Change: Anti-Racism Resources for Kids, Families, and Educators

Do you remember the first conversation you had about race? Do you remember who it was with? How old you were? What set it in motion?

Earlier this month I ran across the Ted Talk below, given by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. She’s an amazingly talented speaker and even though I could listen to her for hours, she manages to clearly address a complex topic with humor, humanity, and eloquence in just under 14 minutes. Now that’s a gift.

If you’re here looking for ways to navigate the crucial, but sometimes uncomfortable discussions about race with your kids, I think Dr. Tatum’s own conversations offer such a kind and caring, real place to begin. And she gets right to the point. The important thing? Have the conversations.

“In this moment, our silence will not help us. We have to have conversations. The way forward to changing our future is with a conversation. Sometimes even a conversation with a 3-year-old.”

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum

Whether you’re an individual looking to learn more, a parent on the search for hands-on anti-racism learning activities, or a teacher looking to foster a classroom environment that encourages healthy race-positive discussions – there’s something among these resources that will help you start the conversation.

You’ll also find some tools here to encourage activism in your kids, because learning to speak up for ourselves and each other is another important piece of the discussion too.

I am still learning how to use barley & birch as a tool to combat systemic racism. Rather than using this link list to find a “one-and-done” activity, I hope you think of this post as I do: a start. I hope you find wisdom, optimism, and encouragement in these materials, as I have. Fighting racism and oppression – continuing these conversations – is a life-long habit we can work on together.

General Anti-Racism Resources (some places to begin…)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I can’t guarantee these are the best places for YOU personally to start. What I can tell you is that, as a middle-aged white woman walking this life-long path of learning myself, these are all links that I’ve found helpful, informative, impactful, or necessary. These “places to begin” are intended to be just that – a beginning.

Articles and Interactive Stories

• The 1619 Project created by Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times
• Why is this Happening from 100yearhoodie
• 8 Big Lies History Books Tell About Natives from Indian Country Today
• Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality, and Protests from community activist Kenneth Braswell
• How W. Kamau Bell Talks About Race With His Kids an interview from BuzzFeed News
• The Dos and Dont’s of Talking to Kids of Color About White Supremacy from ColorLines
• 100 Race-Conscious Things you Can Say to your Child to Advance Racial Justice from Raising Race Conscious Children
• How to Talk to Kids About Race from The Conscious Kid
• How to Talk Honestly With Children About Racism from PBS
• These Teens and 20-Somethings Are Organizing The Civil Rights Movement That Will Change Our Country from MTV

Books

• An Anti-Racist Reading List by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Anti-Racist Book List from Brain Lair Books
• Native Studies Book Collection from Birchbark Books
• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
• Books and Articles written by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum

Podcasts

• Uncivil a podcast from Gimlet Media
• This Land from Crooked Media
• The Seeing White Podcast from Scene on Radio
• Nice White Parents Podcast from The New York Times
• Running from COPS from Topic

Movies, Documentaries, and Series

• 13th and When They See Us directed by Ava DuVernay
• I Am Not Your Negro directed by Raoul Peck, based on James Baldwin‘s unfinished manuscript Remember This House
• Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO)
• United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
• Reel Injun directed by Neil Diamond
• Slavery by Another Name presented by PBS
• Jim Crow of the North presented by Twin Cities PBS
• Black Is…Black Ain’t directed by Marlon Riggs (if your library partners with Kanopy you can watch it free with a library card)
• Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
• Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee

Taking Family Action

• Courageous Conversation from Pacific Educational Group
• Social Justice Resources from The Children’s Community School
• The Guide to Allyship from Amelie Lamont
• Anti-Bias Education Resources from The Anti-Defamation League
• Woke Homeschooling from Delina Pryce McPhaull
• Address and take action against offensive native mascots
• Shop We Buy Black or download the Official Black Wall Street App
• Shop Tribally Owned Cultural Center & Museum Shops and use the Indian Arts and Crafts Board‘s List to find Native-owned businesses by state
• Embrace Race
• Find resources to encourage your kids’ interest in activism from Abundant Beginnings
• Racial Justice Resources from Rachel Ricketts
• Learning for Justice
• Color of Change
• Sign up for the Hope and Hard Pills Newsletter from Andre Henry
• Join and support the Black Lives Matter Global Network
• March (with masks!)

Anti-Racism Resources for Kids

All of the anti-racist learning activities, printables, and programming listed in this collection have been created specifically for children, and are wonderful ways to start critical conversations.

• Our Free Printable Paper People Templates and our DIY Multicultural Peg People
• 20+ Anti-Racism Activities for Kids from Happy Toddler Playtime
• Raising Little Allies-To-Be (A Free Printable Activity Booklet) by Lucy Song from Wander + Wonder Studio
• Socially and Race-Conscious Education Activities for Kids and Families from Revolutionary Humans
• Free Bookish Printables with Diverse Characters from Here Wee Read
• Oscar-Winning Animated Short Hair Love from Matthew Cherry
• The Woke Read Aloud Series on YouTube from Woke Kindergarten
• Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Netflix)
• So Get Me a podcast from The Alphabet Rockers
• Multicultural Crayon Kits, Colored Pencils, and Sketchbooks from The More Than Peach Project
• Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism presented by Sesame Street and CNN
• Daniel Tiger’s Alike & Different Learning Series from PBS
• Racial Justice Action Initiatives for Kids from DoSomething.org

Diversify your Kids’ Bookshelves

Curate your own collection of diverse books for young readers of any age and skill level by visiting one of these fantastic sites!

• We Need Diverse Books
• Here Wee Read
• Social Justice Books
• The Children’s Book Collection from Birchbark Books
• The Brown Bookshelf
• Books For Diversity
• Brave + Kind Bookshop
• The We Read Too App

Anti-Racism Resources for Families

Anti-racist education starts at home – with ourselves, our families, and our friends. These links all provide ways we can grow through learning and begin taking productive action within our own households.

• One Talk at a Time Video and Handout Series from Camino Lab
• A guide to starting anti-racist conversations with friends and family from DoSomething.org
• Bold Conversations from Color of Change
• What White Children Need to Know About Race from National Association of Independent Schools
• #TalkAbout Trayvon: A Toolkit for White People from Black Lives Matter
• Things To Keep In Mind Traveling On Native Lands In America for Native Women’s Wilderness
• Detour Spotting for White Anti-Racists from Cultural Bridges to Justice

Anti-Racism Resources for Educators

A collection of links for all kinds of teachers. This list provides a wealth of information and lesson plans to learn from, appreciate, and use – regardless of your educational setting.

• The Plan Book for Social Justice Educators created by the Education for Liberation Network for Rethinking Schools
• Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism from The Anti-Defamation League
• An Anti-Racist Starter’s Guide for Art Teachers and BIPOC Artist List from Anti-Racist Art Teachers
• Stamped: Resources for your Classroom from Hachette Book Group
• This Book is Anti-Racist Educator’s Guide from QuartoKnows
• Resources and Curriculum from Black Lives Matter at School
• Lessons and Resources from the National Museum of the American Indian
• Teaching Materials from the Zinn Education Project
• K-12 Diversity, Bias and Social Justice Lesson Plans from The Anti-Defamation League
• Classroom Resources and the Beyond the Golden Rule Printable PDF Guide from Learning for Justice
• Native Education for All Lesson Plans from Illuminatives
• Black Teachers Educate
• Articles and Teaching Resources from middle grades literacy teacher Tanesha B Forman
• Top 5 Things White Teachers Can Do to Dismantle Racism from Tame the Classroom
• Culturally Responsive Teaching Articles from teacher Tamara Russell
• Education Resources and a Let’s Talk about Anti-Blackness lesson plan from Yes! Magazine (for Teachers)
• Political Education Toolkits and Resources from Showing Up for Racial Justice
• Toolkits, For Parents and Teachers, Organizing and Training, Books/Videos/Articles from Dismantling Racism
• The Black Scholars Podcast