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| 2 minute read

Resources to support discussions about racism with children

With the outpourings of grief and anger in the US in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May, and the protests and demonstrations against racial injustice following around the world, now is the time - if you haven't already done so already - to talk to your children about racism.

Here is a collection of children's books and films, articles and websites that you may want to use at this time, as we seek to defeat racism and discrimination in our communities around the world.

Children's books

A list of children's books: black lives, anti-racism & BAME characters - A compilation - including biographies and non-fiction - of books that open conversations about racism and books that represent BAME main characters. The books listed are grouped for age ranges between 3-11 year olds.

Books to help you explain racism and protest to your kids - a list from The New York Times (USA) to start and continue conversations about race.

No reader is too young to start: anti-racist books for all children and teens - An article in The Guardian (UK) on books to help show our kids how it is never too early to learn that racism is wrong.

Films and videos

BBC Newsround (UK) special on racism ( 8min video) - A BBC Children Newsround special programme about fairness, protest and people coming together to reject racism.

21 Anti-Racism Videos To Share With Kids - From the website WeAreTeachers (USA), this page lists a set of 21 anti-racism videos help to explain complex topics to young audiences, with four aimed at parents and educators and the rest to watch together with children or students.

Kid-friendly movies that tackle racism - 10 Kid-friendly black history movies that tackle racism, and can be used to  begin or continue conversations about race.

Articles and websites

UNICEF: Talking to your kids about racism - How to start the important conversation and keep it going: the website provides some age-appropriate ways to start that conversation.

PBS Kids for Parents (USA): Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism - This page from PBS Kids shares articles, a video of a virtual event (Talking to Children Authentically about Race and Racism), book lists and other links to support discussions about race and racism.

Children aren't immune to racism:  Here's how you can talk to your children about it - An article from ABC News (Australia) on the impact of racial discrimination on children and how to go about explaining racism to children.

BBC Newsround (UK): What is racism - and what can be done about it? - A guide about what racism is, where it comes from and what you can do if you see or suffer from racism.

BBC Newsbeat (UK): The black British history you may not know about - An article on the BBC website covering  a few episodes of black British history we weren't taught in school.

As protests over the killing of George Floyd (and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor) spill into a second week, many parents are wondering how to talk about the deaths and unrest with their children. But just as important in the long run, especially for nonblack parents, is how to keep the conversation about race and racism going when we’re not in a moment of national outrage, and to make sure all children see black people as heroes in a wide range of their own stories, and not just as victims of oppression.

Tags

guidance, for adults, racism, discrimination and equality