Empathy, understanding, and alliance: A National Writing Project model for an online anti-racist family literacy program.

The article focuses on an online anti-racist family literacy program developed in summer 2020 by the Central Arizona Writing Project (CAWP) at Arizona State University, designed to engage children ages 3–6 and their parents/caregivers in conversations about race, racism, empathy, understanding, and alliance. Utilizing children’s literature and literacy activities, the eight-week program combined synchronous Zoom sessions with asynchronous family projects to create a supportive community of practice grounded in frameworks such as Wenger’s Communities of Practice and Muhammad’s Historically Responsive Literacy. The program aimed to make complex topics accessible and developmentally appropriate, encouraging white families in particular to initiate early, intentional discussions about race and to disrupt cycles of racism. Findings suggest that the program fostered meaningful dialogue, parental confidence, and a foundation for ongoing anti-racist education within families, highlighting the potential of family literacy as a tool for social justice education during times of social isolation.