In affinity, we find kinship. Our shared interests move us toward one another and give us opportunities for connection, deep empathy and shared experiences. Our worldviews collide, and we are no longer alone; we are in a community.

One of the first times I felt like I was in community was in my high school jazz band as a teenager. I auditioned to be a part of the Ravinia Scholars, joining a group of teenage musicians from high schools all over Chicago. We each were assigned a mentor who played our respective instruments and we were welcomed as artists and musicians. While my other peers listened to Tyga and Usher, we connected over a love of jazz standards and came together to listen to the masterful solos of Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and McCoy Tyner. I felt like I was right where I was meant to be. My mentor was the late Willie Pickens, and he never let me forget how special this community was.

I believe this is an experience every child deserves—to be seen, heard and affirmed in their full identity. This is why, as a Black early childhood educator and counselor, I find it necessary to provide these same safe spaces to young children.

At our school, we define affinity groups as: A peer network where individuals come together because they have an aspect of their identity in common. Our identity-based affinity groups begin in kindergarten and continue to exist in first grade, second grade, and beyond — our earliest group began in Nursery Four.

In speaking about their experiences with affinity groups, author Monita K. Bell outlines:

Schools are places where individuals do not always feel included. When we think more specifically about the experience of students of color within predominantly white schools, this exclusion becomes more prevalent. Students of color are in a constant state of proving that their experiences are real and that they matter, and constantly being in a state of proving can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. This kind of stress can contribute to feelings of loneliness and being “unseen” at school.

Affinity groups have the power to mitigate these effects and to create a strong foundation of identity and community that positively combat the unfair experiences many of our children will encounter.

Affinity Groups Foster a Strong Foundation for Identity

Often, we think that the early childhood years are too early to discuss race, ethnicity, gender, neurodiversity and other aspects of identity. But systemic oppression can negatively affect child development, especially racism. Children notice differences at a very young age and will make their inferences if we do not discuss the nuances and facets of identity. When schools ignore the opportunity to create spaces where shared identifiers are centered, ultimately, harm is done.

In early childhood education, it is up to the adults in a young child’s life to provide this experience. The foundation of their development happens in the earliest years of their lives. They are shaped and molded by the adults around them. But what happens when the adults in their lives do not discuss or uplift all aspects of identity?

Affinity groups have the power to strengthen the voices of our students and help them think critically about the world, their experiences and their education. By practicing their critical thinking skills and learning to trust themselves, they can develop tools that help them combat the effects of internalized racial stress or bias.

Our educational systems are built on antiquated systems that unfairly and incorrectly position whiteness and heterosexuality as the norm. To combat this, we must speak about identity and affirm the identities of our most underrepresented populations.

Building a Foundation for Connection

Over the past five years, our affinity groups have expanded within our EC environment, and we have outlined concrete goals:

• Affirmation: How am I/are we enriched socially and emotionally through this group?
• Dignity: How is my/our human value celebrated?
• Visibility: How am I/are we seen as valuable community members?

Knowing how powerful affinity groups can be in the EC environment, with the support of my school, my colleagues and I decided to implement these groups for our students. Each of our five affinity groups is centered on specific identities and experiences, including:

• Blackspace (Black students),
• Latinidad (Latinx students),
• Desi Mangos (South Asian students),
• Infinity (students exploring LGBTQIA+ identity) and
• Great Minds (students who are learning about their learning styles)

From focusing on joy and gratitude to centering the role of community, each affinity group is purposeful in aligning our themes and activities. This extends our community and creates opportunities for our students to begin to discuss and understand intersectionality.

As an affinity group lead facilitator, I run my group every week with two of my other brilliant colleagues. Together, we create an organized and goal-oriented curriculum centered on affirming Blackness.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, our colleagues came together to support two of our affinity groups. They canceled gym classes, changed classroom schedules and most of our 700 students joined us in the gym for a community celebration of identity, culture and affinity.

After this celebration, our colleague remarked, “The children looked so happy parading around with their flags, and I spoke with many students throughout the day about how much joy and pride it gave them. I also spoke with kids who aren’t in Latinidad or Blackspace who learned from the video, and we were able to share and connect in excitement for that learning together.”

Not only did our collaboration affirm the identity of our children within our affinity groups, but their peers were able to find connection in their shared experiences and bear witness to the affirmation of identity.

Affinity Groups Connect Us All

While I have had the experience of feeling supported as an affinity group leader, this was not always the case. Even now, I come across colleagues who worry about saying the wrong thing, talking about an affinity group that none of their students are participating in, or dealing with the challenges that we might receive from caregivers or parents. All of these concerns are valid, and I welcome the opportunity to explore them further—in discussing things that bring us discomfort, we can support each other as a community.

The pushback we receive doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing this important work. If anything, it’s evidence of why we should be doing it. There is a domino-like effect of positivity when we have identity-based affinity groups in the early childhood setting. It begins with our students, extends to the affinity group leaders and continues to have positive effects that ripple throughout our school-wide community.

There is power in beginning early. It becomes a part of the fabric of your daily work. Discussing identity becomes the norm, and children follow suit; they do not shy away from conversations about differences; instead, they celebrate newfound similarities and knowledge. We are not just teaching them how to hold a pencil, play with the lines and curves of letters, and build structures using shapes. We are creating learning environments where the power of affinity spaces is respected, where children can thrive in their full identity — where identity is valued as a daily goal and part of our curriculum.