talking to kids about race and racism

We gotta start small. When our kids are small. The conversations can be "brief, simple, and honest as we can be" with these tiny brains, but we need to tell our children what's going on inside and outside their tiny communities. Especially our white children. They will ask us why we let it happen and we will not have a good answer for them. But we can give them (and us) tools that they can build with. Here are some places to start:

Anti-racism resources for White People - Google doc compiled by Alyssa Klein. Instructional materials, lists of books, videos, podcasts. 

Beyond The Golden Rule - A Parents Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice - Teaching Tolerance. Free PDF of an instructional handbook for educators, organized into age groups for quick reference. The best guide for talking to preschoolers about racism. 
Highlights: For preschoolers, be honest about the state of racism in current affairs; answer their questions; talk about inclusion from an early age and *act accordingly*.

How to Teach Your Kids to Fight Hate: An Age-by-Age Guide - Parents Magazine. Geared more toward anti-Semitism and a bit light, but a good place to get an idea of what kids can handle developmentally as you decide how much to tell them about current affairs. 
Highlights: Start when they are young, teach kids to name racial violence and hatred, and teach them coping skills so they can discuss racism instead of getting stuck in discomfort and fear.

Supporting Kids of Color in the Wake of Racialized Violence - Embrace Race. A soundcloud discussion on supporting children in your community immediately after a violent episode. 
Highlights: Know what questions children are asking, correct misinformation, and provide a safe space for children to talk about fear and anger.

How to Talk to Kids About Race - ParentMap. Seattle author Imani Razat presents 8 ways to integrate race discussion into everyday life. 
Highlights: Kids pick up our signals and cues and will emulate our actions, attitudes, and biases. Learn how to be a better role model. Take diversity training. 

Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup - Pretty Good Design. A treasure trove of resources for kids and adults, including books, podcasts, and articles.

​Resources for Talking About Race, Racism, and Racialized Violence With Kids - Center for Racial Justice in Education.