We are excited to share some of our favorite resources, including children's literature, organizations leading antiracist education with children and families, and resources for adults on raising antiracist children.
Children’s Literature
Reading books with your child offers a natural opportunity to initiate conversations about race, racism, and social justice. The resources below include some of our favorite books for children, as well as our go-to places to discover new books. We developed these "Guidelines for Choosing Books that Focus on Communities Other Than Your Own," in collaboration with Dr. Renata Love Jones and Nicholl Montgomery, to help parents and caregivers select books that present BIPOC communities with respect, joy, genius, and complexity. We also recommend “Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism,” by Louise Derman-Sparks and the Anti-Bias Curriculum Task Force. This handy guide can help both you and the children in your life learn how to detect racist and sexist content in any book.
Reading books with your child offers a natural opportunity to initiate conversations about race, racism, and social justice. The resources below include some of our favorite books for children, as well as our go-to places to discover new books. We developed these "Guidelines for Choosing Books that Focus on Communities Other Than Your Own," in collaboration with Dr. Renata Love Jones and Nicholl Montgomery, to help parents and caregivers select books that present BIPOC communities with respect, joy, genius, and complexity. We also recommend “Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism,” by Louise Derman-Sparks and the Anti-Bias Curriculum Task Force. This handy guide can help both you and the children in your life learn how to detect racist and sexist content in any book.
Children’s books that address race, racism, and racial justice
We have compiled lists of some of our favorite children's books that address race and identity, racism and antiracism, and activism. Our Recommended Booklist for Grades 1-3 includes wonderful books for parents and other caregivers to read aloud with children. Our Recommended Booklist for Grades 3-6 includes a mixture of picture books that are perfect for reading in one sitting, and longer, middle grade books.
We created our Antiracists Throughout US History Collection as a resource for the kids on our Justice Squad to learn about historical figures who have stood up to racism. It includes pictures, information, and links to books, videos, and articles.
Social Justice Books is a project of Teaching for Change, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world. Their excellent website includes more than 70 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.
Books with BIPOC protagonists that are NOT about racism
|
These Reading for Joy resources from our June 1st workshop, "Reading for Joy: Using Books to Promote Children's Cross-Racial Understanding" are designed to support you in choosing media that present BIPOC communities with respect, joy, genius, and complexity. The resources include curated booklists, a Black Joy playlist, and places to find more great books and media.
|
|
Lee & Low Books is the largest multicultural children's book publisher in the United States. Their mission is to actively address the dearth of multicultural children’s books in the marketplace and to make a special effort to work with unpublished authors of color.
|
|
The Bank Street community created an annotated Guide of Anti-Racist Books for Children. The books on the list meet the criteria of having a BIPOC protagonist, the experience of self discovery, self-advocacy, and realizations on the part of the main character and/or a joy or celebration of one's cultural or ethnic identity.
|
|
We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. Their “OurStory” tool offers recommendations based on your interests.
|
Organizations Doing Antiracist Education with Children and Families
In addition to Kids for Racial Justice, there are a number of other wonderful organizations that offer antiracist education geared towards parents and/or children. The organizations below offer a variety of worthwhile workshops, webinars, and courses.
In addition to Kids for Racial Justice, there are a number of other wonderful organizations that offer antiracist education geared towards parents and/or children. The organizations below offer a variety of worthwhile workshops, webinars, and courses.
|
Wee The People is a Boston-based social justice project for children ages 4-12. Launched in 2015 by two Black mothers, WTP organizes free, interactive workshops and events that explore activism, resistance, and social action through the visual and performing arts: music, dance/movement, theater, graphic arts, spoken word, and storytelling.
|
|
Story Starters offers an at-home program for children ages 3-8 and their families to encourage conversations that build empathy, support connection, and preempt racial bias. Story Starters uses children’s literature to give families the tools and support to talk about race and racism and to engage in family-centered social justice conversations and action.
|
|
EmbraceRace is a community of adults of all colors who support each other in our efforts to raise and guide children who are inclusive, informed and brave when it comes to race. They offer monthly webinars along with other resources.
|
Resources for Adults on Raising Antiracist Children
Here are a few of our favorite books and other resources for adults to learn more about children’s racial identity development and how to raise antiracist children
Here are a few of our favorite books and other resources for adults to learn more about children’s racial identity development and how to raise antiracist children
|
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race, by Beverly Daniel Tatum, is the definitive book for understanding how race shapes the way that we see ourselves and each other.
|
|
A Race Is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life, by Janet Helms. This slim volume explores White racial identity development, with a focus on helping people develop a positive White identity.
|
|
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America, by Jennifer Harvey, makes an urgent argument for raising race-conscious children, and offers practical suggestions for how to do so.
|
|
White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America, by Margaret A. Hagerman, is a fascinating work of sociology that explores how White children learn about race, revealing that White families often inadvertently reproduce and reinforce racial inequality.
|
|
Parenting 4 Social Justice, by Angela Berkfield with co-authors Chrissy Colón Bradt, Leila Raven, Jaimie Lynn Kessell, Rowan Parker, and Abigail Healey offers "tips, tools, and inspiration" for addressing issues including racism, class, ability, and gender identity with children.
|
|
In How to Raise an Antiracist, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi integrates scientific research with his own experiences as a parent to argue that all parents, regardless of racial identity, should proactively teach their children about the myth of race and the reality of racism, in order to safeguard children from harm.
|
|
Raising Race Conscious Children is a resource to support adults who are trying to talk about race with young children. Their excellent blog models conversations that are transparent, concrete, and non-judgmental.
|
