Talking to Children about Race and Racism
It is never too early to talk to your child about race, acceptance and equality and to introduce diversity in to their lives. To help start these conversations, please see below a list of resources you may find helpful and useful.
If you know of something else you think we should include, please do contact the school and let us know.
Reading
- National Literacy Trust has published book lists for children and young people of all ages to share black stories and promote black voices.
- Virtual Library – A selection of books to read with your children around DEI Race and Anti-Racism.
- Interactive DEI Library – A collection of books with QR codes to listen to with your children
- Talking to children about racism NSPCC- Advice to help understand how to talk to children about race and racism and what you can do to support a child who’s experiencing racial bullying
- Understand Me Childline Website
- How to talk to toddlers and young children about race, racism & religion – BBC Tiny Happy People
- Talking to children about Racial Bias – An article published by Healthy Children.Org weblink includes additional resources to support parents addressing racism and discrimination.
Watch and Listen
- BBC Woman’s Hour – How to talk to your children about race and racism– some starting points for discussions and how to empower children.
- How do I talk to my children about race– BBC Radio London presenter Eddie Nestor has talked more about race on his radio show this year than in the whole of the last 18 years. As his child is about to turn 12 he talks to other fathers about how to talk to his children about race.
- Podcast – Talking race with young children– some helpful tips on how to initiate conversations and be proactive with discussions.
- All Bugbears – a girl explains how she is sad when she sees people being racist– thoughts about how everyone is the same on the inside
- Nova Reid: Not all superheroes wear capes – how you have the power to change the world TED Talk by Nova Reid looking at how early experiences and micro aggression impact on our children.
- A Better Future – Raising Anti-Racist Children Resources for parents and caregivers looking to talk and teach children and young adults about racism
Follow
- Everyday Racism– website and Instagram account providing educational resources and artwork based around how to be actively anti-racist.
- The Conscious Kid – ‘parenting and education through a critical race lens.’
- The Black curriculum – a social enterprise founded by young people in 2019 to help address the lack of black history in the curriculum.
- Inclusive Story Time– an introduction to black history for children.
- The Tiny Activist– introducing children to social justice.
- The Black Nursery Manager
Racial Literacy for Adults
- Brit(ish) On Race, Identity and Belonging Afua Hirsch – Sunday Times bestseller that reveals the uncomfortable truth about race and identity in Britain today.
- Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala – a book which focuses on the divisions in society, particularly in terms of class and race, is hip-hop artist and writer Akala’s fantastic book Natives, a blend of autobiography and political history that holds up a mirror to contemporary Britain.
- Why I’m No Longer Talking About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge – For years, racism has been defined by the violence of far-right extremists, but a more insidious kind of prejudice can be found where many least expect it – at the heart of respectable society.
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, a 2018 book written by Robin DiAngelo about race relations in the United States.
- Wish We Knew What To Say – talking to children about race by Dr Pragya Agarwal – A vital book that equips adults to have conversations about race and racism with young people, ensuring we are all playing our part to raise the next generations as anti-racist
- I Heard What You Said – Jeffrey Boakye
Anti Racism Workshops
During the summer term of 2023, we ran a series of anti racism workshops from Mpula Lawton from Anti Racism in School and Education (ARISE). We are using these workshops to both connect with our school community and discuss anti racism, but also, to give them the tools to discuss the topic at home.