Talking to Kids About Racism

June 19, 2020 - The protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have swept the country and dominated the news cycle. Seemingly every day there is a new protest or related event making headlines. As parents, it can be difficult to explain issues of race, racism, and injustice to children because of the gravity of the subjects. However it is vitally important to explain and educate these issues children and especially parents of white children. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone! Resources are available to help parents tackle the issue of race and racism. I have collected a list of resources to help you get the conversation started. 

Life Kit podcast: “Talking Race With Young Children”

Great tips from Life kit about talking with race with young children.One great piece of advice is to never shut down conversations about race.Always engage!

Life Kit podcast: “How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race”

In this interview, Michel Martin interviews author Jennifer Harvey, author of ‘Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America’

“Something Happened in Our Town” read aloud video

A story of how two families respond to racial injustice.

“Talking to kids about discrimination”

This is resources was developed by The American Psychological Association, and helps explain why it is important to talk about race and some helpful approaches.

Resource list from The Center for Racial Justice in Education

Looking for more resources?The Center for Racial Justice in Education has provided a robust list additional resources for talking to kids about racism.Dig in.

This list will hopefully provide some helpful tips that make parents to be more confident and energized to talk with their kids about race and racism with their kids.

Elliot Stapleton, Library Associate

June 19, 2020