Resources for Discussing Racism and Protests with our Children

During this most difficult time, many of us struggle with how to approach and navigate the topics of race, racism and the current state of affairs in which we live. How do we best encourage our children to ask questions and ensure that we always validate their feelings and thoughts?  We did our best to collect resources, to at least provide a starting point for these very sensitive conversations.  Please make sure to check out the link to a video at the bottom of the list, posted by an amazing Kindergarten teacher from Brooklyn explaining the Black Lives Matter protest to her students.

If you have read any other helpful articles, please comment and share what they are so we can all learn more.

• Tips for talking about George Floyd, like being calm and factual, and always encouraging questions. 
• Resources for all teachers and parents to best talk about the mission behind Black Lives Matter
• Get the conversation going very early on with our kids via teaching through books, one of our most powerful tools at hand.  Here is a list of recommended children’s books from the NYT that address racism, categorized by age group.
• Tips for talking about race, like developing racial cultural literacy. “Study and talk about the histories and experiences of groups we call African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and whites, among others”.
• National Geographic advises how to talk to our kids about race, like helping our kids recognize the harm of a racist idea.”If you hear your child expressing an idea about a group of people that they don’t realize is prejudicial, engage them in an age-appropriate conversation about it. For younger children, you might center the conversation around why the words are hurtful and how they might make someone feel”.
• The National Association of School Psychologists offers this helpful article about how to speak to our most vulnerable children and how to best understand their emotional reactions to the recent events.
• A timeline showing how our kids are never too young to start conversation about this very important topic.
• How can white parents address privilege and racism with their children? See these helpful articles on NPR and Huffington Post. 
• CNN is hosting a “Sesame Street Town Hall” this Saturday at 10am to address racism, the recent protests and how to be more empathetic and understanding.  Anchors will be joined by "Sesame Street" characters -- including Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Rosita -- and other experts answering questions submitted by families.  

A beautiful and powerful video from a Kindergarten teacher right here in Brooklyn, explaining to her kindergarten class the why behind the protests and the systemic racism we are experiencing in the U.S.