csmonitor--2020-12-01--Cozy up for story time with these delightful picture books

Sharing a brightly colored picture book is soothing and stimulating for both children and adults , as they turn over the pages to enter new worlds .
These five books offer not only great stories but also imaginative artwork to explore and appreciate .
A boy who stutters is helped by walks with his father ; a child is assured that he matters ; a girl and her grandmother transform the life of a crabby seaman ; endearing animals burst into song ; and a skunk and a badger discover an unlikely friendship .
No matter the weather or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little ones and their grown-ups .
It ’ s a great moment in children ’ s literature , with a wider range of voices than in the past .
Here ’ s a selection to warm your heart , make you smile , and inspire poignant discussion .
Canadian poet Jordan Scott ’ s picture book , “ I Talk Like a River , ” is truly written from the heart .
Gorgeously illustrated by Sydney Smith , this story will help young readers understand what it feels like to be different , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom hoping the teacher doesn ’ t ask you a question , or to wake up mornings , like the young narrator , with “ word-sounds stuck in my mouth.
” Based on the author ’ s own experiences as a person who stutters , the poetic language and stunning illustrations make it a joy to read and share .
The fold-out spread , of a freckle-faced boy whose words evade him , is breathtaking .
In his note at the end , the author explains what stuttering feels and sounds like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him discover what it means to talk like a river .
It ’ s a beautiful love letter to a parent who showed his son how to be quiet and walk along a riverbank .
A gift to those who struggle with any kind of difference , “ I Talk Like a River ” is full of joy and rich with encouragement .
All Because You Matter ( ages 4-8 ) By Tami Charles , illustrated by Bryan Collier Tami Charles ’ latest picture book , illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Bryan Collier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and care of a parent for a child .
Charles ’ words are poetic and empowering : Children are told , “ They say that matter is all things that make up the universe : energy , stars , space .
...
If that ’ s the case , then you , dear child , matter.
” In an endnote , the illustrator explains how he tells the story visually and credits growing up with a grandmother who was a quilter for his exquisite collages .
“ All Because You Matter ” is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents sharing family history , and it ’ s a relevant read-aloud for these times .
Swashby and the Sea ( ages 4-7 ) By Beth Ferry , illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal Swashby is a cranky recluse who ’ s perfectly content with his “ salty and sandy and serene ” sea .
When interlopers appear in the form of a girl and her granny and they dare to set up umbrellas and beach chairs on his stretch of sand , Swashby doesn ’ t like it a bit .
So what does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages to the unwanted visitors who are disturbing his peace and solitude , admonishing , “ No trespassing !
” and “ Keep Away !
” But the mischievous waves have other ideas .
Lesson learned !
No one controls the sea .
Caldecott Honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal ’ s illustrations , from the swirly ocean wave endpapers to the sandy beach scenes inside , make this a perfect summery story to share , reminding us of carefree days at the beach .
A delightful tale with a just-right ending , “ Swashby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bestselling novelist Dan Brown , of “ DaVinci Code ” fame , has written a charming children ’ s book , “ Wild Symphony , ” with illustrations by Susan Batori .
A moray eel , a mouse , a blue whale , and a frog – and every animal you ’ ve always admired or feared – jump off the exuberant pages of this oversized picture book .
Young musicians and poets , children who love word puzzles , and admirers of whimsical animals can turn pages and hear the music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aiming a smartphone camera at the page .
( Watch the delightful preview and download the book ’ s accompanying free app at wildsymphony.com . )
Bits of advice are excellent jumping-off places for discussion .
On the spread about Wondrous Whale , Maestro Mouse says : “ If you listen carefully to nature , you ’ ll hear conversations all around you.
” When Badger , who ’ s set in his ways and determined to carry out his very important rock work , opens the front door of his aunt ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a surprise .
A visitor , Skunk , has come to stay .
If only Badger had read the correspondence from his aunt alerting him she was sending a roommate .
A geologist who needs space to observe and catalog his large rock collection , Badger temporarily hands over the box room .
But he wants no part of this chatty roommate until Skunk serves up a candlelit supper .
Now Badger begins to think he might be OK .
They make deals : You cook ; I clean .
Badger even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rollicking good adventure and an unlikely friendship story reminiscent of a slightly prickly “ Frog and Toad ” tale .
Amy Timberlake ’ s language is delightful – a “ Chicken Coop d ’ Etat ” ?
Be still my heart .
As they tip-claw around , testing their living arrangement , Skunk and Badger begin to appreciate each other .
While not truly a picture book , the clever illustrations by Caldecott winner Jon Klassen perfectly complement the story .
Newly minted readers with a sense of humor , who appreciate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will enjoy this one .
I can only hope this marks the beginning of an enduring if unconventional relationship that will play out in many more books .

Reading aloud with children helps nurture a love of books. Today’s picture books have expanded to include young people who may have felt left out in the past, widening the circle of empathy and understanding.
Sharing a brightly colored picture book is soothing and stimulating for both children and adults, as they turn over the pages to enter new worlds. These five books offer not only great stories but also imaginative artwork to explore and appreciate. A boy who stutters is helped by walks with his father; a child is assured that he matters; a girl and her grandmother transform the life of a crabby seaman; endearing animals burst into song; and a skunk and a badger discover an unlikely friendship.
No matter the weather or the season, books for younger readers delight little ones and their grown-ups. It’s a great moment in children’s literature, with a wider range of voices than in the past. Here’s a selection to warm your heart, make you smile, and inspire poignant discussion.
I Talk Like a River (ages 4-8)
By Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith
Canadian poet Jordan Scott’s picture book, “I Talk Like a River,” is truly written from the heart. Gorgeously illustrated by Sydney Smith, this story will help young readers understand what it feels like to be different, to sit in the back of a classroom hoping the teacher doesn’t ask you a question, or to wake up mornings, like the young narrator, with “word-sounds stuck in my mouth.”
Neal Porter Books View caption Hide caption “I Talk Like a River” by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith, Neal Porter Books, 40 pp.
Why We Wrote This Reading aloud with children helps nurture a love of books. Today’s picture books have expanded to include young people who may have felt left out in the past, widening the circle of empathy and understanding.
Based on the author’s own experiences as a person who stutters, the poetic language and stunning illustrations make it a joy to read and share. The fold-out spread, of a freckle-faced boy whose words evade him, is breathtaking. In his note at the end, the author explains what stuttering feels and sounds like, as well as how his dad helped him discover what it means to talk like a river.
It’s a beautiful love letter to a parent who showed his son how to be quiet and walk along a riverbank. A gift to those who struggle with any kind of difference, “I Talk Like a River” is full of joy and rich with encouragement.
All Because You Matter (ages 4-8)
By Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Tami Charles’ latest picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Bryan Collier, is a tribute to the love and care of a parent for a child. Charles’ words are poetic and empowering: Children are told, “They say that matter is all things that make up the universe: energy, stars, space. ... If that’s the case, then you, dear child, matter.”
Scholastic Books View caption Hide caption “All Because You Matter” by Tami Charles and illustrated by Bryan Collier, Scholastic Books, 40 pp.
In an endnote, the illustrator explains how he tells the story visually and credits growing up with a grandmother who was a quilter for his exquisite collages. “All Because You Matter” is an exceptional book to guide grandparents or parents sharing family history, and it’s a relevant read-aloud for these times.
Swashby and the Sea (ages 4-7)
By Beth Ferry, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Swashby is a cranky recluse who’s perfectly content with his “salty and sandy and serene” sea. When interlopers appear in the form of a girl and her granny and they dare to set up umbrellas and beach chairs on his stretch of sand, Swashby doesn’t like it a bit. So what does the old sailor do? He writes messages to the unwanted visitors who are disturbing his peace and solitude, admonishing, “No trespassing!” and “Keep Away!” But the mischievous waves have other ideas. Lesson learned! No one controls the sea.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt View caption Hide caption “Swashby and the Sea” by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 32 pp.
Caldecott Honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal’s illustrations, from the swirly ocean wave endpapers to the sandy beach scenes inside, make this a perfect summery story to share, reminding us of carefree days at the beach. A delightful tale with a just-right ending, “Swashby and the Sea” swept me away.
Wild Symphony (ages 4-8)
By Dan Brown, illustrated by Susan Batori
Bestselling novelist Dan Brown, of “DaVinci Code” fame, has written a charming children’s book, “Wild Symphony,” with illustrations by Susan Batori. A moray eel, a mouse, a blue whale, and a frog – and every animal you’ve always admired or feared – jump off the exuberant pages of this oversized picture book.
Rodale Kids View caption Hide caption “Wild Symphony” by Dan Brown and illustrated by Susan Batori, Rodale Kids, 44 pp.
Young musicians and poets, children who love word puzzles, and admirers of whimsical animals can turn pages and hear the music that Brown composed for each animal by aiming a smartphone camera at the page. (Watch the delightful preview and download the book’s accompanying free app at wildsymphony.com.)
Bits of advice are excellent jumping-off places for discussion. On the spread about Wondrous Whale, Maestro Mouse says: “If you listen carefully to nature, you’ll hear conversations all around you.”
Skunk and Badger (ages 7-10)
By Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen
When Badger, who’s set in his ways and determined to carry out his very important rock work, opens the front door of his aunt’s home, he’s in for a surprise. A visitor, Skunk, has come to stay. If only Badger had read the correspondence from his aunt alerting him she was sending a roommate.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
A geologist who needs space to observe and catalog his large rock collection, Badger temporarily hands over the box room. But he wants no part of this chatty roommate until Skunk serves up a candlelit supper. Now Badger begins to think he might be OK. They make deals: You cook; I clean. Badger even relinquishes his rock room.
Algonquin Books View caption Hide caption “Skunk and Badger” by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Jon Klassen, Algonquin Books, 136 pp.
Thus begins a rollicking good adventure and an unlikely friendship story reminiscent of a slightly prickly “Frog and Toad” tale. Amy Timberlake’s language is delightful – a “Chicken Coop d’Etat”? Be still my heart. As they tip-claw around, testing their living arrangement, Skunk and Badger begin to appreciate each other.
While not truly a picture book, the clever illustrations by Caldecott winner Jon Klassen perfectly complement the story. Newly minted readers with a sense of humor, who appreciate read-alouds that make their adults smile, will enjoy this one. I can only hope this marks the beginning of an enduring if unconventional relationship that will play out in many more books.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--Storied narrative’s translation prompts a fresh look at the slave trade

Interrupting that perspective , Smith ’ s story leads to a more balanced understanding not only of slavery but of American and Ghanaian history in general .
“ Today , the greatest challenge we face is not simply racism ; it ’ s invisibility , ” says Keith W. Stokes , vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group in Newport , Rhode Island .
“ We ’ re still telling the story from an owner-class or white perspective.
” Along with this expanded access to Smith ’ s story comes a renewed reckoning with the impact of slavery on Ghana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role that narrative perspective plays in shaping history .
Long available in English , Smith ’ s story has just been translated into Fante , an Akan dialect spoken by roughly 2.7 million people in Ghana ’ s coastal regions , where , centuries ago , Smith – known then as Broteer Furro – was sold into slavery .
“ A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture ” is , at once , a slave narrative and a rags-to-riches tale .
This 30-page memoir explains how Venture Smith fell victim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle Passage , overcame bondage , and became a widely respected businessman , freeing his entire family and acquiring more than 130 acres in Haddam Neck , Connecticut , by the end of his life .
In 1739 , everything changed for Broteer Furro .
The son of a wealthy chieftain in West Africa had just returned home from an apprenticeship when a raiding army attacked their village .
According to historians ’ estimates , Broteer was only 9 or 10 years old when he watched the raiders kill his father .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transatlantic slave trade , he was soon marched to the coast of present-day Ghana and sold to American slavers .
Standing aboard the Charming Susanna , Broteer received a new name : Venture .
As in , purchased as another man ’ s personal business venture .
That September , Venture set foot in the New World , and although it would be years before he was able to reclaim his freedom , he never forgot his roots .
When he was in his 20s , a particularly violent master threatened to banish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meg , resisted the family ’ s abuse .
“ I crossed the waters to come here , ” Venture replied , “ and I am willing to cross them to return.
” In “ A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture , ” a 30-page memoir considered one of the greatest slave narratives in American history , Venture explains how he overcame bondage and became a widely respected businessman , freeing his entire family and acquiring more than 130 acres in Haddam Neck , Connecticut , by the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom , Venture adopted his final slave master ’ s surname , Smith , because of the man ’ s fairness . )
Venture Smith never returned to Africa , but now his story will .
The Documenting Venture Smith Project , based in Torrington , Connecticut , in collaboration with scholars from England and Ghana , has translated Smith ’ s 1798 narrative into Fante , an Akan dialect spoken by roughly 2.7 million people in Ghana ’ s coastal regions .
Along with expanded access to Smith ’ s story comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 900 slave voyages sponsored by Rhode Island merchants in the 17th and early 18th centuries , many of those ships , including the Charming Susanna , traded with forts along the Gold Coast .
Smith ’ s narrative reveals not only how the institution of slavery shaped places such as Ghana and New England – pushing back on local beliefs that slavery was not important to these regions ’ histories – but also how Middle Passage survivors demonstrated strength and resilience in the worst possible circumstances .
“ Slavery is not black history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group in Newport , Rhode Island .
“ Black history is how our ancestors survived and thrived despite slavery .
And that ’ s exactly what the Venture Smith story provides – a first-person narrative of how an African boy was able to survive the Middle Passage , survive enslavement , and raise a family.
” Chandler Saint , president and co-director of the Documenting Venture Smith Project , led the translation effort .
“ We don ’ t know what language was spoken where Venture was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But what we do know is the last language Venture would have heard as he was being taken out by a canoe to the Charming Susanna would have been the Ghana canoe men speaking Fante.
” Rebecca Shumway , associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and author of “ The Fante and the Transatlantic Slave Trade , ” says the slave trade brought hundreds of years of violence to the region – warfare between states , banditry , kidnapping – as well as commerce and , for some , new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread from a relatively small area to being the main language spoken from Accra to the Ivory Coast .
“ The Fante became sort of the ruling elite during the period of the slave trade .
... And so their language became the lingua franca of trade for the African population , ” she says .
When Dr. Shumway lived in Ghana in the 1990s , she noticed there was very little interest in the slave forts scattered along the coast or other relics of the trade .
People were more interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had only ended in 1957 and felt like slavery to many who remembered it .
But since then , there ’ s been a growing reverence for these sites , due in part to the rise of heritage tourism and unprecedented access to historical data that reveals how different countries , states , and colonies participated in the transatlantic slave trade .
“ It became possible to actually count the number of voyages and , in most cases , the number of captives aboard those voyages , ” says Dr. Shumway .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ In Africa , we like telling stories a lot , ” says Gertrude Afiba Torto , an education lecturer at University of Cape Coast .
And if those stories come in one of Ghana ’ s 11 official languages , even better .
“ The children , especially those at the lower primary level , will appreciate the lesson in their local language better because they can identify with it , ” says Dr. Torto .
An expanded history for New Englanders Back across the Atlantic , experts agree that reconstructing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced slavery is crucial .
“ We developed more information on Venture than exists probably on any other survivor of the Middle Passage , ” says Robert Pierce Forbes , principal historian of the Documenting Venture Smith Project .
“ And that ’ s in large part Venture ’ s doing.
” Firmly planted in the Northeast , Smith never traveled below Long Island .
So his narrative reinforces what Dr. Forbes describes as a growing recognition of the role slavery played in America ’ s northern colonies .
Whether it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its ties to 18th-century slavers or white families confronting their own history , new research is helping to chip away at the notion that slavery was only a Southern phenomenon .
In the United States , as in Ghana , Smith ’ s narrative could serve as an invaluable educational tool , expanding the traditional view of early American history – slavery , revolution , and all .
“ A useful comparative written in the same time period as ‘ Venture ’ is [ Benjamin ] Franklin ’ s autobiography , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disowning Slavery : Gradual Emancipation and ‘ Race ’ in New England , 1780–1860 ” and a visiting scholar in American studies at Brown University .
“ Franklin also starts out ‘ unfree ’ and runs away .
But as a white man , he is able to end up a famous patriot and Founding Father.
” Smith begins his life in the New World with no autonomy , and by his self-initiated heroic struggles ends up a successful property owner , fulfilling his American dream .
Yet despite efforts by the Documenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the names Brown and Franklin than Venture Smith , says Mr. Stokes .
“ Today , the greatest challenge we face is not simply racism ; it ’ s invisibility , ” he says .
“ We ’ re still telling the story from an owner-class or white perspective .
And before we have reconciliation with white organizations , you start with recognition .
... We have to start with the people , which is Venture Smith and all the African men and women who survived like him .
”

Interrupting that perspective, Smith’s story leads to a more balanced understanding not only of slavery but of American and Ghanaian history in general.
“Today, the greatest challenge we face is not simply racism; it’s invisibility,” says Keith W. Stokes, vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group in Newport, Rhode Island. “We’re still telling the story from an owner-class or white perspective.”
Along with this expanded access to Smith’s story comes a renewed reckoning with the impact of slavery on Ghana and New England – and with the role that narrative perspective plays in shaping history.
The translation of Venture Smith’s narrative into Fante, a widely spoken language in Ghana, invites a renewed reckoning with the transatlantic slave trade and a reappraisal of American and Ghanaian history.
Long available in English, Smith’s story has just been translated into Fante, one of the Akan languages spoken by roughly 2.7 million people in Ghana’s coastal regions, where, centuries ago, Smith – known then as Broteer Furro – was sold into slavery.
“A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture” is, at once, a slave narrative and a rags-to-riches tale. This 30-page memoir explains how Venture Smith fell victim to the transatlantic slave trade, survived the Middle Passage, overcame bondage, and became a widely respected businessman, freeing his entire family and acquiring more than 130 acres in Haddam Neck, Connecticut, by the end of his life.
In 1739, everything changed for Broteer Furro. The son of a wealthy chieftain in West Africa had just returned home from an apprenticeship when a raiding army attacked their village. According to historians’ estimates, Broteer was only 9 or 10 years old when he watched the raiders kill his father. Like more than a million others during the transatlantic slave trade, he was soon marched to the coast of present-day Ghana and sold to American slavers. Standing aboard the Charming Susanna, Broteer received a new name: Venture. As in, purchased as another man’s personal business venture.
That September, Venture set foot in the New World, and although it would be years before he was able to reclaim his freedom, he never forgot his roots. When he was in his 20s, a particularly violent master threatened to banish Venture if he and his wife, Meg, resisted the family’s abuse.
“I crossed the waters to come here,” Venture replied, “and I am willing to cross them to return.”
Why We Wrote This The translation of Venture Smith’s narrative into Fante, a widely spoken language in Ghana, invites a renewed reckoning with the transatlantic slave trade and a reappraisal of American and Ghanaian history.
In “A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture,” a 30-page memoir considered one of the greatest slave narratives in American history, Venture explains how he overcame bondage and became a widely respected businessman, freeing his entire family and acquiring more than 130 acres in Haddam Neck, Connecticut, by the end of his life. (After purchasing his freedom, Venture adopted his final slave master’s surname, Smith, because of the man’s fairness.)
Venture Smith never returned to Africa, but now his story will.
Bob Child/AP/File View caption Hide caption Frank Warmsley Sr. (center) watches as archaeologists dig at the gravesite of Venture Smith and his family in East Haddam, Connecticut, July 26, 2006. The dig was blessed by Mr. Warmsley and more than a dozen other descendants of Smith who believe science can lend credence to tales of his prodigious strength as a lumberjack, which helped him win his freedom.
The Documenting Venture Smith Project, based in Torrington, Connecticut, in collaboration with scholars from England and Ghana, has translated Smith’s 1798 narrative into Fante, one of the Akan languages spoken by roughly 2.7 million people in Ghana’s coastal regions.
Along with expanded access to Smith’s story comes a reckoning. Of the more than 900 slave voyages sponsored by Rhode Island merchants in the 17th and early 18th centuries, many of those ships, including the Charming Susanna, traded with forts along the Gold Coast. Smith’s narrative reveals not only how the institution of slavery shaped places such as Ghana and New England – pushing back on local beliefs that slavery was not important to these regions’ histories – but also how Middle Passage survivors demonstrated strength and resilience in the worst possible circumstances.
“Slavery is not black history,” says Keith W. Stokes, vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group in Newport, Rhode Island. “Black history is how our ancestors survived and thrived despite slavery. And that’s exactly what the Venture Smith story provides – a first-person narrative of how an African boy was able to survive the Middle Passage, survive enslavement, and raise a family.”
Lingua franca
Chandler Saint, president and co-director of the Documenting Venture Smith Project, led the translation effort. “We don’t know what language was spoken where Venture was born,” he says. “But what we do know is the last language Venture would have heard as he was being taken out by a canoe to the Charming Susanna would have been the Ghana canoe men speaking Fante.”
Rebecca Shumway, associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and author of “The Fante and the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” says the slave trade brought hundreds of years of violence to the region – warfare between states, banditry, kidnapping – as well as commerce and, for some, new power. During this time, Fante spread from a relatively small area to being the main language spoken from Accra to the Ivory Coast.
“The Fante became sort of the ruling elite during the period of the slave trade. ... And so their language became the lingua franca of trade for the African population,” she says.
When Dr. Shumway lived in Ghana in the 1990s, she noticed there was very little interest in the slave forts scattered along the coast or other relics of the trade. People were more interested in the legacy of British colonialism, which had only ended in 1957 and felt like slavery to many who remembered it. But since then, there’s been a growing reverence for these sites, due in part to the rise of heritage tourism and unprecedented access to historical data that reveals how different countries, states, and colonies participated in the transatlantic slave trade.
“It became possible to actually count the number of voyages and, in most cases, the number of captives aboard those voyages,” says Dr. Shumway. “Before that, everybody was just guessing.”
Smith’s narrative brings those numbers to life.
“In Africa, we like telling stories a lot,” says Gertrude Afiba Torto, an education lecturer at University of Cape Coast. “The children, especially those at the lower primary level, will appreciate the lesson in their local language better because they can identify with it.”
Dr. Torto hopes that Smith’s narrative will be translated into all 11 of Ghana's official languages.
Tim Martin/The Day/AP/File View caption Hide caption Nancy Byrne (front right) of Chester, Connecticut, points out initials inscribed in the rock of a stone wall during a walking tour of 26 acres of land owned by Venture Smith in Stonington, Connecticut, now part of the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, Dec. 13, 2009.
An expanded history for New Englanders
Back across the Atlantic, experts agree that reconstructing the lives and stories of individuals who experienced slavery is crucial.
“We developed more information on Venture than exists probably on any other survivor of the Middle Passage,” says Robert Pierce Forbes, principal historian of the Documenting Venture Smith Project. “And that’s in large part Venture’s doing.”
Firmly planted in the Northeast, Smith never traveled below Long Island. So his narrative reinforces what Dr. Forbes describes as a growing recognition of the role slavery played in America’s northern colonies. Whether it’s Brown University joining other colleges in acknowledging its ties to 18th-century slavers or white families confronting their own history, new research is helping to chip away at the notion that slavery was only a Southern phenomenon.
In the United States, as in Ghana, Smith’s narrative could serve as an invaluable educational tool, expanding the traditional view of early American history – slavery, revolution, and all.
“A useful comparative written in the same time period as ‘Venture’ is [Benjamin] Franklin’s autobiography,” says Joanne Pope Melish, author of “Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and ‘Race’ in New England, 1780–1860” and a visiting scholar in American studies at Brown University. “Franklin also starts out ‘unfree’ and runs away. But as a white man, he is able to end up a famous patriot and Founding Father.” Smith begins his life in the New World with no autonomy, and by his self-initiated heroic struggles ends up a successful property owner, fulfilling his American dream.
Yet despite efforts by the Documenting Venture Smith Project, more people know the names Brown and Franklin than Venture Smith, says Mr. Stokes.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Today, the greatest challenge we face is not simply racism; it’s invisibility,” he says. “We’re still telling the story from an owner-class or white perspective. And before we have reconciliation with white organizations, you start with recognition. ... We have to start with the people, which is Venture Smith and all the African men and women who survived like him.”
Editor’s note: Dr. Torto’s hope that Smith’s narrative will be translated broadly has been clarified, along with references to the Fante language.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--War might not fix Ethiopia’s ethnic puzzle

Just in the past decade , the number of international migrants has risen nearly sixfold , a global mixing of people unlike any time in recent history .
All the more reason then to watch a new civil war in one of the world ’ s most diverse nations – Ethiopia .
The future of democracies depends increasingly on how such countries hold together their multiethnic societies .
The monthlong conflict between Ethiopia ’ s government and a rebellious minority , the Tigrays , threatens its long-term attempts at political harmony among 10 ethnic regions .
It also threatens stability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of civilians have fled the fighting .
How the war ends will determine if Ethiopia can hold together as a country .
Many foreign governments are pushing for a negotiated settlement .
For now , the war is more about how it began and whether opportunities to keep the peace were missed .
On Nov. 4 the well-armed leaders of the predominantly Tigray ethnic state , the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , allegedly attacked a national military base near the region ’ s capital , Mekelle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held an election in defiance of central authorities .
Faced with such belligerence , Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed chose to deploy the military – rather than any peaceful alternative – to quell the rebellion .
Mr. Abiy came into office in 2018 vowing to form a more united democracy .
An ethnic Oromo , his ascent marked a power shift away from the Tigrayans , who make up 6 % of the population but held an outsize grip in the nation ’ s capital for nearly three decades .
Tensions have been rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political positions and the military .
The prime minister treats the Tigrayan rebellion as an illegal attack on Ethiopian sovereignty .
His predecessor , Hailemariam Desalegn , underscored the futility of dialogue with the TPLF in an essay in Foreign Policy last week .
He argued that Tigrayan leaders – his erstwhile colleagues – provoked the conflict to manipulate international mediation in an effort to regain influence through peace talks .
In seeking a decisive military victory , Mr. Abiy has stoked already escalating ethnic tensions elsewhere .
In recent months , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by violence .
Three days before the Tigray rebellion , at least 54 people were killed in a schoolyard in Oromia , another ethnostate .
Mr. Abiy ’ s harsh response surprised many people .
He won the Nobel Peace Prize a year ago for negotiating an end to a 20-year military stalemate with Eritrea .
Ethiopian troops serve in U.N. peacekeeping missions .
As the war nears a resolution , Ethiopia must look for fresh solutions in other African countries that have erupted in inter-ethnic warfare .
South Africa , Rwanda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all faced similar challenges .
Each in its own way grappled with building what Mr. Abiy himself calls a “ social compact ” that creates a “ just , egalitarian , democratic , and humane society.
” If he sees the conflict in Tigray as a necessary step to protecting that vision , victory under arms requires a corresponding strength : the wisdom and courage to forge an identity beyond ethnic difference that embraces all Ethiopians in peace .

Just in the past decade, the number of international migrants has risen nearly sixfold, a global mixing of people unlike any time in recent history. All the more reason then to watch a new civil war in one of the world’s most diverse nations – Ethiopia. The future of democracies depends increasingly on how such countries hold together their multiethnic societies.
The monthlong conflict between Ethiopia’s government and a rebellious minority, the Tigrays, threatens its long-term attempts at political harmony among 10 ethnic regions. It also threatens stability across the Horn of Africa as tens of thousands of civilians have fled the fighting.
How the war ends will determine if Ethiopia can hold together as a country. Many foreign governments are pushing for a negotiated settlement. For now, the war is more about how it began and whether opportunities to keep the peace were missed.
On Nov. 4 the well-armed leaders of the predominantly Tigray ethnic state, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), allegedly attacked a national military base near the region’s capital, Mekelle. Just weeks before, they also held an election in defiance of central authorities. Faced with such belligerence, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed chose to deploy the military – rather than any peaceful alternative – to quell the rebellion.
Mr. Abiy came into office in 2018 vowing to form a more united democracy. An ethnic Oromo, his ascent marked a power shift away from the Tigrayans, who make up 6% of the population but held an outsize grip in the nation’s capital for nearly three decades. Tensions have been rising since Mr. Abiy systemically displaced Tigrayans from political positions and the military.
The prime minister treats the Tigrayan rebellion as an illegal attack on Ethiopian sovereignty. His predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, underscored the futility of dialogue with the TPLF in an essay in Foreign Policy last week. He argued that Tigrayan leaders – his erstwhile colleagues – provoked the conflict to manipulate international mediation in an effort to regain influence through peace talks.
In seeking a decisive military victory, Mr. Abiy has stoked already escalating ethnic tensions elsewhere. In recent months, an estimated 2.5 million Ethiopians have been displaced by violence. Three days before the Tigray rebellion, at least 54 people were killed in a schoolyard in Oromia, another ethnostate.
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Mr. Abiy’s harsh response surprised many people. He won the Nobel Peace Prize a year ago for negotiating an end to a 20-year military stalemate with Eritrea. Ethiopian troops serve in U.N. peacekeeping missions. As the war nears a resolution, Ethiopia must look for fresh solutions in other African countries that have erupted in inter-ethnic warfare. South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria, and Mozambique have all faced similar challenges. Each in its own way grappled with building what Mr. Abiy himself calls a “social compact” that creates a “just, egalitarian, democratic, and humane society.”
If he sees the conflict in Tigray as a necessary step to protecting that vision, victory under arms requires a corresponding strength: the wisdom and courage to forge an identity beyond ethnic difference that embraces all Ethiopians in peace.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--EU privacy reform could impede efforts to combat child abuse

Online child sexual abuse could become harder to detect due to privacy protections set to take effect in the European Union next month – putting millions of children at increased risk worldwide , critics of the proposals have warned .
Under the changes , big tech firms like Facebook and Microsoft would be banned from using automatic detection tools that are routinely employed to identify material containing images of child abuse , or to detect online grooming .
Opponents of the tools say such automatic scanning infringes the privacy of people using chat and messaging apps , but the looming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world – from children ’ s rights advocates to American actor and tech investor Ashton Kutcher .
“ Time is running out to ensure proactive and voluntary online child abuse detection methods are preserved in the EU , ” Mr. Kutcher wrote on Twitter earlier this month as European lawmakers ( MEPs ) prepare to vote on the new directive .
Critics say the reform , set to come into force on Dec. 20 , would prevent law enforcement and child protection agencies from identifying millions of child sexual abuse cases each year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU , but globally .
“ Online child sexual abuse is a borderless crime , ” Chloe Setter , head of policy at WePROTECT Global Alliance – a nonprofit that fights child exploitation , told the Thomson Reuters Foundation .
“ Europe is already host to the vast majority of known child sexual abuse material on the internet , but victims and perpetrators can be anywhere .
The restriction of automated detection tools in Europe would have major implications for children globally , ” she said .
Sex offenders in European countries use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world with the aim of grooming them , said Dorothea Czarnecki , vice chair of ECPAT Germany , an alliance of 28 children ’ s rights institutions .
Some use translation apps to communicate with victims in countries as far afield as Vietnam , she said .
Opponents of the new directive , called the European Electronic Communications Code , also fear that banning detection tools in Europe could prompt tech firms to stop using them elsewhere , because they have global teams to moderate content .
“ If a company in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they would stop using it all over the world , ” said Emilio Puccio , coordinator of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children ’ s Rights .
The tools have proven highly effective at tackling online abuse and tech companies provide law enforcement authorities with about two thirds of the child sexual abuse reports they receive , children ’ s rights campaigners say .
Facebook , Microsoft , and Google did not respond to requests for comment .
In 2019 , the United States-based nonprofit National Center for Missing & Exploited Children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to suspected online child sexual exploitation .
If the directive is approved , the ban would cover anti-grooming tools used to detect suspicious activity and “ classifier ” tools , which help identify pictures and videos that are not already in a database of illegal content .
Leftist members of the European Parliament led by German Socialist Birgit Sippel led the push to ban the use of automatic scanning , arguing that the way the tools are currently used violates privacy and data protection rights .
They were particularly concerned that users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the content of private conversations analyzed .
“ Even voluntary measures by private companies constitute an interference with those rights when the measures involve monitoring and analysis of content of communications and processing of personal data , ” their draft proposals said .
Ms. Sippel could not be reached for comment , but those in favor of keeping automatic scanning say privacy fears are unfounded .
“ Their sole purpose is to identify and flag abuse of children , not to read or spy into private communications , ” Ms. Setter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as spam or malware filters , so poses no greater threat to privacy , said MEP Hilde Vautmans .
“ We use these technologies to protect our computers , and we should be able to continue to use the same technologies to protect our own children from sexual abuse , ” she said .
This story was reported by The Thomson Reuters Foundation .

Online child sexual abuse could become harder to detect due to privacy protections set to take effect in the European Union next month – putting millions of children at increased risk worldwide, critics of the proposals have warned.
Under the changes, big tech firms like Facebook and Microsoft would be banned from using automatic detection tools that are routinely employed to identify material containing images of child abuse, or to detect online grooming.
Opponents of the tools say such automatic scanning infringes the privacy of people using chat and messaging apps, but the looming ban has drawn strong criticism around the world – from children’s rights advocates to American actor and tech investor Ashton Kutcher.
“Time is running out to ensure proactive and voluntary online child abuse detection methods are preserved in the EU,” Mr. Kutcher wrote on Twitter earlier this month as European lawmakers (MEPs) prepare to vote on the new directive.
Critics say the reform, set to come into force on Dec. 20, would prevent law enforcement and child protection agencies from identifying millions of child sexual abuse cases each year – not just in the 27-member state EU, but globally.
“Online child sexual abuse is a borderless crime,” Chloe Setter, head of policy at WePROTECT Global Alliance – a nonprofit that fights child exploitation, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“Europe is already host to the vast majority of known child sexual abuse material on the internet, but victims and perpetrators can be anywhere. The restriction of automated detection tools in Europe would have major implications for children globally,” she said.
Sex offenders in European countries use social media platforms to contact children around the world with the aim of grooming them, said Dorothea Czarnecki, vice chair of ECPAT Germany, an alliance of 28 children’s rights institutions.
Some use translation apps to communicate with victims in countries as far afield as Vietnam, she said.
Opponents of the new directive, called the European Electronic Communications Code, also fear that banning detection tools in Europe could prompt tech firms to stop using them elsewhere, because they have global teams to moderate content.
“If a company in the EU stops using this technology overnight, they would stop using it all over the world,” said Emilio Puccio, coordinator of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights.
Highly effective
The tools have proven highly effective at tackling online abuse and tech companies provide law enforcement authorities with about two thirds of the child sexual abuse reports they receive, children’s rights campaigners say.
Facebook, Microsoft, and Google did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2019, the United States-based nonprofit National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 16.9 million reports from technology companies related to suspected online child sexual exploitation.
If the directive is approved, the ban would cover anti-grooming tools used to detect suspicious activity and “classifier” tools, which help identify pictures and videos that are not already in a database of illegal content.
Leftist members of the European Parliament led by German Socialist Birgit Sippel led the push to ban the use of automatic scanning, arguing that the way the tools are currently used violates privacy and data protection rights.
They were particularly concerned that users of chat and other communication platforms could have the content of private conversations analyzed.
“Even voluntary measures by private companies constitute an interference with those rights when the measures involve monitoring and analysis of content of communications and processing of personal data,” their draft proposals said.
Ms. Sippel could not be reached for comment, but those in favor of keeping automatic scanning say privacy fears are unfounded.
“Their sole purpose is to identify and flag abuse of children, not to read or spy into private communications,” Ms. Setter said.
Anti-grooming technology uses the same mechanisms as spam or malware filters, so poses no greater threat to privacy, said MEP Hilde Vautmans.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“We use these technologies to protect our computers, and we should be able to continue to use the same technologies to protect our own children from sexual abuse,” she said.
This story was reported by The Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--Students lagging behind in math? Blame the pandemic.

A disproportionately large number of poor and minority students were not in schools for assessments this fall , complicating efforts to measure the pandemic ’ s effects on some of the most vulnerable students , a not-for-profit company that administers standardized testing said Tuesday .
Overall , NWEA ’ s fall assessments showed elementary and middle school students have fallen measurably behind in math , while most appear to be progressing at a normal pace in reading since schools were forced to abruptly close in March and pickup online .
The analysis of data from nearly 4.4 million United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first significant measures of the pandemic ’ s impacts on learning .
But researchers at NWEA , whose MAP Growth assessments are meant to measure student proficiency , caution they may be underestimating the effects on students of color and students from economically disadvantaged groups .
Those students made up a significant portion of the roughly 1 in 4 students who tested in 2019 but were missing from 2020 testing .
NWEA said they may have opted out of the assessments , which were given in-person and remotely , because they lacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Given we ’ ve also seen school district reports of higher levels of absenteeism in many different school districts , this is something to really be concerned about , ” researcher Megan Kuhfeld said on a call with reporters .
The NWEA findings show that , compared to last year , students scored an average of 5 to 10 percentile points lower in math , with students in grades three , four , and five experiencing the largest drops .
English language arts scores were largely the same as last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the sequential nature of math , where one year ’ s skills – or deficits – carry over into the next year .
“ The challenge around mathematics is an acute one , and it ’ s something we ’ re going to be dealing with even after we get back in school , ” he said .
NWEA compared grade-level performance on the 2019 and 2020 tests .
It also analyzed student growth over time , based on how individual students did on assessments given shortly before schools closed and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that students are advancing in math , but not as rapidly as in a typical year .
The findings confirm expectations that students are losing ground during the pandemic , but show those losses are not as great as projections made in spring that were based in part on typical “ summer slide ” learning losses .
A November report by Renaissance Learning Inc. , based on its own standardized testing , similarly found troubling setbacks in math and lesser reading losses .
The Renaissance Learning analysis looked at results from 5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Early Literacy reading or math assessments in fall 2019 and 2020 .
It found students of all grades were performing below expectations in math at the beginning of the school year , with some grades 12 or more weeks behind .
Black , Hispanic , American Indian , and students in schools serving largely low-income families fared worse but the pandemic so far hasn ’ t widened existing achievement gaps , the Renaissance report said .
NWEA said that while it saw some differences by racial and ethnic groups emerging in its data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusions .
Andre Pecina , assistant superintendent of student services at Golden Plains Unified School District in San Joaquin , California , said his district has scrambled to stem learning loss by issuing devices to all of its students , but the district continues to struggle with connectivity for students at home .
Students who are typically 1.5 grades behind are now two grades behind , he said .
“ We ’ ve really just gone back to the basics where we ’ re focusing on literacy and math .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I feel like we ’ re trying our best , ” he said .
“ Our students are engaged , but it ’ s not optimal .
The learning environment is not optimal.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta , Georgia .

A disproportionately large number of poor and minority students were not in schools for assessments this fall, complicating efforts to measure the pandemic’s effects on some of the most vulnerable students, a not-for-profit company that administers standardized testing said Tuesday.
Overall, NWEA’s fall assessments showed elementary and middle school students have fallen measurably behind in math, while most appear to be progressing at a normal pace in reading since schools were forced to abruptly close in March and pickup online.
The analysis of data from nearly 4.4 million United States students in grades 3-8 represents one of the first significant measures of the pandemic’s impacts on learning.
But researchers at NWEA, whose MAP Growth assessments are meant to measure student proficiency, caution they may be underestimating the effects on students of color and students from economically disadvantaged groups. Those students made up a significant portion of the roughly 1 in 4 students who tested in 2019 but were missing from 2020 testing.
NWEA said they may have opted out of the assessments, which were given in-person and remotely, because they lacked reliable technology or stopped going to school.
“Given we’ve also seen school district reports of higher levels of absenteeism in many different school districts, this is something to really be concerned about,” researcher Megan Kuhfeld said on a call with reporters.
The NWEA findings show that, compared to last year, students scored an average of 5 to 10 percentile points lower in math, with students in grades three, four, and five experiencing the largest drops.
English language arts scores were largely the same as last year.
NWEA Chief Executive Chris Minnich pointed to the sequential nature of math, where one year’s skills – or deficits – carry over into the next year.
“The challenge around mathematics is an acute one, and it’s something we’re going to be dealing with even after we get back in school,” he said.
NWEA compared grade-level performance on the 2019 and 2020 tests. It also analyzed student growth over time, based on how individual students did on assessments given shortly before schools closed and those given this fall.
Both measures indicated that students are advancing in math, but not as rapidly as in a typical year. The findings confirm expectations that students are losing ground during the pandemic, but show those losses are not as great as projections made in spring that were based in part on typical “summer slide” learning losses.
A November report by Renaissance Learning Inc., based on its own standardized testing, similarly found troubling setbacks in math and lesser reading losses.
The Renaissance Learning analysis looked at results from 5 million students in grades 1-8 who took Star Early Literacy reading or math assessments in fall 2019 and 2020. It found students of all grades were performing below expectations in math at the beginning of the school year, with some grades 12 or more weeks behind.
Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and students in schools serving largely low-income families fared worse but the pandemic so far hasn’t widened existing achievement gaps, the Renaissance report said.
NWEA said that while it saw some differences by racial and ethnic groups emerging in its data, it was too early to draw conclusions.
Andre Pecina, assistant superintendent of student services at Golden Plains Unified School District in San Joaquin, California, said his district has scrambled to stem learning loss by issuing devices to all of its students, but the district continues to struggle with connectivity for students at home.
Students who are typically 1.5 grades behind are now two grades behind, he said.
“We’ve really just gone back to the basics where we’re focusing on literacy and math. That’s all we do,” Mr. Pecina said.
“I feel like we’re trying our best,” he said. “Our students are engaged, but it’s not optimal. The learning environment is not optimal.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta, Georgia.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--‘We’re not projects’: Transracial adoptees insist on being seen

“ I really feel that , now , if you are a white parent adopting a Black or brown child , you actually have to be doing clear and very obvious anti-racist work.
” “ The community of those of us who have been transracially adopted have been talking and coaching and advocating … and sometimes crying for a long time , ” she says .
“ And I think there ’ s a lot of readiness to meet the moment.
” Transracial adoption is often understood in dichotomous terms – a fairy tale or nightmare .
But to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has boiled for years in the U.S. before spilling onto the streets this summer , adult adoptees like Ms. Dinwoodie are pushing back against stubborn myths and misconceptions – and demanding that adoptive parents engage more purposefully in anti-racist work .
April Dinwoodie ’ s adoptive parents had the best intentions from the start , but silence and denial about race were able to grow , especially since she was biracial .
“ It was hard , ” she says .
“ I know my mom is constantly worried that she wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed me , and she didn ’ t , because I wouldn ’ t be able to do what I do without that strong foundation she gave me.
” She got good grades .
She flourished as a cheerleader , and those girls became her core group of friends .
Having been adopted into a loving , New England home , April Dinwoodie seemed fine – her life had been set straight .
On the inside , she didn ’ t have the words to express what it felt like to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and community – to be OK yet not OK. “ My experience , while on the outside looks just totally fine , like ‘ What ’ s the problem , April ?
, ’ ... it was hard , ” says Ms. Dinwoodie , an educator and facilitator on adoption , identity , and race .
“ And a lot of people just don ’ t buy that .
They don ’ t believe that.
” Transracial adoption is often understood in dichotomous terms – a fairy tale or nightmare , an act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most extreme takes , a form of genocide .
Those dueling views emerged this fall during the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett after she introduced her seven children , including two Black children adopted from Haiti .
But to the backdrop of the larger reckoning on race that has boiled for years in the U.S. before spilling onto the streets this summer , adult adoptees like Ms. Dinwoodie are pushing back against stubborn myths and misconceptions – and demanding that adoptive parents engage more purposefully in anti-racist work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder edge to some of my words , and I ’ ve gotten sharper about things , because I think there ’ s more urgency than ever before , ” says Ms. Dinwoodie , who also hosts the podcast “ Born in June , Raised in April : What Adoption Can Teach the World.
” “ I think there ’ s a confluence of things or maybe some intersections of the things that are happening right now .
… The community of those of us who have been transracially adopted have been talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and yelling and sometimes crying for a long time , ” she says .
“ And I think there ’ s a lot of readiness to meet the moment.
” Adopting across racial lines in the U.S. began after World War II , when children born to servicemen overseas – and often orphaned at home – gained the attention of the larger American public .
Those first multiracial families helped pave the way to transracial adoption domestically .
The first recorded placement of an African American adoptee in a white home was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all children adopted in the U.S. are adopted across racial lines , according to an Institute for Family Studies ( IFS ) analysis of adopted kindergartners in the U.S .
Many of those placements include adoptive parents of color , even though they are often ignored in the adoption narrative , says Michelle Hughes , an adoption attorney in Chicago .
A small portion include Black families that have adopted white children , which can stir up its own harmful stereotypes .
One Black mother who adopted a white child posted a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rap song the assumptions she faces – that she must be the nanny , for example .
Yet based on the IFS study of kindergartners , 77 % of adoptive mothers in the U.S. are white , while only 39 % of adoptees are white .
That demographic reality has always raised suspicions .
Some of that traces back to systematic racism like that faced by Indigenous communities across North America .
In Canada , for example , during the “ Sixties Scoop , ” roughly 20,000 Indigenous children from 1951 into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families and “ assimilated ” into white families .
There was also backlash against international adoption , especially as Christian communities in particular adopted in large numbers , sometimes with a religious zeal that raised suspicions about their motives .
Corruption and criminality in the industry have also been a problem , bringing the practice to a trickle in more recent years .
In the height of the Black Power movement in 1972 in the U.S. , the National Association of Black Social Workers took a “ vehement stand ” against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nearly 50 years later , in the wake of protests after the killing of George Floyd , a Black man , by a white police officer in Minnesota , some of those same questions have resurfaced .
When Justice Barrett was asked how her family responded to the video of Mr. Floyd ’ s death under a policeman ’ s knee , she said she and her Haitian-born daughter , Vivian , “ wept together.
” It could have been a moment of understanding about the layered experiences in multiracial households , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ugly debate , with her supporters using her transracial adoption as an example of her enlightened views on race , which in turn generated backlash .
Ibram X. Kendi , author of “ How to be an Antiracist , ” ignited a frenzied Twitter debate after he pushed back : “ Some White colonizers ‘ adopted ’ Black children .
They ‘ civilized ’ these ‘ savage ’ children in the ‘ superior ’ ways of White people.
’ ” Kevin Hofmann , a biracial man who was adopted into a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t recognize his experience at either extreme .
He does say it was “ heartbreaking ” to watch the confirmation , as Justice Barrett ’ s details on the vulnerabilities her children faced in Haiti served to reinforce the “ white saviorism ” messaging that abounds in international and transracial adoption .
“ We need to understand that adoptees bring just as much to a family as that family gives to us , ” he says .
“ It was a decent thing our parents have done , but we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the criticism that white people shouldn ’ t adopt Black or Hispanic children .
“ Children of color are overrepresented in foster care .
So if you say , ‘ We ’ re not going to adopt over racial lines , ’ the only alternative is you let a lot of children age out of foster care.
” For decades , many parents , especially in the international adoption arena , aimed to “ assimilate ” their adopted children as Americans .
In the past decade , says Chaitra Wirta-Leiker , a psychologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver , a keener awareness of the need to cultivate children ’ s ethnic , cultural , and linguistic bonds has grown .
But in too many families , especially in domestic adoption where the cultural differences can be more nuanced , a notion of “ colorblindness ” has prevailed – at the expense of the adoptee , she says .
“ As a parent , you love your child and may not think so much about race , but the truth is that the rest of the world is always going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wirta-Leiker , who was adopted from India into a white household and later adopted a son from Ethiopia .
“ And so we have to prepare our kids for that.
” The generation of adult adoptees must lead the way , she says .
Mr. Hofmann works for the state of Ohio as a trainer for adoptive parents and uses his own experience to show the hard work that underlies transracial adoption .
Born in the wake of the Detroit race riots in 1967 and the product of an affair , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white minister and his wife in Dearborn , Michigan .
When he was about 11 months old , the family “ woke up to a burning cross in our front yard , ” he says .
His parents were keenly aware of the emphasis on white supremacy at the time , so they relocated to a Black neighborhood of Detroit , his white siblings growing up in Black schools .
“ So from age 3 to 18 , I was always around kids that looked like me , ” Mr. Hofmann says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on the media and especially ’ 70s TV to tell me what Black was .
I got to go out every day and see.
” In fact , he recalls feeling sorry for his siblings because they were white .
In the end his family shows how influential racial identity can be in a multiracial context .
He remembers preparing his father ’ s eulogy several years ago , sitting in his mother ’ s kitchen with his siblings and their families .
In that room were different races , ethnicities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s just a beautiful thing what our family became , ” he says .
“ And that ’ s all because of the exposure that we had as kids.
” To shine a light for others , Mr. Hofmann wrote “ Growing Up Black in White.
” Yet , some transracial adoptive parents acknowledge that the love and work inside their own family isn ’ t enough , given deep structural racism – something that ’ s been made clearer this summer .
Shelley Vermilya and her former partner adopted two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont , one of the whitest states in the U.S. Well aware of her own limitations as a white parent , she filled their home with African American books and music ; she drove her children an hour away to get their hair done by a Black hairdresser .
Around the dinner table , they talked about class and gender , sexual identity , and race – so much that the kids would roll their eyes .
“ They ’ d say , ‘ God , there goes Mom .
She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” Ms. Vermilya says .
And yet as an equity scholar-in-residence in the Vermont public school system who is also writing a book on transracial adoption , Ms. Vermilya says that she is aware of how much more work needs to be done by society at large .
“ Love hasn ’ t been enough to get them where they are or have them be who they are , ” she says .
“ Society ’ s got to come up with some love as well .
… So it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with people on this to get them to understand the systemic issues.
” This summer has caused her to reflect more deeply .
“ I ’ ve really wondered , especially this year and the pain for people of color , if that was too much pain to ask a child to feel , or if I gave them enough of a foundation in life that they ’ ll be able to really carry on well and understand the complexities of that kind of experience , sort of knowing whiteness from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that way.
” Karen Moline , an adoptive mother in New York City whose son was born in Vietnam , grappled with her own decision to adopt abroad in 2001 , becoming a reform advocate for more transparency on the international front .
She too has faced gnawing questions : Were her actions in the best interest of her child ?
“ Maybe their lives are ‘ saved ’ from physical danger , but does that mean their lives in this country are better as transracial adoptees ?
The second half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she says .
That is starting to change , as adult adoptees push for their experiences to be more deeply understood .
For Ms. Dinwoodie , who also founded AdoptMent , a mentoring program for adoptees , and gives trainings and talks , her ability to have conversations about race with her own family is “ very , very recent , ” she says , only after American football player Colin Kaepernick refused to kneel in 2016 as an act of resistance against racial injustice – a stance some in her family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has been a constant balance .
Ms. Dinwoodie knows her story starts with violence and loss – complexities that would follow her regardless of race .
When she tried to reconnect with her biological mother , she learned she was the product of a painful family secret : Her mother had been raped and had given her up .
When she found her , her birth mother refused to form a relationship .
Ms. Dinwoodie is still looking for her birth father .
Ms. Dinwoodie ’ s adoptive parents had the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denial about race were able to grow , especially since she was biracial .
It reached into the most quotidian acts .
Growing up in a farmhouse on a well system , all the family had to take quick showers .
But it was physically impossible to get the suds out of her hair with a quick rinse .
She remembers panicking about it every time .
As she tells the story , she worries it will break her mother ’ s heart to hear it .
“ I just love her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I know my mom is constantly worried that she wasn ’ t a good mom and that she failed me , and she didn ’ t , because I wouldn ’ t be able to do what I do without that strong foundation she gave me.
” So she continues to speak out – testing the limits of that fragile balance in her own family .
And she intentionally looks for people who seem to have it all together , those without the extreme hurts that land them in emergency rooms but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do so much harm down the line .
Even in herself she recognizes that she might be married or have children if she hadn ’ t had to expend so much energy on her own identity .
“ I really feel that , now , if you are a white parent adopting a Black or brown child , you actually have to be doing clear and very obvious anti-racist work , ” she says .
“ You have to welcome Black people into your home as your friends , as your neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black art on the wall .
You have to be in the schools demanding for changes to curriculum and looking at data around suspensions , and looking at over-policing of Black and brown children .
You can ’ t just simply transactionally parent your kid .
You ’ ve got to be doing that through a very clearly defined and purposeful anti-racist , anti-bias lens .
”

“I really feel that, now, if you are a white parent adopting a Black or brown child, you actually have to be doing clear and very obvious anti-racist work.”
“The community of those of us who have been transracially adopted have been talking and coaching and advocating … and sometimes crying for a long time,” she says. “And I think there’s a lot of readiness to meet the moment.”
Rosy or bleak? Stereotypes about transracial adoption occupy the extremes, but most adoptees live somewhere in the middle, where, on the heels of recent protests, they’re urging parents to advocate against racism.
Transracial adoption is often understood in dichotomous terms – a fairy tale or nightmare. But to the backdrop of the reckoning on race that has boiled for years in the U.S. before spilling onto the streets this summer, adult adoptees like Ms. Dinwoodie are pushing back against stubborn myths and misconceptions – and demanding that adoptive parents engage more purposefully in anti-racist work.
April Dinwoodie’s adoptive parents had the best intentions from the start, but silence and denial about race were able to grow, especially since she was biracial. “It was hard,” she says. “I know my mom is constantly worried that she wasn’t a good mom and that she failed me, and she didn’t, because I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without that strong foundation she gave me.”
She got good grades. She flourished as a cheerleader, and those girls became her core group of friends.
Having been adopted into a loving, New England home, April Dinwoodie seemed fine – her life had been set straight.
On the inside, she didn’t have the words to express what it felt like to be a transracial adoptee in a solidly white home and community – to be OK yet not OK.
Why We Wrote This Rosy or bleak? Stereotypes about transracial adoption occupy the extremes, but most adoptees live somewhere in the middle, where, on the heels of recent protests, they’re urging parents to advocate against racism.
“My experience, while on the outside looks just totally fine, like ‘What’s the problem, April?,’ ... it was hard,” says Ms. Dinwoodie, an educator and facilitator on adoption, identity, and race. “And a lot of people just don’t buy that. They don’t believe that.”
Transracial adoption is often understood in dichotomous terms – a fairy tale or nightmare, an act of grace or, in one of the most extreme takes, a form of genocide. Those dueling views emerged this fall during the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett after she introduced her seven children, including two Black children adopted from Haiti.
But to the backdrop of the larger reckoning on race that has boiled for years in the U.S. before spilling onto the streets this summer, adult adoptees like Ms. Dinwoodie are pushing back against stubborn myths and misconceptions – and demanding that adoptive parents engage more purposefully in anti-racist work. “I’ve gotten a harder edge to some of my words, and I’ve gotten sharper about things, because I think there’s more urgency than ever before,” says Ms. Dinwoodie, who also hosts the podcast “Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World.”
“I think there’s a confluence of things or maybe some intersections of the things that are happening right now. … The community of those of us who have been transracially adopted have been talking and coaching and advocating and sometimes screaming and yelling and sometimes crying for a long time,” she says. “And I think there’s a lot of readiness to meet the moment.”
Courtesy of April Dinwoodie View caption Hide caption April Dinwoodie, whose adoptive parents are white, founded AdoptMent, a mentoring program for adoptees.
Lopsided statistics
Adopting across racial lines in the U.S. began after World War II, when children born to servicemen overseas – and often orphaned at home – gained the attention of the larger American public. Those first multiracial families helped pave the way to transracial adoption domestically.
The first recorded placement of an African American adoptee in a white home was in 1948. Today, 44% of all children adopted in the U.S. are adopted across racial lines, according to an Institute for Family Studies (IFS) analysis of adopted kindergartners in the U.S. Many of those placements include adoptive parents of color, even though they are often ignored in the adoption narrative, says Michelle Hughes, an adoption attorney in Chicago. A small portion include Black families that have adopted white children, which can stir up its own harmful stereotypes. One Black mother who adopted a white child posted a video that went viral on Instagram challenging in a rap song the assumptions she faces – that she must be the nanny, for example.
Yet based on the IFS study of kindergartners, 77% of adoptive mothers in the U.S. are white, while only 39% of adoptees are white.
That demographic reality has always raised suspicions. Some of that traces back to systematic racism like that faced by Indigenous communities across North America. In Canada, for example, during the “Sixties Scoop,” roughly 20,000 Indigenous children from 1951 into the 1980s were “scooped” from their families and “assimilated” into white families. There was also backlash against international adoption, especially as Christian communities in particular adopted in large numbers, sometimes with a religious zeal that raised suspicions about their motives. Corruption and criminality in the industry have also been a problem, bringing the practice to a trickle in more recent years.
In the height of the Black Power movement in 1972 in the U.S., the National Association of Black Social Workers took a “vehement stand” against the adoption of Black children by white parents. Nearly 50 years later, in the wake of protests after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota, some of those same questions have resurfaced.
When Justice Barrett was asked how her family responded to the video of Mr. Floyd’s death under a policeman’s knee, she said she and her Haitian-born daughter, Vivian, “wept together.”
It could have been a moment of understanding about the layered experiences in multiracial households, but in polarized America it descended into an ugly debate, with her supporters using her transracial adoption as an example of her enlightened views on race, which in turn generated backlash. Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to be an Antiracist,” ignited a frenzied Twitter debate after he pushed back: “Some White colonizers ‘adopted’ Black children. They ‘civilized’ these ‘savage’ children in the ‘superior’ ways of White people.’”
Adult adoptees speak up
Kevin Hofmann, a biracial man who was adopted into a white family as a baby, says he doesn’t recognize his experience at either extreme. He does say it was “heartbreaking” to watch the confirmation, as Justice Barrett’s details on the vulnerabilities her children faced in Haiti served to reinforce the “white saviorism” messaging that abounds in international and transracial adoption. “We need to understand that adoptees bring just as much to a family as that family gives to us,” he says. “It was a decent thing our parents have done, but we’re not projects.” He also dismisses the criticism that white people shouldn’t adopt Black or Hispanic children. “Children of color are overrepresented in foster care. So if you say, ‘We’re not going to adopt over racial lines,’ the only alternative is you let a lot of children age out of foster care.”
Courtesy of Kevin Hofmann View caption Hide caption Kevin Hofmann, shown here with his adoptive parents, is the author of "Growing Up Black in White."
For decades, many parents, especially in the international adoption arena, aimed to “assimilate” their adopted children as Americans. In the past decade, says Chaitra Wirta-Leiker, a psychologist who counsels pre-adoptive parents and adoptees in Denver, a keener awareness of the need to cultivate children’s ethnic, cultural, and linguistic bonds has grown. But in too many families, especially in domestic adoption where the cultural differences can be more nuanced, a notion of “colorblindness” has prevailed – at the expense of the adoptee, she says. “As a parent, you love your child and may not think so much about race, but the truth is that the rest of the world is always going to see race first,” says Dr. Wirta-Leiker, who was adopted from India into a white household and later adopted a son from Ethiopia. “And so we have to prepare our kids for that.”
The generation of adult adoptees must lead the way, she says.
Mr. Hofmann works for the state of Ohio as a trainer for adoptive parents and uses his own experience to show the hard work that underlies transracial adoption. Born in the wake of the Detroit race riots in 1967 and the product of an affair, he was adopted at 3 months old by a white minister and his wife in Dearborn, Michigan. When he was about 11 months old, the family “woke up to a burning cross in our front yard,” he says.
His parents were keenly aware of the emphasis on white supremacy at the time, so they relocated to a Black neighborhood of Detroit, his white siblings growing up in Black schools. “So from age 3 to 18, I was always around kids that looked like me,” Mr. Hofmann says. “I didn’t have to rely on the media and especially ’70s TV to tell me what Black was. I got to go out every day and see.” In fact, he recalls feeling sorry for his siblings because they were white.
In the end his family shows how influential racial identity can be in a multiracial context. He remembers preparing his father’s eulogy several years ago, sitting in his mother’s kitchen with his siblings and their families. In that room were different races, ethnicities, and maternal tongues. “I think it’s just a beautiful thing what our family became,” he says. “And that’s all because of the exposure that we had as kids.” To shine a light for others, Mr. Hofmann wrote “Growing Up Black in White.”
When love isn’t enough
Yet, some transracial adoptive parents acknowledge that the love and work inside their own family isn’t enough, given deep structural racism – something that’s been made clearer this summer. Shelley Vermilya and her former partner adopted two Black children in the ’90s in Vermont, one of the whitest states in the U.S. Well aware of her own limitations as a white parent, she filled their home with African American books and music; she drove her children an hour away to get their hair done by a Black hairdresser. Around the dinner table, they talked about class and gender, sexual identity, and race – so much that the kids would roll their eyes. “They’d say, ‘God, there goes Mom. She’s going to start on transgender now,’” Ms. Vermilya says.
And yet as an equity scholar-in-residence in the Vermont public school system who is also writing a book on transracial adoption, Ms. Vermilya says that she is aware of how much more work needs to be done by society at large. “Love hasn’t been enough to get them where they are or have them be who they are,” she says. “Society’s got to come up with some love as well. … So it’s been my life’s work to work with people on this to get them to understand the systemic issues.”
This summer has caused her to reflect more deeply. “I’ve really wondered, especially this year and the pain for people of color, if that was too much pain to ask a child to feel, or if I gave them enough of a foundation in life that they’ll be able to really carry on well and understand the complexities of that kind of experience, sort of knowing whiteness from the inside and being Black and facing the world that way.”
Karen Moline, an adoptive mother in New York City whose son was born in Vietnam, grappled with her own decision to adopt abroad in 2001, becoming a reform advocate for more transparency on the international front. She too has faced gnawing questions: Were her actions in the best interest of her child? “Maybe their lives are ‘saved’ from physical danger, but does that mean their lives in this country are better as transracial adoptees? The second half of that sentence is always left out,” she says.
Challenging parents to be advocates
That is starting to change, as adult adoptees push for their experiences to be more deeply understood. For Ms. Dinwoodie, who also founded AdoptMent, a mentoring program for adoptees, and gives trainings and talks, her ability to have conversations about race with her own family is “very, very recent,” she says, only after American football player Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem in 2016 as an act of resistance against racial injustice – a stance some in her family couldn’t understand.
Ever since it has been a constant balance.
Ms. Dinwoodie knows her story starts with violence and loss – complexities that would follow her regardless of race. When she tried to reconnect with her biological mother, she learned she was the product of a painful family secret: Her mother had been raped and had given her up. When she found her, her birth mother refused to form a relationship. Ms. Dinwoodie is still looking for her birth father.
Ms. Dinwoodie’s adoptive parents had the best intentions from the start, but silence and denial about race were able to grow, especially since she was biracial. It reached into the most quotidian acts. Growing up in a farmhouse on a well system, all the family had to take quick showers. But it was physically impossible to get the suds out of her hair with a quick rinse. She remembers panicking about it every time. As she tells the story, she worries it will break her mother’s heart to hear it. “I just love her so much,” she says. “I know my mom is constantly worried that she wasn’t a good mom and that she failed me, and she didn’t, because I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without that strong foundation she gave me.”
So she continues to speak out – testing the limits of that fragile balance in her own family. And she intentionally looks for people who seem to have it all together, those without the extreme hurts that land them in emergency rooms but with the subtle gaslighting and denial that can do so much harm down the line. Even in herself she recognizes that she might be married or have children if she hadn’t had to expend so much energy on her own identity.
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“I really feel that, now, if you are a white parent adopting a Black or brown child, you actually have to be doing clear and very obvious anti-racist work,” she says. “You have to welcome Black people into your home as your friends, as your neighbors. You’ve got to have Black art on the wall. You have to be in the schools demanding for changes to curriculum and looking at data around suspensions, and looking at over-policing of Black and brown children. You can’t just simply transactionally parent your kid. You’ve got to be doing that through a very clearly defined and purposeful anti-racist, anti-bias lens.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct a mischaracterization of Colin Kaepernick's protest. He refused to stand for the national anthem.


csmonitor--2020-12-01--What's ahead for Biden's liberal economic nominees

With unemployment still high and the pandemic threatening yet another economic slump , President-elect Joe Biden is assembling a team of liberal advisers who have long focused on the nation ’ s workers and government efforts to address economic inequality .
Janet Yellen , announced Monday as Mr. Biden ’ s nominee for treasury secretary , served as chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018 , where she placed a greater emphasis than previous Fed chairs on maximizing employment and less focus on price inflation .
Mr. Biden also named Cecilia Rouse as chair of his Council of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heather Boushey and Jared Bernstein as members of the council .
All are outspoken supporters of more government stimulus spending to boost growth , a major issue with the coronavirus pandemic cramping the United States economy .
Those choices “ signal the desire of the Biden administration to take the CEA in a direction that really centers on working people and raising wages , ” said Heidi Shierholz , senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute and former Labor Department chief economist during the Obama administration .
Mr. Biden ’ s nominees are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of previous presidents .
Ms. Yellen , if confirmed by the Senate , would be the first woman to serve as treasury secretary , after breaking ground as the first woman to chair the Fed .
Ms .
Rouse would be the first Black woman to lead the CEA in its 74 years of existence .
And Neera Tanden , Mr. Biden ’ s pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB ) , would be the first South Asian American in that job .
Mr. Biden also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deputy , which would make him the first Black deputy treasury secretary .
Ms .
Rouse , Ms. Tanden , and Mr. Adeyemo will all require Senate confirmation , and Ms. Tanden in particular is already drawing heavy Republican criticism .
Along with its progressive cast , Mr. Biden ’ s team also has years of experience in government and policymaking .
And that ’ s earning plaudits from some conservatives , who note that the nominees are not a far-left group bent on strangling the economy , as President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They are intellectual liberals , but not burn-it-all-down socialists , ” said Brian Riedl , a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an adviser to Sen. Mitt Romney ’ s presidential campaign .
“ They ’ re fairly conventional liberal economists and experts.
” Still , the Biden administration ’ s ambitious goals will face solid opposition from Republicans in Congress .
The GOP needs to win one of two Georgia Senate seats in a Jan. 5 special election to retain control of the Senate , and the Republicans made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ’ House majority .
“ Most of the policies that Biden ran on will not survive a Republican Senate , ” Mr. Riedl said .
Those include proposals to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour and significantly increase taxes on wealthy Americans .
Mr. Biden could secure another round of stimulus spending early next year , particularly if the recent spikes in confirmed virus cases push the economy into recession again .
But such a package will likely have to come in under $ 1 trillion to get Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than the higher figure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking .
Ms. Tanden is the president and CEO of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress and was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign .
She first made her mark in the Clinton orbit , and served as policy director for Hillary Clinton ’ s 2008 presidential race .
A spokesman for GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas tweeted that Ms. Tanden “ stands zero chance of being confirmed ” as budget director , citing “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Republican senators .
And Josh Holmes , a political adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , tweeted that her confirmation was likely doomed .
Brian Deese , a former senior economic adviser in the Obama administration and now the managing director and global head of sustainable investing at BlackRock , is expected to be named director of the White House National Economic Council ( NEC ) , according to a person familiar with transition plans who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter .
Mr. Deese worked on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama White House , where he held the title of deputy director of both the NEC and the OMB .
Mr. Deese and Mr. Adeyemo are both under fire from progressives for their connections to BlackRock , a giant Wall Street asset management firm .
BlackRock has sought to avoid greater regulatory scrutiny by Treasury .
And many activists assail the firm for owning huge stakes in oil and gas companies .
Ms .
Rouse , a labor economist and head of Princeton University ’ s School of Public and International Affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 , and served on the NEC from 1998 to 1999 in the Clinton administration .
Notably , she organized a letter earlier this year signed by more than 100 economists calling for more government action to help Americans caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The planning for a fairer economy , grounded in facts and evidence , begins now , ” Ms .
Rouse tweeted Monday .
Alan Blinder , former vice chair of the Fed and a currently an economics professor at Princeton , praised Ms.
Rouse ’ s management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of education and workforce training .
Mr. Biden has proposed making two years of community college tuition-free .
“ That kind of stuff is right in her wheelhouse , ” Mr. Blinder said .
Ms. Boushey , picked to be one of the three members of the CEA , is president and co-founder of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth , a think tank focused on inequality .
The center conducts its own research and also provides grants to mostly left-leaning academics to study aspects of inequality .
Mr. Bernstein , also nominated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to then-Vice President Biden during the Obama administration before becoming a fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , a left-leaning think tank .
Mr. Bernstein has also worked as a social worker and was an economist at the Economic Policy Institute , a labor-supported think tank .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Alexandra Jaffe , Paul Wiseman , and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report .

With unemployment still high and the pandemic threatening yet another economic slump, President-elect Joe Biden is assembling a team of liberal advisers who have long focused on the nation’s workers and government efforts to address economic inequality.
Janet Yellen, announced Monday as Mr. Biden’s nominee for treasury secretary, served as chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018, where she placed a greater emphasis than previous Fed chairs on maximizing employment and less focus on price inflation. Mr. Biden also named Cecilia Rouse as chair of his Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), and Heather Boushey and Jared Bernstein as members of the council.
All are outspoken supporters of more government stimulus spending to boost growth, a major issue with the coronavirus pandemic cramping the United States economy.
Those choices “signal the desire of the Biden administration to take the CEA in a direction that really centers on working people and raising wages,” said Heidi Shierholz, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute and former Labor Department chief economist during the Obama administration.
Mr. Biden’s nominees are also a more personally diverse group than those of previous presidents.
Ms. Yellen, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first woman to serve as treasury secretary, after breaking ground as the first woman to chair the Fed. Ms. Rouse would be the first Black woman to lead the CEA in its 74 years of existence. And Neera Tanden, Mr. Biden’s pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), would be the first South Asian American in that job.
Mr. Biden also selected Wally Adeyemo to be Ms. Yellen’s deputy, which would make him the first Black deputy treasury secretary. Ms. Rouse, Ms. Tanden, and Mr. Adeyemo will all require Senate confirmation, and Ms. Tanden in particular is already drawing heavy Republican criticism.
Along with its progressive cast, Mr. Biden’s team also has years of experience in government and policymaking. And that’s earning plaudits from some conservatives, who note that the nominees are not a far-left group bent on strangling the economy, as President Donald Trump repeatedly warned during the 2020 campaign.
“They are intellectual liberals, but not burn-it-all-down socialists,” said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an adviser to Sen. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. “They’re fairly conventional liberal economists and experts.”
Still, the Biden administration’s ambitious goals will face solid opposition from Republicans in Congress. The GOP needs to win one of two Georgia Senate seats in a Jan. 5 special election to retain control of the Senate, and the Republicans made major inroads on Nov. 3 in the Democrats’ House majority.
“Most of the policies that Biden ran on will not survive a Republican Senate,” Mr. Riedl said. Those include proposals to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and significantly increase taxes on wealthy Americans.
Mr. Biden could secure another round of stimulus spending early next year, particularly if the recent spikes in confirmed virus cases push the economy into recession again. But such a package will likely have to come in under $1 trillion to get Senate Republican support, Mr. Riedl said, rather than the higher figure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking.
Ms. Tanden is the president and CEO of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress and was the director of domestic policy for the Obama-Biden presidential campaign. She first made her mark in the Clinton orbit, and served as policy director for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential race.
A spokesman for GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas tweeted that Ms. Tanden “stands zero chance of being confirmed” as budget director, citing “an an endless stream of disparaging comments about” Republican senators. And Josh Holmes, a political adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, tweeted that her confirmation was likely doomed.
Brian Deese, a former senior economic adviser in the Obama administration and now the managing director and global head of sustainable investing at BlackRock, is expected to be named director of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), according to a person familiar with transition plans who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Mr. Deese worked on the auto bailout and environmental issues in the Obama White House, where he held the title of deputy director of both the NEC and the OMB.
Mr. Deese and Mr. Adeyemo are both under fire from progressives for their connections to BlackRock, a giant Wall Street asset management firm. BlackRock has sought to avoid greater regulatory scrutiny by Treasury. And many activists assail the firm for owning huge stakes in oil and gas companies.
Ms. Rouse, a labor economist and head of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, served on the CEA from 2009 to 2011, and served on the NEC from 1998 to 1999 in the Clinton administration.
Notably, she organized a letter earlier this year signed by more than 100 economists calling for more government action to help Americans caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The planning for a fairer economy, grounded in facts and evidence, begins now,” Ms. Rouse tweeted Monday.
Alan Blinder, former vice chair of the Fed and a currently an economics professor at Princeton, praised Ms. Rouse’s management style and her expertise in the economics of education and workforce training. Mr. Biden has proposed making two years of community college tuition-free.
“That kind of stuff is right in her wheelhouse,” Mr. Blinder said.
Ms. Boushey, picked to be one of the three members of the CEA, is president and co-founder of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a think tank focused on inequality. The center conducts its own research and also provides grants to mostly left-leaning academics to study aspects of inequality.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Mr. Bernstein, also nominated for the CEA, was an adviser to then-Vice President Biden during the Obama administration before becoming a fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. Mr. Bernstein has also worked as a social worker and was an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a labor-supported think tank.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Alexandra Jaffe, Paul Wiseman, and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.