Considering recent events, I want to share some resources that could be helpful in talking with your kids about race and racism. Start off by informing yourself; check out Antiracist Reading Recs from Loyalty Bookstores. Loyalty is an independent bookstore committed to providing diverse reads for all ages. Other resources to explore:
- Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup: A comprehensive list from Pretty Good Design, including podcasts, articles and books for children and adults. Also check out the infographic on their home page.
- Books to Help Kids Talk About Racism: A good list of picture books, primarily discussing race from a historical context. Use these titles as a starting point, making connections with the text and present day events.
- Here's How to Raise Race-Conscious Children: From Buzzfeed, they talk about the importance of talking about race versus staying silent. "When we fail to talk openly with our children about racial inequality in our society, we are in fact contributing to the development of their racial biases."
- Colours of Us: Multicultural books organized by ethnicity and children's age. Other book lists include talking about race and racism, books about mixed race families and books with strong female role models.
- How to Talk to Children About Race: Another great, comprehensive resource.
Also check out the resources compiled by the librarian at Fayston Elementary, Sarah Adelman: Resources on Race/Racism/Discrimination.
There are a lot more resources out there. I wanted to give you a good starting point. I realize these conversations are difficult and likely uncomfortable, but they are so important. If you need help with addressing race and racism with your child, please reach out: jstevenson@huusd.org.
