Like many, we on the PPL Youth Services team find ourselves at a loss for words. Our hearts break for children who witness and experience violence. It is our job to show all children love, to teach empathy and to grow and learn alongside of them. Over the past days we have been exploring our own bias, doing our own work to explore anti-racism and to engage in challenging conversations. We have been busy expanding and exploring our collection as it relates to works on anti-racism and books that feature children of all colors, backgrounds and abilities in positive ways.

We hope families, particularly white families, will find the below list of resources helpful as we all work together for a more just society. These resources will help caregivers talk to children of all ages about race, anti-racism and bias. It is by no means exhaustive or perfect, but is our attempt to help start, continue and expand the conversation. Together, we can work to create positive change.

WEBSITES & ARTICLES:

National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking About Race

The NMAAHC has developed a variety of resources for educators, caregivers and others to start, continue and expand conversations about race and anti-racism.Social Justice Solutions: A Parent’s Guide to Discussing Racism.

This New York Time article has some great resources for talking to children about racism, early and often for pre-schoolers through teenagers.

From the Child-Mind Institute: “Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News”. 

VIDEOS

For older students, we suggest this PBS documentary presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. about Reconstruction: America After the Civil War for a historical perspective on race issues in the United States.

Check out these 26 Mini-Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity with Students. These New York Times documentaries range from 1 to 7 minutes.

PODCASTS

Talking Race with Young Children, a 20-minute podcast presented by NPR. 

Raising White Kids with Jennifer Harvey.

1619, an audio series from the New York Times on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.

RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY COLLECTION