When Imani’s child was in preschool she began to have exposure to the saying “you get what you get and you don’t get upset.” While understanding that the aim of this expression was to reduce children’s anxieties about receiving an item equivalent in worth and function as a peer but perhaps a different shape, color, or size, it didn’t sit right. Wasn’t it ok to get upset when you perceived something was unfair? What about if more than unfair someone’s treatment or an outcome were unjust?
Imani enlisted the help of Dr. Chap to come up with a rejoinder–one that rhymed. Early childhood educator Dr. Sandra (Chap) Chapman, was all too familiar with this phrase and shared the same unease with the statement that Imani had. After a brief conversation about the role of justice in young people’s lives, they got to work! Over several weeks we would try possibilities out with each other until one day Imani added “unless it’s unjust” and Dr. Chap finished in the same breath “then let’s make a fuss.”
The critical aspect of the qualification was the word “let’s”; if, in fact, the situation is not just, then we should all participate in making a fuss together. We believe that children can develop security in themselves while being community-minded. Holding the self and the community side-by-side, we can enlist the help of others when harm occurs and we can offer support to other members of our community. (© 2023)
Who are Chap and Imani?
Dr. Sandra K. Chapman
Sandra (Chap) Chapman, Ed. D. is the Founder of Chap Equity, an organization rooted in the belief that, through teamwork, we can learn more about ourselves and others; discuss and discover the foundational research needed to address the needs in a community; create conversations that support individuals where they are and confront barrier issues; and create actionable steps towards building stronger educational communities. In addition, Dr. Chap is the Deputy Director of Programs and Curriculum at the Perception Institute, where she identifies opportunities to translate the mind sciences and other essential concepts into interactive workshops that build the capacity for clients to shift their mindsets and transform their organizations. Chap facilitates workshops on racial identity development, racial microaggressions, implicit bias, identity / racial anxiety, stereotype threat, and hiring in education and with teams in various types of organizations. Embedded within each concept are tools for helping individuals override unconscious phenomena linked to identity and better connect behavior with values.
Chap Equity
Dr. Chap is the lead on Social Identity Development for the Great First Eight curriculum development project, led by Dr. Nell K. Duke Executive Director, Center for Early Literacy Success at Stand for Children. Great First Eight is a full-day, open educational resource (OER) curriculum for children birth through eight. This project-based curriculum is designed to integrate all disciplines, prioritizing science and social studies to an unprecedented degree for the infant through primary grades, and to support educators in enacting culturally relevant pedagogy. In addition to creating units for the Infant and Toddler team, Dr. Chap created the professional learning modules on identity and positionality for all educators using the program. Dr. Chap currently serves on the Pre-School team and has maintained her role as Lead on Social Identity Development. Together with her colleagues at GF8, she will present her work on developing infant and toddler social justice standards at the 18th World Association for Infant Mental Health World Congress in Dublin, Ireland in July 2023. Dr. Chap co-authored Bias Starts Early. Let’s Start Now: Developing an Anti-Racist, Anti-Bias Book Collection for Infants and Toddlers (https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2169, which uses the GF8 foundational principles on anti-bias book selection for young children. To learn more about the Great First Eight Curriculum, visit GreatFirstEight.org.
Other Written Works
• Chapman, S.K., & Chapman, I.R.R. (2021). Black Girl on the Playground. Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls, Corwin Press• Chapman, S.K. (2015). The Role of Racial-Ethnic Identity and Family Socialization on Student Engagement: Latino Youth in Select New York City Independent Schools. Doctoral Dissertation, St. John Fisher College.
• Chapman, S.K. (2015). The Power of Children’s Literature: Gay and Lesbian Themes in a Diverse Childhood Curriculum, manuscript submission for the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
• Chapman, S.K. (2001). Anti-Racist Lessons Presented through Children’s Literature: A 5th Grade Book Award Project Chapter for Anti-Racist Teaching: Thought and Practice (Transforming Teaching) by Sabrina Hope King
Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman
Imani Romney-Rosa Chapman, founder of imani strategies, llc, has more than 30 years of experience developing curriculum, organizing, and educating for social justice. Whatever the modality, Dr. Chapman co-creates brave and inclusive environments for learning, growth and justice. Her work with stakeholders in religious communities, secular communities, schools and non-profit organizations has helped root their efforts for sustained change.
imani strategies, llc
She currently serves on the Board for the Roger L. Wallace Excellence in Teaching Award, as the founding co-chair of the Steering Committee for the New York Metro Coalition of Faith/Spiritual/Ethical Communities for the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and The Race Working Group at Kolot Chayeinu Synagogue’s Race Working Group. She is also co-founder of Sisters of Color in Education.
Dr. Chapman received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her Masters from Middlebury College, Madrid, Spain and graduated from the doctoral studies program for Interfaith Clinical Education for Pastoral Ministry at HUC-JIR.
Her writing appears in the following publications: “Letters” in UnCommon Bonds: Women Reflect on Race and Friendship (Peter Lang, 2018); “The JOC Community Landscape Report” (commissioned, 2020) “Unetaneh Tokef for Black Lives” in Lilith (Summer 2020); “Converting to What?” in The CCAR Journal (Summer 2020); and “Black Girl at the Playground” in the forthcoming book Teaching Brilliant Beautiful Black Girls (Corwin, 2020).
Dr. Chapman works for an equitable world in which her children and the young people in your lives can live wholly and safely into their full humanity and where race is not a major determinant in health, wealth, legal, and educational outcomes.
Raising Liberated Kids Who Work in Solidarity 