Reimagine early childhood education

We Are Who We’re Waiting For bridges rigorous research with actionable tools for change, delving into child development theories that go beyond the basics, centering on humanity, children’s rights, and intersectionality. Widely respected author Kisa Marx calls for a transformative approach to dismantle systemic barriers and advocates for practices that genuinely center each child’s identity, culture, and potential, turning personal resolve into a broader call for systemic change in early childhood education.

Through personal narratives and heart-centered storytelling, each chapter guides readers through deconstructing, reconsidering, redefining, and reimagining early childhood education practices. The book provides a rich source of case studies, theoretical insights, and practical applications that promote equity and inclusion in early childhood education, making it an invaluable resource for scholars and practitioners alike.

REVIEWS

"We Are Who We’re Waiting For is a revelation, inviting me to sit in my discomfort with its many provocative ideas and perspectives. It is a call to action, inviting me to confront my blind spots, biases, and white tendencies toward neutrality and complacency. It leaves me feeling hopeful—liberated. In an all-too-weary world like ours, Kisa’s unique brand of hope for the future is the elixir we all need. One thing I know for sure: with Kisa, the children are well." —Richard Cohen, associate professor of early childhood education and development, Connecticut State

"Kisa Marx's We Are Who We're Waiting For is a revolutionary text that defies easy categorization. Part memoir, part pedagogical manifesto, part unapologetic love letter to Black children, this work weaves together personal narrative, critical theory, and practical wisdom into what can only be described as an instrumental autobiographical text for educators. Marx has created something rare in educational literature: a book that not only espouses transformative practices but models them in its very structure and voice." —Gregory V. Larnell, PhD, University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Education

"The book I’ve been waiting for. In graduate school, I was introduced to liberatory pedagogy and education as the practice of freedom, but those concepts were exclusively used to describe educating adolescents and adults. I’ve spent the past ten years searching for texts that discuss what liberatory education means for young children. And now, with this book, Kisa Marx has delivered an accessible guide for early childhood educators to embrace liberatory pedagogy in the early years." —Denisha Jones, PhD, JD, Executive Director, Defending the Early Years