Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy — Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz in conversation with Bettina L. Love

This event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast, Charis’ virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually – https://www.crowdcast.io/c/archaeology-of-self
Charis welcomes Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz in conversation with Bettina L. Love in celebration of Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy, an invitation to dive deep into the heart of teaching and the sacred work of self-awareness.
Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy is an invitation to dive deep into the heart of teaching and the sacred work of self-awareness. It calls educators–and professionals from all walks of life–to embark on a lifelong journey of racial literacy, healing, and the pursuit of a bias-free existence. Blending personal narrative, poetry, and guided reflection, Archaeology of Self offers both a mirror and a map that takes readers through Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz’s framework for excavating one’s racial identity, confronting internalized bias, and teaching from a place of critical love, justice, and truth.
This is more than a book. It is a living, breathing guide for transformation. Included within are:
– Lesson plans designed by educators across the country and adaptable for K-12 and beyond.
– Multimodal resources, including video suggestions, journaling prompts, mindfulness practices, and companion readings.
– A chapter-themed music playlist that sets the emotional and intellectual tone, inviting deep listening, feeling, and reflection.
At its core, Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy is a blueprint for healing and for the collective reimagining of education as a liberatory and humanizing force.
About the Author
Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Ph.D. is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the 2024 Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Awardee from New York University. Her research, published in leading academic journals, centers on racial literacy and educational equity.
She is co-editor of five books, including All About Black Girl in Education: bell hooks and Pedagogies of Love (2024), and co-author of the multiple award-winning Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces (2021), where she introduces her Archaeology of Self® concept and Racial Literacy Development Model (RLDM). Her most recent book, Archaeology of Self: The Introspective Educator’s Guide to Racial Literacy, was released by Routledge in Summer 2026.
For five consecutive years, Yolanda has been named an EdWeek EduScholar Influencer, recognizing her among the top 1% of education research scholars in the country. She is the founder of the Racial Literacy Project @TC and the Racial Literacy Roundtable Series, which for 19 years has convened scholars, educators, and students for critical dialogue on race and diversity.
Her work has been featured in the documentaries 2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright (2016) and Defining Us: Children at the Crossroads of Change (2022). She is also the author of two poetry collections, Love from the Vortex & Other Poems (2020) and The Peace Chronicles (2021) and is currently writing a third collection reflecting on her childhood in the South Bronx during the 1980s. In 2022, Yolanda delivered her TEDx Talk, Truth, Love & Racial Literacy, at the University of Pennsylvania.
Connect with Yolanda on BlueSky (@sealeyruiz.bsky.social) and Instagram (@yolie_sealeyruiz).
About the Conversation Partner
Dr. Bettina L. Love holds the esteemed William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal. This groundbreaking work garnered the prestigious Stowe Prize for Literary Activism and was a finalist for the LA Times Book Award. Recognized by the Kennedy Center in 2022 as one of the Next 50 Leaders dedicated to fostering inspiration, inclusivity, and compassion, Dr. Love’s impact extends far beyond academia. In 2024, she received the Truth Award for Excellence in Education from Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation.
Dr. Love actively contributes to its mission of nurturing and empowering educators and parents committed to combating injustice within their educational institutions and communities. Additionally, Dr. Love played a pivotal role as a founding member of the Task Force behind the groundbreaking program “In Her Hands,” a significant guaranteed income pilot initiative disbursing more than $13 million to support Black women in Georgia.
Renowned as a highly sought-after public speaker, Dr. Love covers a wide range of compelling topics in her engagements, including abolitionist teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and the use of art-based education to foster youth civic engagement. Her profound insights and expertise have earned her recognition in various news outlets, including NPR, PBS, The Daily Beast, Time, Education Week, The Guardian, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2018, the Georgia House of Representatives honored Dr. Love with a resolution for her impactful contributions to the field of education. Her bestseller We Want To Do More Than Survive has sold close to 200,000 copies and has become a staple in classrooms around the country. She is a leading voice in the field of education.
The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event…