11 books to help talk to your kids about racism, as recommended by black authors
As protesters in cities around the world come together to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, many people are also using this time to educate themselves and their families about institutionalised racism. Many people are asking how they can help the movement - whether that's joining protests or donatng to worthy causes but many believe that the real fight is to commit to leading an anti-racist life.
Listening and learning is one way to better understand the context of protests following George Floyd's killing and the struggles of black people over centuries—and antiracism conversations should come early and often.
Books about race can be a great entryway for parents looking to talk to their kids about inequality, social justice, and how to become a better ally. To help you build an age-appropriate antiracist reading list, we reached out to Black children's book and Y.A. authors for their recommendations on the books parents can introduce to kids now and beyond moments of national outrage. After all, it’s never too early to learn that racism is wrong and we should be doing something about it.
It is our responsibility to be active in the face of injustice and books help to start conversations with children as soon as possible, each of us accountable in educating a new generation, especially those at an impressionable age. Reading might not the single answer but it’s on the right path.
From bedtime stories about activism and protesting for toddlers to a collection of poems for teens and memory games celebrating multiculturalism, here are 11 books about race parents can use to start talking to their kids about antiracism.
The Story of the Windrush by K. N. Chimbiri
The Windrush story explains to children of all races how Caribbean immigrants came to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War— and were promised a warm welcome on arrival.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X, as told to by Alex Haley
A classic yet necessary foundation. I read this book when I was a junior, attending a predominately white high school while feeling frustrated with my surroundings. Malcolm X taught me to be proud of my roots and that knowing who we really are is just as important as where we're going. I still have the copy I borrowed from my dad, which he read during his college years. An absolute salve to my anxious soul. —Tiffany D. Jackson, critically acclaimed Y.A. novelist and author of the upcoming book Grown.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Told by two legendary voices, this is a conversation starter and a perfect exploration into empathy.
This was a groundbreaking book about race and gender when it was published in 1991 and is still just as relevant, telling the story of little Grace who gets told by a boy at school that she can’t play the lead of Peter Pan in the play because she’s black and not a boy. With the support of her family, Grace learns that she can be anything she wants to be.
A Is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
An activist’s take on the ABCs that even our littlest kids can enjoy. You’re never too young to learn about the importance of activism as a vehicle for social change. —Meena Harris, founder and CEO, Phenomenal Woman and author of Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea.
If You’re Going to a March by Martha Freeman
It’s important for our children to learn early that protest is patriotic—and that to be silent about racism and injustice is to be complicit. This week’s protests have been about police violence and systemic anti-Black racism, and this is a great way to start an actionable conversation as our kids absorb the world around them.
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
Written by three Ph.D. psychologists and recommended by the American Psychological Association, this book focuses on two families—one white and one Black—as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community.
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris
We know that books can challenge assumptions about the way our children see the world, and change the way they see themselves. In my book, Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, two little Black girls work together to create positive change in their community. Kamala and Maya show us the power of persistence, and they teach us that “no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood
Poets and artists have long been at the forefront of movements for social change and racial justice. I love this collection of poems for slightly older kids, to inspire them as they become the next generation of change makers and antiracism activists.
A beautifully illustrated book celebrating creative self-expression, and a capsule of Black Pride, this is about a boy who becomes mesmerised by the sight of three women in glorious fishtail dresses. Inspired, he dreams up and crafts his own mermaid costume.
OK, not quite a book but a memory game for children that presents children with 24 multicultural characters, to help build a sense of self as a member of a community.
