Photo by Alayne Sulkin
As parents, we share the honor and serious responsibility of teaching our children to be thoughtful, educated members of society who identify and bravely take action against the racial injustice they see around them. The nationwide protests against police violence and the suffering of Black Americans that erupted in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd have sparked the collective conscience. Change starts at home, with critical and ongoing conversations had and actions taken to teach our children about racial identity and racism. We have compiled the below list of resources to help your family explore systemic racism and issues of power, privilege and oppression.
Take Action + Donate
- Support House Resolution 40
- Support local legislation State Bill 5044 — this bill concerns professional learning, equity, cultural competency and dismantling institutional racism in the public school system
- Ask your Congressional Representative to co-sponsor House Resolution 988 condemning all acts of police brutality, racial profiling and the use of excessive and militarized force throughout the country.
- The 30-Day Justice Plan
- 6 Ways for Your Family to Give Back This Summer
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- 5 Ways You Can Hold Your Department Accountable
- Campaign Zero's 8 Can’t Wait project
- Practical and Important Ways White Americans Can Fight for Racial Justice
Consider making a contribution to one of these organizations.
- Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
- Equal Justice Initiative — The Calhoun Family Fellowship
- Families of Color Seattle (parent groups, workshops, events for parents in the Greater Seattle area)
- Community Passageways
- Rainier Scholars
- College Success Foundation
- Technology Access Foundation
Resources for Healing and Self-Care
The Center for Child & Family Well-Being (CCFW) recommends the following excellent resources to support the well-being of Black families and communities:
- Resources for Black Healing (compiled by Micalah Webster, MSW, MHSA)
- Resources for Recognizing, Coping With and Combatting Prejudice
- Vice: Self-Care Tips for Black People
- Community Healing Network: Family-Care, Community-Care and Self-Care Tool Kit: Healing in the Face of Cultural Trauma
- RESilience: Racial Stress and Self-Care: Tools and Tips for Parents
- EmbraceRace: Supporting Kids of Color in the Wake of Racialized Violence
- EmbraceRace: “I [STILL] Can’t Breathe”: Supporting Kids of Color Amid Racialized Violence
- Liberate Meditation: free app by and for the Black, Indigenous and People of Color community
Historical Roots
- The New York Times: The 1619 Project (essays and compositions)
- Uncivil (podcast)
- School Colors (podcast)
- 100-Y Hoodie (essays)
- Time: How the U.S. Got Its Police Force (history)
- Facing History (Instagram)
Read, Follow, Listen, Learn
- “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander (Instagram | website)
- “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown (Instagram | website)
- “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race” by Robin DiAngelo (website)
- “Between the World and Me” and “The Water Dancer” by Ta-nehisi Coates (Instagram | website)
- “Raising White Kids” by Jennifer Harvey (website | podcast interview)
- “Check Your Privilege: Live Into the Work” by Myisha T Hill, Brandy Varnado, Jennifer Kinney, et al (Instagram | website)
- “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi (Instagram | website)
- “Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo (Instagram | website)
- “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad (Instagram | website | podcast)
- “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson (Instagram | website | film | New Yorker interview)
- “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson
Wait list too long at your branch library? You can always check out a copy of these select simultaneous-use digital titles:
- Available now from KCLS.org: eBooks and Downloadable Audiobooks on Racism in America
- Always available from SPL.org: Reading About Race
Articles + Guides + Web Resources
- Raising Race Conscious Children, a resource guide for talking about race with young children
- EmbraceRace: Webinars, action guides and book recommendations for raising a generation to be thoughtful, informed and brave about race (follow on Instagram)
- A Teaching Tolerance Guide, “Talking About Race”
- Medium: Equality Includes You
- The Conscious Kid
- Anti-Racism Resources for Parents
- The Marshall Project, nonprofit journalism about criminal justice
- How Challenging Stereotypes Can Save Black Lives, Greater Good Magazine
- What If There Were No George Floyd Video? The New York Times
- America's Neck Is Broken. We Can Survive, But We Have to Act, The Washington Post
- “Your Black Friend,” a comic by Ben Passmore
- Driving While Black, The Root
- Dear White People, Stop Making Racism All About You, Yes! magazine
- Seattle’s Inability to Address Its Whiteness Problem Made Me Say Goodbye for Good, South Seattle Emerald
- From Color-Blind to Color-Brave: Conversation building blocks to talk with kids about race, ParentMap
- How to Talk to Your Kids About Identity and Difference, ParentMap
- How to Talk to Kids About Race: Experts offer eight approaches to broaching the topic, ParentMap
- KEXP.org: Anti-Racist and Social Justice Resources
- Greater Good: Anti-Racist Resources
- Race Today: What Kids Know as They Grow
- “Racing” Towards Equality: Why Talking to Your Kids About Race Is Good for Everyone
Books for Kids
- "A Is for Activist" by Innosanto Nagara (preschoolers)
- "Shades of People" by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly (preschoolers)
- "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson (preschoolers)
- “A Kids Book About Racism” by Jelani Memory (ages 5–9)
- “This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work” by Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by Aurélia Durand (middle grade)
- "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds (middle grade)
- "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (middle grade)
- “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas (teen/YA)
- “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (teen/YA)
- “Anger Is a Gift” by Mark Oshiro (teen/YA)
- “March” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell (teen/YA)
For more titles, see:
- Social Justice Stories: Kids’ Books About Standing Up for What’s Right
- Common Sense Media's list, Books With Characters of Color
- We Need Diverse Books
- The New York Times: These Books Can Help Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids
- Common Sense Media: Black History Movies That Tackle Racism
- Common Sense Media: Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
Video
- Local BIPOC students on how to make schools more inclusive: “Students of Color Speak Out”
- CNN/Sesame Street: How to Explain Racism to Kids
- “Your Black Friend” (animated short film)
- TED Playlist: Talks to help you understand racism in America
- TEDx: “Bridges” by Erin Jones
- New York Times: 25 Mini-Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity With Students
- “Story of Access” by Stanley Nelson
- “United Shades of America”
- Time: 12 Movies to Watch to Educate Yourself About Racism and Protest History, Recommended by Experts
- Greater Good Magazine: When Are Kids Old Enough to Talk About Racism?