A Kids Book About Racism
by Jelani Memory
“I’m proud of who I am and the color of my skin but because of my skin color people aren’t always nice to me.”
This book is a great introduction to the concept of racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More. The author provides a definition of racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More and examples of how it shows up in the world. He touches on why difference is “1000% good,” including ways it enriches our lives. He also encourages children to speak out against racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More.
Talk About It
- Ask your kids if they’ve ever seen racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More in action? You may need to give some examples. Point out that, especially with children, they may not know that something they have said is racist. It is important when you hear something racist that you point it out.
- This book provides the opportunity to introduce the concept of white privilege. Ask your child if they’ve ever been prevented from doing something because they are white? Then talk about how different the experience is for non-white children from an early age.
- Talk about a time(s) when someone in your family has been teased or called a negative name. How did it make you feel? Make the connection to how people feel when they are called names, etc because of their raceWhen people are grouped based upon certain physical characteristics; most commonly skin color. More.
- Alternately, you can ask them what they think it would be like if someone was mean to you because of the color of your skin or eyes or hair? Are those characteristics things we choose or how we are born?
- Why is it important for everyone to feel proud of who they are & the color of their skin?
- Go through the list in the book of qualities that we get from people being different. Take the time to come up with real life examples of each of these.
- The author encourages kids to call out racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More when they witness it. It is important to work with your child to develop strategies and confidence in being an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More. Younger kids can say things like, “Hey. That’s a mean thing to say. It’s racist.” or “It’s not okay to tease someone because of the color of their skin. We are all wonderfully different.” Teach them that in these moments one of the most powerful things they can do is to make sure the victim of racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More is okay. Walk them away from the situation if possible and get support from an adult. It is also important to identify adults in their environment that they can turn to for additional help when they observe another child engaging in racist behavior.
Explore More
- The book uses the word Different in a positive way. As a family make a poster with the word different in the middle. Then surround it with as many positive synonyms as you can find like exceptional or extraordinary.
