Embracing Authenticity, Integrity and Community

In Stories of Resistance, twelve Black leaders in early care and education come together to share authentically and proudly their vision, fortitude, passion, and courage. Their stories invite you to join a circle, draw strength and inspiration, and take new action in your own work in the world. Cynthia Davis-Vanloo concludes her chapter with these powerful insights: This writing has been a self-reflective exercise on what the phrase, "a seat at the table" has meant, currently means, and may mean in the future to me as a Black African American woman in the fields of education and early childhood. I complete this writing with some realizations and a broader understanding of the concept of "a seat at the table" in relation to my own experiences. I realize that I have had seats at many "tables" that fed my passion and aligned with my core values of community, collaboration, integrity, and authenticity along my journey in ECE that did not fit my image of "the boardroom." I understand that I was invited to each of those "tables" by someone I was in collaboration or community with. I also realize that when I have operated with authenticity and integrity, others have recognized and valued my potential contributions at a table where they held membership, and invited me to join them. In turn, I can invite others to join me at a "table," or replace me when it is time for me to leave. One of the reflection questions at the end of Davis-Vanloo’s chapter asks, "What sorts of connections do you have that might help you to find your seat at the table? What connections might you pursue? If you already have a seat at the table, how might you make room for new voices?"

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