Anti-Racism Resource Directory for Families
Age-based tips, advice, conversation starters and activities.
Talking openly with your child about what it means to be anti-racist is critical but it can sometimes be hard to find a starting point for these conversations. This directory is meant to help you find free, online resources. While this is by no means exhaustive, we have vetted the list and hope you will find it useful to support ongoing family talks and action so that we can each do our part to advance racial equality and equity in America.
In the News
All Ages
-
How To Start Conversations About Anti-Asian Racism With Your Family
All Things Considered host Audie Cornish talked to Nicole Chung, an author and advice columnist for Slate, and Christine Koh, a neuroscientist and co-author of a book on parenting. They give concrete tips for starting age-appropriate conversations with children, tackling dialogues about race with adoptees or adoptive parents, and dealing with discomfort around sensitive topics.
-
How parents can support kids through (and beyond) the latest wave of anti-Asian American violence
This CNN article with analysis by Christine Koh,discusses dealing with racial aggressions as a parent and The work that’s needed to dismantle racial discrimination
-
Creating a Society Rooted in Justice: Q&A with Britt Hawthorne
Nationally recognized anti-racist and anti-bias writer and educator Britt Hawthorne provides insights on raising children to become global citizens in this piece for Learning for Justice.
-
How To Talk To Your Kids About Race, Racism And Police Violence
This article from WBUR discusses how you should talk with your children about what they’re seeing and experiencing right now in regard to race relations.
-
How Parents Can Raise and Teach Their Kids to be Anti-Racist
Following the direction of educators and activists of different races, this article from CNBC shines light on where you can start with resources to teach your kids to be anti-racist.
-
Teaching Kids About Race and Racism - Resources for Parents
In this blog from the Huckleberry team, they share resources to help you discuss race and racism at home with your children.
Middle School and Up
-
Here’s How You Can Talk To Your Kids About Racism
This article featured in Essence discusses that it’s not only recommended to talk about racism, it’s critical. Clinical Psychology Doctoral Extern Nyasha Chikowore, M.S., offers tips for Black parents to help their children navigate an overwhelming reality and also provide hope for a joyful future among these dark times.
-
Helping Our Kids Deal With Racial Insensitivity
This article from Ground Control Parenting gives advice to parents if they ever find their child at the other end of a racially inappropriate comments from their peers.
Conversation Starters
All Ages
-
How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Violence
Connie Chang and other experts offer tips to help parents navigate difficult conversations on anti-Asian racism around the country.
-
How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Hate
Dr. Suzan Song, a humanitarian child and adult psychiatrist discusses the need to talk about racism with our AAPI kids because they are experiencing and witnessing.
-
3 Tips for Talking to Your Kids About Anti-Asian Racism
This article by Trish Broome, featured in Verywell Family discusses being an ally, talking to your kids about the Asian community, and being open and honest in conversations.
-
How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Racism
Mckenna Saady of ParentsTogether discusses several steps that families can take to combat anti-AAPI racism in their own schools and communities, and educating kids (and ourselves).
-
Resources to Support Children’s Emotional Well-Being Amid Anti-Black Racism, Racial Violence, and Trauma
This resource from Child Trends outlines several steps your family can take to support your children, in particular those who have experienced direct or secondary racial trauma.
-
Ten Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race
This resource, a collaboration between EmbraceRace and MomsRising, is available in English and Spanish.
-
Talking with Children about Racism, Police Brutality and Protests
Aha!Parenting.com’s guidance is tailored by age group. This piece also includes suggestions for helping older children get involved and provides links to further resources.
-
Talking to your Kids About Racism
UNICEF created this resource to help you start discussions around racism with your child (and how to keep the important conversations going).
-
Anti-Racism for Kids: An Age-by-Age Guide to Fighting Hate
Parents magazine provides tips for addressing racism and hate with children of any age.
-
Talking to Kids About Race and Racism
Nemours KidsHealth created helpful conversation starters reviewed by Roger R. Harrison, PhD Psychology (Behavioral Health) at Nemours Children’s Health to help put an end to racism, and to encourage families to play an active role.
-
Talking to Kids About Racism and Violence: Supporting Children While Navigating Your Own Big Emotions
Clinical Experts: Kenya Hameed, PsyD , Jamie Howard, PhD , Janine Domingues, PhD from the Child Mind Institute created an article to discuss why it’s important to talk to kids about racism and provides tips. (En español)
-
Is Your Child Asking About Critical Race Theory? Here’s a Guide to Navigate Those Talks
PublicSource created a guide to help navigate tricky conversations about race in education and providing resources.
Early Childhood and Elementary
-
Anti-Racism Action Guide: Talking to Your Children About Race
Emory University created this anti-racism action guide which includes a series of tips for talking to your children about race, along with a list of pertinent resources.
-
Talking to Young Children about Race and Racism
PBS KIDS for Parents provides insights for your family on discussing race and racism. This page also suggests books and episodes of PBS series that highlight the topic, along with links to other resources.
Middle School and Up
-
Raising Race-Conscious Children: How to Talk to Kids About Race and Racism
University of Michigan Health shares tips from Pediatrician Alanna Nzoma, M.D. to help families have conversations regarding race and racism
-
George Floyd, Racism, and Law Enforcement
This guide provides background information and questions to inspire critical thinking and determine ways that your child can get further involved. Also available in Spanish.
Taking Action
All Ages
-
I [STILL] Can’t Breathe”: Supporting Kids of Color Amid Radicalized Violence
EmbraceRace’s conversation with Allison Briscoe-Smith, a clinical child psychologist specializing in trauma and issues of race, provides your family guidance for supporting children of color.
-
How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids
Common Sense Media’s guide highlights ways your family can use media to improve childrens’ awareness of race, racism, and the history of racial oppression in the United States. (En español)
-
Help Your Kids Take Action Against Racism
This tip sheet from Girl Scouts helps you have regular conversations about race and racism with your child. It also helps you have discussions about your child’s emotions in response to what they’re seeing.
-
Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion
A comprehensive list of resources from members of the Diverse Books community on race, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion.
Early Childhood and Elementary
-
Thinking About Social Justice through Crafts and Conversation
The ADL provides ideas for your family that couple important conversations with hands-on activities.
-
9 Anti-Racism Videos to Watch with Your Kids
This list of videos from Chicago Parent showcases nine child-friendly videos from PBS, including Sesame Street, to aid the conversation about race and racism with your children.
Middle School and Up
-
Learning Activities to Help Discuss Race with Kids
This article in Chicago Parent magazine helps parents to start the conversation of race by providing kid-friendly activities.
-
10 Ways Youth Can Engage in Activism
While this guide from ADL is intended for educators, your family can use it to provide guidance on getting more actively involved in the anti-racist movement.
Book Lists & Resources
All Ages
-
24 Anti-Racism Books, Movies, and Resources for Families
Verywell Family created a list of resources that can foster anti-racist conversations with the children, teens, and young adults in your family.
-
GreatSchools Book Lists
GreatSchools suggests titles on a number of themes, including celebrating diversity. You can filter the list for any grade from Pre-K through 8th.
-
Books about Racism and Social Justice
Common Sense Media has created a list of titles that tell the story of individuals’ experiences with racism and their actions in pursuit of social justice. The list can be filtered by age, from preschool through teenager.
-
Black Lives Matter: A Message from City Librarian John F Szabo
From the Los Angeles Public Library, this message is followed by a list of relevant titles for children, teens/adults, and in Spanish. Look for these titles at your local library.
-
Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk
Teaching for Change launched this series to share how they select high-quality, anti-bias books so that parents and teachers can do the same.
-
Using Books to Talk With Kids About Race and Racism
Pediatricians Jacqueline Dougé and Monique Jindal share helpful books about how to talk to your child about race and racism in a thoughtful and effective way.
Early Childhood and Elementary
-
Looking for Excellent “Diverse” Books for Kids? Start Here!
This EmbraceRace resource provides tips for finding anti-bias books and those that showcase diversity. It also suggests sites where your family can access these titles digitally.
-
Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
SocialJusticeBooks.org, a project of Teaching for Change, created this guide to help you look for visual and verbal messages in books for your young children.
-
Black Lives Matter Instructional Library
This slideshow provides links to read-alouds of books categorized by theme, including Activism and Advocacy, Self-Love and Empowerment, and Libros en Español.
-
10 Tips for Reading Picture Books with Children through a Race-Conscious Lens
EmbraceRace provides tips for using children’s books as the foundation for meaningful conversations with your children about race.
Directories
All Ages
-
Guide for Parents of Asian / Asian American Adolescents
William James College and the Center for Multicultural & Global mental Health created this guide to help with ways for parents to speak with their children about racism.
-
How to Raise Anti-Racist Kids: 20 Resources for Parents
This guide from Motherly, divided by age range, will help you be proactive in raising your children to understand racism and discrimination.
-
Resources for Talking About Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids
This document from the Center for Racial Justice in Education provides a list of resources that includes interviews and advice from experts.
-
Anti-Racist Resources - For Families, Educators, and Students
WNET Education created a curated list of resources from PBS and trusted partners, to use as tools to combat racism, support anti-racist learning and growth.
-
Anti-Racism Resources for Families
Trying Together compiled a list of resources meant to address anti-racism taking on the responsibility to ensure that every child and family is safe from racism and discrimination and has equitable opportunities to thrive.
Early Childhood and Elementary
-
Anti-Racism: Resources for Parents and Educators
The University of Iowa libraries created a list of resources for families to work towards anti-racism. There are also resources for teachers and paraprofessionals.
-
Resources for Young Children on Race, Racism, and More
This document provides links to resources from PBS, NPR, and other platforms on topics such as cultural awareness and diversity, resilience, and talking about the news.
-
Anti-Racist Resources for Parents
The Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS) created this list of resources to create generational change by raising anti-racist children.
-
Anti-Racism Resources for Parents & Families
Nickelodeon Parents created this tip sheet with resources to help your family talk about racism and bias. It also includes ways for your family to take action.
Movies
All Ages
-
Black History Movies That Tackle Racism
Common Sense Media provides a list of movies which offer jumping-off points for conversations about injustice.
-
37 Kid-Friendly Movies & TV Shows That Educate About Diversity & Race
SheKnows Entertainment provides a list of kid-friendly movies and TV shows that foster important conversations about diversity and race.
-
14 Kid-Friendly Movies to Help Build a Conversation About Race and Racism
It’s never too early to talk to your kids about race, but the conversation can be difficult. These movies about race and racism can help with that.
Middle School and Up
-
17 Films, Shows, and Documentaries That Can Help Educate Your Tweens and Teens About Race
This list from PopSugar provides movies, documentaries, and shows you can watch with your tweens and teens to ensure you work together to educate yourselves on conversations about race.
-
Till
Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media: Parents need to know that Till is a biographical drama about Mamie Till Mobley’s search for awareness and justice after the horrific lynching of her beloved only son, Emmett (Jalyn Hall), on August 28, 1955, in Mississippi.