paper plate and fit it around their neck and color it in and make a color. But then we realized those colors are made for very important sacred ceremonies or as a sign of respect for someone in the community. So you can't just have a child go and make a collar out of a disposable household object. That really denigrates the power of that collar.

               So what we ended up doing, we have a card that does depict Maasai culture. And one thing we do is we explain that this culture is in Kenya and Tanzania. Because that shows that those national boundaries are relics of a colonial power that just arbitrarily split up countries. And we may not say that to a six-year-old, but we will tell them that Maasai culture is in both of these countries. So they start to get that idea. And that the collar is an object of great respect. So we have a depiction of what actual Maasai beautiful beaded collar looks like.

               And then what we teach in the activity is each color in the beads has a significance. And so if you want to make a friendship bracelet, which kids make all the time, you can make a friendship bracelet that's inspired by a Maasai collar. And you put in the colors that maybe represent your friend, that you're making the friendship bracelet for, in honor of, or in memory of in... Yeah, I guess in honor of the tradition that comes out of the Maasai culture, so we're not trying to recreate that.

               Then what we ended up making for a Native American card is from Haudenosaunee culture, which, as someone who did grow up in the United States, I did not know who the Haudenosaunee were. But what I realized is actually that's who we called Iroquois, but Iroquois is a French name. And so we're teaching the younger children their Native American name, not the colonial name.

               And then the activity we have is another recipe, actually, it's Three Sisters Soup. And so what we're teaching is another innovation, the agricultural innovation of growing the three sisters, which are companion planting of corn, beans, and squash together. And so we're learning this innovative process. And then we have a recipe for making the soup with the three vegetables who are the three sisters who grow under each other's shadow.

               Yeah, on the surface, the card just looks like a fun little recipe, but it actually... I consulted dozens of scholars around various Native American cultural practices. And it was really a very interesting instructive process, very humbling, and very profound as well.

Sheldon Eakins:

I love that. I work on a reservation myself, in which I have had the pleasure of working with these tribes for four years. And one of the things that I have learned over time is, is very important to the community that I'm serving that they aren't grouped into just Native Americans, because they have their own celebrations, their ceremonies, traditions-

Homa Tavangar:

Languages.

Sheldon Eakins:

... language, everything. But sometimes when we see Native Americans depicted in our textbooks, when we see the content that is displayed as, "Oh, yeah, Native Americans do this and Native Americans do that." Not all Native Americans do this and do that. There's different types of rituals that are involved according to the ancestry, their beliefs, and even their beliefs in creation and the creator. And in the language that they utilize is not the same across all ways of life, if you will.

               I'm glad that you consulted and that you also recognize a totem pole may mean something to this tribe, but a totem pole may not even mean anything to another tribe. We can't just group everything as if, "I just learned. I have read a Native American book. And so therefore, I'm very fluent and knowledgeable in regards to my competency with this culture." No, there's various cultures built in. So I'm glad that you said that.

               Now, we probably should have did this long time ago. So we're going to take some time to define global citizenship. Why don't you go ahead and take some time to share with us what does global citizenship mean?

Homa Tavangar:

Sure. I have my own definition, and I'll share that because I find that it's the easiest one to remember. I went on this quest after 9/11. At the time, I had two children. Now I have three, they're all grown up. My youngest is about to be a senior in high school, but my older two have graduated from college. And I was really seeking a way to have a discussion around global citizenship with my American friends and neighbors who did not think it was very important, and it was not on their minds. But I saw that our relationship with the world was changing, especially after 9/11. And so I went on this quest of looking for what's out there, and how are people talking about global citizenship, and just how we raise our kids to not be afraid of the world and to be just citizens of the world, part of the world, enjoy the world, not fear it.

               I found materials that talked about how to talk to your child about terrorism. And I didn't want to talk to my young kids at the time about terrorism. Actually, I stumbled on a quotation that's actually from the Baha'is writings that says, "Be a friend to the whole human race." And at the time, I was... Well, there's a longer story behind that. I lived in West Africa with my kids for one term of school. And there's a whole long story behind that. We were living in The Gambia. But I saw my daughters interacting with all these new friends, with all these kids who, on the surface, seemed to have not a lot in common with my kids who lived in Philadelphia in the suburbs, their whole life and had never left. But I saw how they interacted so beautifully as friends.

               I'd read many academic definitions of global citizenship, and they're very long, they're very complex, and you read it and then you forget it. But this idea of being a friend to the whole human race ended up becoming this aha moment for me; that that is my definition of a global citizen. So if you are a friend to the whole human race, you have to think about like, "What are the qualities..." I ask everybody, "What are the qualities of a good friend? What does it make you think of when someone is a good friend to you?" And everyone I ask, and I'll just go ahead and say what the answers are, they say things like, "Loyal, kind, caring, they got your back, they're nonjudgmental," on and on. And then eventually they'll say, "We have fun together or they make me laugh."

               And so that is what it means to be a citizen of the world. That there is this sense of responsibility, non-judgment, paying attention to the needs of your friend, the world, and it's also fun. It isn't always serious, like making those recipes or playing games from around the world or watching a movie from a different culture, just all these little things together start to open up your lens to the wider world.

               So being a friend to the whole human race kind of also reminds me of... I think it was an old girl scout or boy scout, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, the other is gold." Remember?

Sheldon Eakins:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Homa Tavangar:

I think I was in Brownies and we would say that. And so, it tells me also that being a friend to the whole human race is not an either-or proposition. You can be a friend in your local community and in the world. And so there is enough room in my heart for more than one friend. I can be a friend on a wider scale. I think of hyperlocal; acting in a way that's hyperlocal, really noticing what are the needs of your community, really getting involved in your local community, whether it's, I don't know, planting a vegetable garden or helping out a neighbor in need.

               I mean, right now, while we are in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, it's a fascinating example of how walls cannot contain that virus, how we are all impacted. However, we are not impacted evenly. And I think that is an important point in this crisis. But that your local community, your global community saying, "I'm not going to get involved globally or think globally until my local problems are solved," is a bit of a false dichotomy.

               Similarly, something you and I talked about a little bit before is the false dichotomy of siloing equity questions with global citizenship. The two can help solve each other. Just like Dr. King was inspired by Gandhi, just like we get inspired by Nelson Mandela or Greta Thunberg, or youth movements all over the world to help inspire our movements at home. We live in this extremely globally connected time, and so gaining inspiration from each other can be really powerful.

               I'm amazed by how quickly... I'm not amazed. I shouldn't be amazed. I love how quickly the Black Lives Matter movement spread all over the world. And how striking it was to see youth in Paris and youth in Syria with Black Lives Matter signs, with painting murals about George Floyd, all over the world; this is a global concern. And so, thinking that we can isolate ourselves from that is about as feasible as it is to isolate this country from the coronavirus. We are really all in this together.

               And so that is a really important lesson in terms of school's curriculum reorienting itself, because we need every student to help us solve these problems that are so difficult and entrenched and global. We need them to be able to have that cognitive complexity. And that's part of why I think every child deserves the world because every child is going to live in the world, whether we're ready or not as the adults in the room.

Sheldon Eakins:

All right, well, I love that. And thank you for the definition and explaining even further. Because I think especially during these times; we touched on pandemic, there's Black Lives Matter. And it's not just Black Lives Matter, there's, I mean, not too long ago, the Dakota pipeline, which was shut down by the judge. And there's still work that's being done regarding our communities of color. I wanted to know, how does global citizenship tie into anti-racism? Because I think that's, to me, is a big piece that we should probably touch on as we're having this conversation.

Homa Tavangar:

Yeah, that's the big question. Again, I think that many of us have been conditioned to keep these two really separate buckets. And that is a false dichotomy to me. So again, global citizenship is being a friend to the whole human race. And to me, the solution... This is some work that I've been doing around race and equity with the Oneness Lab, we talk often that we have to go deeper than diversity. And that the plantation was diverse. So, it's about the power, it's about the privilege, and ultimately, it's about relationships. It's really important to consider this under the lens of, "I am living in relationship with the world. And so, in anti-racist education, in just my own posture, living in the world, I am constantly learning. I'm learning from different perspectives."

               And that, to me, is a very abundant approach. I don't want to cut myself off from sources of information, new literacies, new sources of inspiration. It is boundless. Anti-racism starts with the word 'anti', but I really see this not from a deficit perspective. It's against racism, but it's really for humanity. And it's about living in relationship with people who maybe don't look, live, believe the same as me. And opening up that possibility of being a friend to the whole human race.

               I really see it from a model of oneness. And oneness is not the same as sameness. Even with very young children, and this is one of the themes in Global Kids, very young kids, just like we teach them that we see color, "I'm not colorblind. I think color is beautiful. I think we're like flowers of a garden." You could say this to a five-year-old, "Flowers in a garden, they are different colors and sizes and fragrances and shapes. That's what makes the garden beautiful." That idea, it kind of grows as the student grows as well.

               Having this mindset of living in relationship with the world, learning about what is distinct and beautiful about different cultures helps me to build relationships with my neighbors and friends of different races, to not fear people who have a different skin tone than me. I mean, what a ridiculous idea that is. Why do we still live with that? Well, there are a lot of reasons which maybe another podcast can cover.

Sheldon Eakins:

Yeah, if we had the time.

Homa Tavangar:

Yeah, yeah. But I think it is part of this opening our minds and unsticking our imaginations. And those two ideas; global citizenship and anti-racism can truly support each other.

Sheldon Eakins:

Okay. Well, Homa, I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation today, and I consider you as providing a voice in leading equity. Why don't you close us out with one final word of advice for our listeners?

Homa Tavangar:

One final word of advice I would say is, this is a really scary time. And there are so many forces that are trying to divide us when it comes to returning to school or not, when it comes to how we teach, how we lead, how we live, how we learn. And I think the human promptings of the heart are really important. And they are toward coming together and learning about each other. And so if we can remove some of that fear and anxiety by following our hearts, which I think bring us together, I hope that that can help us to really be a friend to the whole human race.

Sheldon Eakins:

Ooh, I love that. That's good. Let's do this.

Homa Tavangar:

I didn't know what to say.

Sheldon Eakins:

No, you did great. You did great. If we have some folks that want to reach out to you, Homa, what's the best way to connect with you online? And also just remind us how I can get our hands on some of your activity there.

Homa Tavangar:

Well, thank you. Well, I think maybe on Twitter, if you go to @HomaTav, then there's links to all these different projects. I have a link tree on my bio. So @HomaTav on Twitter. I'm pretty easy to find because there aren't a lot of Homa Tavangars out there, so.

Sheldon Eakins:

And then, where's the resource at as far as the activity cards, the cards?

Homa Tavangar:

Global Kids?

Sheldon Eakins:

Yes, Global Kids.

Homa Tavangar:

So, you can buy it on Amazon. You can buy it at barefootbooks.com, that's the publisher. So Amazon, Barefoot Books, look up Global Kids, look up my name. It's easy out there. So I'd love to hear how people can use the resource for anti-racist parenting and education.

Sheldon Eakins:

All right. Well, once again, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Miss Homa Tavangar today. It has truly been a pleasure. Thank you so much.

Homa Tavangar:

Thank you so much, Sheldon.

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