Talking to kids about race (links/articles)

[Deleted]

Books for adults:

Maya Angelou, The Heart of a Woman
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me
David Margolick, Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock

[noodleskooze]

Looking forward to checking recommendations out.

[awick14]

Sept 3, 2016 5:38:52 GMT -5 Jennyanydots said:

Sept 2, 2016 22:35:45 GMT -5 awick14 said:

It's awful loira. For an area that prides itself on being diverse there are a lot of ignorant people here.

I do feel like I have been "letting it happen" because I'm the new employee here. I need to speak up but thankfully so far it's only been things said between us and NEVER to any of our patients etc.

Do you work in healthcare in BC? If so, there is a facilitated online course on Indigenous Cultural Safety training that was rolled out and everyone working in healthcare was suppose to take. Have you heard of it? Have your coworkers taken it?

My region of Ontario has adopted it and it will eventually go province-wide. I'm starting it on the 12th. Let me know if you've heard of it.

Yes you got a pm.

[ribollita]

This part of The Atlantic article is something I have personally been working on:

"Model and reward good behavior. Children are sponges for social information. They mimic and infer meaning from the behavior they see, particularly yours, so it's crucial for you to exhibit positive behavior toward people from different backgrounds whenever there is an opportunity to do so. Reach out to people who are different from you, become engaged in multicultural events in your community, and cultivate friendships across group boundaries. At the same time, make sure to reward your kid's good social behavior. If you see him interacting with people from different groups or demonstrating concern for the fair and equitable treatment of others, let him know that this makes you proud. If you show your child that equality is important to you, he'll follow in your footsteps."

If we white parents only/primarily interact with or have a close social group with other white parents, but work on encouraging our white children to have a diverse group of friends/book topics/movies/etc., it rings false.

[curbsideprophet]

Does anyone have an account at Rainbow Me?

rainbowmekids.com

I heard about this through a link from a coworker but she did not know much about it. I have been meaning to look into it but have not registered yet.

[Saudade]

Thanks for all the links and recommendations. We live in a very homogeneous area, unfortunately, and so I try to inform and educate the kids using books since they don't get much real-world experience.

[Deleted]

John Lewis has a three-part graphic novel called March. He was on Colbert Thursday night talking about it, and apparently it's being taught in schools in 40 states. I just got books one and three, and book two arrives Wednesday. I'm looking forward to reading this.

[satsuma]

Thank you for the links and book recs. Some of these we own or have checked out; others I haven't heard of.

[satsuma]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I enjoyed The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter. There's also Lies My Teachers Told Me by James Loewen. It's not focused solely on race, but delves into it quite a bit. He also wrote a book on sundown towns that I've been meaning to read.

[oceanstbride]

Thank you bumping this post so others (and myself) could read.

[lauren170]

Thanks for the links. I ordered 2 of the children's book to start the conversations with my daughter.

[dizzycooks]

Awesome links! Thank you for sharing, I'll be looking into these for my kids and adding many to my own reading list .
I've been trying to diversify the books in my classroom and recently added The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine and Flygirl by Sherri Smith. Good middle level reads to generate discussion and questions.

[gigem]

Can someone bump the thread or post the link which had the suggested book titles for adults? I can't remember which thread it was in, and now some of the threads are really long, and i keep going back to read through them but still can't find the suggested adult book list. I just started between the world and me which was suggested in one of the threads with a cple of other titles and i thought there was a longer list of book suggestions. Thanks

[EllieArroway]

Sept 3, 2016 23:53:53 GMT -5 gigem said:

Can someone bump the thread or post the link which had the suggested book titles for adults? I can't remember which thread it was in, and now some of the threads are really long, and i keep going back to read through them but still can't find the suggested adult book list. I just started between the world and me which was suggested in one of the threads with a cple of other titles and i thought there was a longer list of book suggestions. Thanks

There is a good list in the first page of this thread.

[gigem]

Sept 4, 2016 0:03:24 GMT -5 EllieArroway said:

Sept 3, 2016 23:53:53 GMT -5 gigem said:

Can someone bump the thread or post the link which had the suggested book titles for adults? I can't remember which thread it was in, and now some of the threads are really long, and i keep going back to read through them but still can't find the suggested adult book list. I just started between the world and me which was suggested in one of the threads with a cple of other titles and i thought there was a longer list of book suggestions. Thanks

There is a good list in the first page of this thread.

Ugh sorry i kept digging through every page in btwn on so many different threads and obvs it was right there. Thanks

[Willis Jackson]

These are great resources. Thanks, you guys.

[Raggedeannie]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has posted resources in here. With a brand new daughter I am finding myself acutely aware of the fact that my actions and words will influence her worldview, and I hope some of these resources can help me navigate that.

ETA: if anyone (@natariru?) knowsof any similar resources on navigating races issues in Brazil or children's books in Portuguese I think that would also be helpful. She'll be spending a lot of time there as she grows up and I know that brazil struggles with some of the same issues but not always in the same ways as here in the US.

[anna7602]

Just wanted to let everyone know that so many of these books, like Bad Feminist and The Sisters are Allright and Between the World and Me and several books by Sandra Cisneros, are available on Audible, in case that's a more time-efficient way for you to digest a book. I spent a while searching titles in Audible last night and was so happy to see these all show up.

[redheadk]

Sept 4, 2016 8:08:13 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Just wanted to let everyone know that so many of these books, like Bad Feminist and The Sisters are Allright and Between the World and Me and several books by Sandra Cisneros, are available on Audible, in case that's a more time-efficient way for you to digest a book. I spent a while searching titles in Audible last night and was so happy to see these all show up.

Thanks, I have a bunch of Audible credits to use up and like to listen while I clean/cook. Much easier than constantly being interrupted while trying to read with DD around. 

[7costanza]

Thank you to everyone who posted resources here. I just placed a huge Amazon order and will seek out events near me that will expose my family to cultures outside of our own as a starting point. Racism has been a huge topic in my house for the past several months, and I really really appreciate having more resources to continue to work on myself and raise my son as a white ally.

[caramia17]

I have been away and dealing with family shit this week, but I got a chance to read all of these threads today. I have read some of these books and added Bad Feminist! to my library. I also just finished "White Trash" by Nancy Isenberg and "Hillbilly Elegy" by JD Vance and they were both a really hard look at class and some of the underlying anger/racism inherent in so much of our cultural narrative as a nation.

Hugs to all of our WOC posters who need support. I am sorry for what you continue to go through and am sorry for my silence during this period.

anna7602 I love that podcast and Loose Woman is the poem I recite to myself before I have to walk into a room cold or give a big speech. The protagonist is so powerful and some days (today?) we all need to feel like that.

[krystee]

A post on CEP just reminded me that the National Museum of African American History and Culture is now open. I think it would be a good way to have some big conversations with kids and show them how things have changed in some ways and how they have NOT changed in way too many others. It sounds like very recent items are there, including from Michael Brown.

www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/powerful-objects-collections-smithsonian-museum-180960126/?no-ist

[lurknomore]

Aug 31, 2016 23:48:10 GMT -5 niq said:

I will put in my usual recommendation to express interest to your DCP or elementary school to incorporate an age-appropriate Anti-Defamation League's anti-bias workshops into the curriculum. They have stuff that covers race, religion, sexual orientation -- pretty much anything.

www.adl.org/education-outreach/anti-bias-education/c/a-classroom-of-difference.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Just wanted to say thank you for this. I emailed this to the directors of our (very diverse) daycare. She responded on Saturday to say she has decided to make this the topic of their next training day and will likely be using some of the preschool curriculum in the older classrooms. She has also asked for the kid book recommendations from this thread so they can add more to their library. The daycare is incredibly diverse, as is the area we live in, so inclusion is a huge focus of their day to day lives.

[darnkatz]

Sept 4, 2016 21:50:53 GMT -5 lurknomore said:

Aug 31, 2016 23:48:10 GMT -5 niq said:

I will put in my usual recommendation to express interest to your DCP or elementary school to incorporate an age-appropriate Anti-Defamation League's anti-bias workshops into the curriculum. They have stuff that covers race, religion, sexual orientation -- pretty much anything.

www.adl.org/education-outreach/anti-bias-education/c/a-classroom-of-difference.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Just wanted to say thank you for this. I emailed this to the directors of our (very diverse) daycare. She responded on Saturday to say she has decided to make this the topic of their next training day and will likely be using some of the preschool curriculum in the older classrooms. She has also asked for the kid book recommendations from this thread so they can add more to their library. The daycare is incredibly diverse, as is the area we live in, so inclusion is a huge focus of their day to day lives.

If she wants some books that include children of color just doing normal day-to-day activities, here are some. I've been trying to find more because a lot of books seem to be historically based (which is important in a different way but not the only books we should be reading).

One Word From Sophia
Whose Toes Are Those?
Corduroy
Happy Hair
If I Ran For President
My Brother Charlie
Please, Baby, Please
Baby Dance
The Snowy Day
Lola series (it's about a little girl and her brother and it's excellent for toddlers)
Last Stop on Market Street
Come On, Rain!
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match (there are more books in the series too)
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns
I Am So Brave!
"More, More, More," Said the Baby
Round is a Mooncake
Dear Juno
Round is a Tortilla
Nino Wrestles the World
Green is a Chile Pepper
Global Babies
Come On, Rain!
The Babies on the Bus
Pool
Here I Am
Bravo, Chico Canta! Bravo
Mama, Do You Love Me?
Maria Had a Little Llama
Everywhere Babies
Thunder Rose
Henry Wants More!
The Secret Shortcut
Pecan Pie Baby
D is for Dressup: The ABCs of What We Wear
Rosie Goes to Preschool
Mitzi Tulane, Preschool Detective in What's That Smell? 
Ramadan Moon 
I Love Snow!

[MamaMaui24]

A couple people have already posted some lists for children's books, but I recently heard this podcast interviewing the author of this article urging big publishers to publish more books with children of color as the protagonist. (Many children's book suggestions are listed in the comments).

www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/mom_and_dad_are_fighting/2016/08/mom_and_dad_are_fighting_olympic_issues_and_diversity_in_children_s_books.html

www.slate.com/blogs/nightlight/2016/08/02/ezra_jack_keats_the_snowy_day_is_a_model_for_treating_black_characters_in.html

Not only for my own kids, but I love buying books as baby shower gifts and will definitely check this list first.

[anna7602]

darnkatz, DS loves "Last Stop on Market Street." ETA: another beloved one with a diverse cast of characters is Karen Katz's "Subway."

Another really cute book for the preschool set is "I am So Brave."

And this one is not about people at all, but I have had some good discussions with DD about the book "Anatole." It's about a mouse who overhears humans calling mice "vile" and a "disgrace to all of France." He feels compelled to prove them wrong. It's a great jumping point for discussing perceptions and how hurtful words can be.

[darnkatz]

Sept 5, 2016 8:07:44 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

darnkatz , DS loves "Last Stop on Market Street." ETA: another beloved one with a diverse cast of characters is Karen Katz's "Subway."

Another really cute book for the preschool set is "I am So Brave."

And this one is not about people at all, but I have had some good discussions with DD about the book "Anatole." It's about a mouse who overhears humans calling mice "vile" and a "disgrace to all of France." He feels compelled to prove them wrong. It's a great jumping point for discussing perceptions and how hurtful words can be.

Oh yes, DD2 loves I Am So Brave! It is one of her favorites right now. Subway is too - she loves all of Karen Katz's books, especially The Babies on the Bus.

[momin2013]

DS starts preschool tomorrow, and I'm planning to go from drop-off straight to the library with these lists in hand, both for me as well as for some books to read with him. Thank you so much to everyone contributing these suggestions.

[ribollita]

Last Stop on Market St was a good one sent out by Dolly Parton's charity. We also received Luke Goes to Bat which is a favorite.

I also like Highlights "Hello" subscription (2.5 and under) which shows parents and families of many races and ethnicities and multi generational care giving.

[bluelikejazz]

I saw this on FB, and while it isn't about race, it seems appropriate.

www.upworthy.com/my-daughter-has-a-skin-disorder-this-is-how-i-wish-others-would-ask-about-it