The recent killings of Black Americans George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have sparked a national reckoning about race and racism in America.
This has many parents and caregivers — including many Broadway families — wondering how best to tackle these topics with their kids:
How early should these conversations begin?
How much should children be exposed to?
Is it enough to expose kids to diverse characters in books and media or should caregivers be going beyond that to address the topic of racism directly?
Talking about race, although hard, is necessary.
We’ve compiled a round-up of age-appropriate resources to help answer some of your questions and to equip you with books and other materials to begin introducing these topics:
- This website via the National Museum of African American History and Culture provides tools and guidance to inspire conversation.
- CNN’s Van Jones and Erica Hill partnered with “Sesame Street” for Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, a town hall for kids and families.
- PBS has a site dedicated to talking to young children about race and racism, including video content and a list of recommended books.
- Unicef has put together this resource for parents which breaks down recommendations by age.
- NPR shares these helpful tips for talking about race with young children, including the importance of taking a proactive approach.
Diversify your media. Point out racism in books and movies when you see it.
- Common Sense Media provides excellent tips for white parents interesting in raising anti-racist kids, including 10 ideas for how to use media to start and continue conversations about race and racism with your kids.
- Embrace Race offers some suggestions for choosing picture books featuring BIPOC, diverse characters. They’ve also provided a list of books that encourage kids to think critically about racial inequality.
The team at Broadway Medical Group is here to support you and your family. If you’d like to schedule a visit, give us a call today.