Reimagining anti-racist pedagogy in early childhood education: Foregrounding critical theories and frameworks that challenge racism

Recent global events, shaped by conservative ideologies, neoliberalism, and capitalism, have exacerbated racism toward displaced individuals, particularly migrants and refugees of color. In Canadian early childhood education, these racist ideologies manifest through theories rooted in white, patriarchal, colonial knowledge systems that frame refugee children through a deficit lens. Such frameworks position early childhood education as a mechanism for assimilation, prioritizing workforce preparation in merit-driven economies over recognizing refugee children’s lived experiences, cultural strengths, and intersectional identities. In response to the global rise in racism, this paper examines transformative anti-racist approaches in early childhood education that challenge dominant discourses and systemic inequities. Through a case study of a Syrian refugee child and her mother, the paper reimagines anti-racist pedagogy by drawing on critical poststructural theories from the margins, including Black Feminist Thought, the sociology of childhood, and critical pedagogy. By centering Black feminist storytelling methodologies, this study highlights the necessity of valuing marginalized knowledge and participatory, creative practices in early childhood education. It argues for an intentional shift toward anti-racist educational frameworks that dismantle deficit-based narratives and affirm the agency and contributions of refugee children and their families.