While outrage and unrest may be the norm today, the world will soon quiet down, and the hard work will begin. As parents, it is crucial that we don’t silence the issues we are fighting for today.
Hard topics like race and diversity can be difficult to explain to young children. Some may feel uncomfortable with certain issues; others unsure how to start the conversation.
Through books, children can make connections to the people they encounter everyday, while also gaining a new perspective of a world they have yet to see or understand. Through different stories, we can experience first hand, right and wrong, kind and cruel, fair and unjust, and love and hate. Most importantly, we can celebrate how very different we are, yet how we are similar, too!
While we must listen and learn from our Black neighbors, it is important for us to start the work at home. We must change the narrative in our safe place before we can do it anywhere else. We must do this to ensure our children see heroes in all shades, not just white.
We’ve compiled a list of books that can help you and your family start the discussion of race, religion, diversity, individuality, being a leader and other topics. As parents, we all want tangible ways that we can begin this conversation with our children.
So maybe let’s start here.
We're Different, We're the Same
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History
