Dr. Walter Gilliam Shines at our 2017 Advocacy Breakfast

Advocates, educators, parents and supporters of Westchester’s children were in attendance at our annual Advocacy Breakfast to hear Dr. Walter Gilliam deliver the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Child Advocacy Lecture on the existence of implicit bias in the classroom as early as preschool. Implicit bias, micro-aggressions, bigotry, and racism impacts our daily lives regardless of who we are, but the implications for children of color are enormous and can cause lasting, harmful effects.
Dr. Walter Gilliam authored the 2016 study, “Implicit Bias in Preschool.” He is the Director of The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center. Dr. Gilliam is a member of the board of directors for ZERO TO THREE, Child Care Aware of America, and the Irving Harris Foundation. His scholarly writing addresses early childhood care and education programs, school readiness, and developmental assessment of young children.
In her remarks to the audience, Cora Greenberg, WCA executive director said, “Children of color face obstacles that are not of their own doing, that’s why we are here today.”   In 2016, we launched an initiative called GPS4Kids.  The goal of the initiative is to see that Westchester children and youth thrive regardless of race or zip code.  Their annual data bulletin, “Children by the Numbers,” which was released at the advocacy breakfast, illustrates the gains and pains children in Westchester experience through a racial equity lens.

If you were unable to attend the breakfast and missed Dr. Gilliam’s important keynote address, we have uploaded a shorter version of it right here. Enjoy.

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