Racism, anti-Black racism, privilege, power, discrimination, bias and oppression are all topics that students are seeing and hearing in the media. They are subjects that generate many questions. They are subjects that require discussion, thoughtful reflection and honest answers.  We hope these resources will help parents, guardians and caregivers in our communities have these discussions with their children, so that together we can dismantle racism from our communities.  

• Talking Race With Young Children – Written to help educators and families talk with young children about race

• Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup – Provides links to numerous resources for educators and families including podcasts, lists of picture books and professional reading titles, and articles

• Teaching Tolerance; Going Beyond the Golden Rule – Written for caregivers to help begin having important discussions around prejudice and tolerance

• Experts Encourage Parents to Speak to Children About Anti-Black Racism, Police Brutality – Advice from Professor Carl James

Books

• A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory

• Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazzard 

• Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham – a picture book about racism and racial justice. Read aloud via YouTube

• Daddy, There’s a Noise Outside by Kenneth Braswell

• This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell – contains 20 lessons for children and teens on how to “wake up, take action, and do the work”

• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibrahim X Kendi. A re-written version of Ibrahim X Kendi’s book Stamped specifically for teens to help them absorb the valuable lessons of his original work

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – a direct and accomplishable read on the topic of race and privilege for teen readers

• Big Dreamers: The Canadian Black History Activity Book for Kids Volume 1 by Akilah Newton, Tami Gabay, Danielle Murrell Cox (Illustrations)

• Social Justice Booklist – more than 60 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators

Podcasts and Videos

• Anti-Racist Educator Reads – A podcast for educators who understand that we need to be talking about race and racism in schools now

• Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Schooling, ft. Phiona Lloyd-Henry & Natasha Henry (EP 03 CH 1)

• Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Schooling, ft. Tana Turner (EP 03 CH 2)

• National Film Board – films related to anti-Black racism

Should you require additional supports in talking with children at home, please reach out to your school administrator for direction, support and/or referrals.