Once again, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’m posting a revised list of resources for talking with kids about the holiday and about race and racism in general all year ’round. Here are some sites and articles I’ve found thought provoking, from a variety of perspectives.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Himself
- Many of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches are now easily available on YouTube. Watch one (or part of one, or more than one) with your kids, if they’re old enough. Ask them what parts of the speeches resonate with them today, given their experience of the world.
- For younger kids, or even to refresh your own memory, check out National Geographic Kids’ page on Dr. King. It’s a simple timeline, but with actual photos of Dr. King throughout his life.
- Black Children’s Books and Authors shares a list of “10 Books to Celebrate M.L. King Jr. Day” for elementary, middle, and young adult readers.
- Teaching Tolerance offers a number of resources that “provide students with a more complete, radical context of King’s fight for justice.”
- On a similar note, Charles Blow in today’s New York Times writes of “The Agitated M.L.K. I Came to Love,” which feels like a fuller picture of the man both for adults and for children old enough to understand it.
- Of course, we should avoid framing MLK as the sole leader of the Civil Rights movement. Historian Barbara Ransby in today’s New York Times also profiles Ella Baker, “a strategist, organizer and mother to the movement.” See also the book lists below for more about other Civil Rights leaders.
Talking with Kids About Race and Racism
- Raising Race Conscious Children is a great site to put on your regular reading list, whose purpose “is to support parents and teachers who are trying to talk about race and diversity with young children.”
- Meghna Chakrabarti and Hilary McQuilkin of NPR station WBUR are doing a segment on “How To Talk To Your Kids About Race And Justice.” Audio will be available later today; in the meantime, there are several links to additional pieces on the topic.
- Denene Miller at Scholastic Parents writes, “‘Kids Are Missing a Crucial Piece of History’: How to Talk About Martin Luther King Jr. With Your Children.“
- Black Girl Dangerous‘ Mia McKenzie offers “4 Things We Should All Teach Kids About Racism Right Now.” She observes, among other things, “anti-black racism isn’t just saying the N-word.”
- Mater Mea’s Meilan Carter-Gilkey responds to her son’s assertion in “‘I Want my Skin to be White’: How I Taught my Son to Love his Skin.”
- HapaMama’s Grace Hwang Lynch also addresses “When Your Kids Experience Racism,” starting with her own son’s experience. She expands on the topic in a post at The Mother Company, “Why You Need to Talk to your Kids about Race.”
- Mixed Up Mama offers “10 Things Every Parent Should Do When Raising Mixed Heritage Kids,” including “Talk About Racism”—and while this post isn’t about racism per se, it ties into her post on “Preparing for Racist Bullying at School” in which she writes, “What I hope more than anything though is that if it does happen, my daughters will be secure enough in who they are to be able to dismiss such comments as they would any other.”
- Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs shares “What I’ve Learned About Race and Motherhood From Having a Son Who Can ‘Pass’ as White.”
- In the Seattle Times piece, “How white families with young children can undo racism,” Maggie Beneke, Manka Varghese and Caryn Park offer advice from their positions as both academic researchers and parents.
- The New York Times’ KJ Dell’Antonia discusses “Talking About Racism With White Kids,” sharing links to many other articles, but also the story of conveying to her 13-year-old “the commitment that white people have to make to consider and combat racism, whether it’s overt or not.”
- Teaching Tolerance’s Jonathan Gold, in “Teaching About Stereotypes 2.0,” talks more broadly about stereotypes from his perspective as a teacher—but his advice seems relevant for parents as well.
- Before you continue on to the book lists below, remember this advice from Jason Basa Nemec at the Washington Post: “Children’s books can help start a conversation about race. Parents have to continue it.” The piece has some very thoughtful tips on how to have these conversations even with the very youngest children, no matter their racial heritage.
Book Lists
This is just a small selection of the many lists that exist.
- Black Children’s Books and Authors offers this recent list: “Black History Month 2020: 85 Picture Book Biographies by Black Authors).”
- The Conscious Kid shares “31 Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism, and Resistance.“
- Pragmatic Mom has numerous lists, including these “Civil Rights Movement Book Lists for Kids.”
- The Cooperative Children’s Book Center lists include:
Taking Action
- To take action on what is becoming a national day of service, visit www.MLKDay.gov to find MLK Day volunteer opportunities near you. Bring your kids, if they’re old enough!
Inspiration
- Finally, President Obama’s MLK Day Proclamation makes a wonderful pairing with his Farewell Address if you’re in need of further uplift—and mission—today. I particularly like this part, which speaks to why we must both remember the origins of the holiday and carry its spirit onward:
Only by drawing on the lessons of our past can we ensure the flame of justice continues to shine. By standing up for what we know to be right and speaking uncomfortable truths, we can align our reality closer with the ideal enshrined in our founding documents that all people are created equal. In remembering Dr. King, we also remember that change has always relied on the willingness of our people to keep marching forward.
