Allow us to re-introduce ourselves, our name is Journey to Nia Retreat + Coaching 2024!

For those of you who’ve read previous newsletters, you know that Summer 2023 was when things “fell apart” for me, Takiema, CEO of Anahsa Consulting.  Well, apparently summer 2024 wanted to compete for that top spot, and it was also a very challenging summer for me. 

However, thanks to the community, self-care practices, and inspirational work I have been engaging with, I am finding balance.  Truly, the work that I do in the world gives me so much hope and joy, that I can’t help but keep showing up and showing out.  

Despite the challenges of recent months, there are many “wins” I’d like to share with you, and this newsletter is focused on one in particular: The 2024 Journey to Nia Retreat + Coaching is now officially happening on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 8:30am (ET)-5:00pm, in person at an African centered preschool in Brooklyn, New York!

The theme for the 2024 retreat and coaching is: The Fierce Urgency of Now*: Breaking the cycle of anti-Blackness in early childhood

Why the Journey to Nia retreat + coaching? 

In addition to Black children being 3.6 times more likely to be suspended from preschool than their white counterparts,* did you know that:

• “Black girls are believed to need less nurturing, less compassion, and less comfort than white girls the same age (Epstein et al., 2019). Black girls are also more likely to receive corporal punishment and are often labeled as aggressive, defiant, and non-compliant (Morris, 2016; Onyeka-Crawford et al., 2017).” [Source:A Holistic Approach to Ending Exclusionary Discipline for Young Learners] 

• “Black boys are viewed as less innocent than their white peers and are thought to be 4.5 years older, even by teachers who understand child development (Goff et al., 2014).”  [Source:A Holistic Approach to Ending Exclusionary Discipline for Young Learners] 

These statistics are heartbreaking and infuriating, and there are also many other ways that anti-Blackness shows up for Black children in their earliest years. Over generations, parents have noted them, researchers have begun to study them, and educators struggle to understand how to make a difference for young Black children. It’s been like this for 400+ years, but it doesn't have to be.

The challenge of anti-Blackness in early childhood may feel so big and overwhelming but we can take counsel and direction from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr who said: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

If educators of young Black children individually and collectively take steps now to reject anti-Black racism, and to center Black joy in early childhood, it will positively shift the trajectory for this generation and the generations to come. 

Black children need us to show up now, and to create early childhood environments for them that are racially responsive, center their joy and agency, and challenge them to meet their highest potential. 

The Journey to Nia Retreat + Coaching will help you do to just that:

This unique professional development and 3 months of coaching experience will help you understand how anti-Black racism manifests in the lives of young children and in early childhood learning environments. Alongside a supportive community, you will learn about strategies to center Black joy and disrupt anti-Black racism for young children. You will walk away with actionable self-care strategies to sustain you for your continued work to create equity for Black children.

Registration is currently open, and this year we are offering a BOGO rate, so teams and divisions of early childhood organizations can build their capacity to support Black children.  If your organization would prefer to bring the Journey to Nia Retreat + coaching on-site, please fill out this form and someone from Team Anahsa will get back to you. 

I invite you to respond to this newsletter with your questions, reactions and affirmations for Black children. We would love to hear what you’re currently thinking about when it comes to centering Black joy and eradicating anti-Black racism in early childhood.  Together, we can ensure the next generation of Black children truly thrives in educational settings, starting from birth

In collaboration,

Takiema and Team Anahsa