All Ages
Books and Resources to Help You Raise Anti-Racist Children
by the Brightly Editors
America is still deeply racially divided — nothing has made that more apparent than the murders of members of the Black community at the hands of law enforcement and the recent violence against Asian Americans. It’s time for a change. And that change starts at home. At Brightly we’re committed to helping you raise kids that are not only “not racist” but who are actively “anti-racist.” When we are anti-racist, we speak out against the human injustices that happen every day, because change does not come from staying silent.
It’s never too early to talk to children about race. According to HealthyChildren.org, “As early as 6 months, a baby’s brain can notice race-based differences. By ages 2 to 4, children can internalize racial bias. By age 12, many children become set in their beliefs — giving parents a decade to mold the learning process, so that it decreases racial bias and improves cultural understanding.”
Books play an important role in combating racial bias. Children need to see themselves and their experiences represented in the books they read, and perhaps even more crucial, they need to read about the experiences of people who are different from them. Sharing stories fosters empathy and understanding, allowing readers to gain new perspective by walking in someone else’s shoes.
Reading books featuring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) characters and experiences provides a great way to start a conversation about race with the kids in your life. But support for these communities goes well beyond that. We’ve complied further reading resources for parents, caregivers, and educators — from how to talk to your kids about protests to understanding white privilege. If we truly wish to see change happen, it’s vital that we put in the work, with and for our children.
-
Books for Kids & Teens
-
AntiRacist Baby
Also available from:Love Makes a Family
Also available from:I am Strong
Also available from:Max and the Tag-Along Moon
Also available from: -
I am Rosa Parks
Also available from:Last Stop on Market Street
Also available from:The King of Kindergarten
Also available from: -
Back of the Bus
Also available from: -
We Are a Garden
Also available from: -
The Day You Begin
Also available from:Each Kindness
Also available from:That Is My Dream!
Also available from: -
Of Thee I Sing
Also available from:Brave. Black. First.
Also available from: -
Brown Girl Dreaming
Also available from:This Is Your Time
Also available from:Bud, Not Buddy
Also available from: -
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
Also available from:The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Also available from:Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults)
Also available from: -
Dear Martin
Also available from:145th Street: Short Stories
Also available from:
Further Reading
Resources for Parents:
- How to Talk to Your Kids About Race: Books and Resources That Can Help (Brightly)
- Talking to Children About Racial Bias (HealthyChildren.org)
- How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Violence (Parents.com)
- Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race (Academia)
- How silence can breed prejudice: A child development professor explains how and why to talk to kids about race (Washington Post)
- How to talk to your children about protests and racism (CNN)
- Why It’s Important to Talk to Your Child About Racism and Hate (Brightly)
- Anti-Racist Books and Resources for Our Readers (Penguin Random House)
- Here’s How Your Family Can Support the Asian American Community (Verywell Family)
- Books to Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality (Brightly)
- How to Diversify Your Child’s Bookshelves (Brightly)
Resources for Educators:
- Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism (ADL)
- Anti-Racism: Educators Must Do the Heavy Lifting (Learning for Justice)
- Anti-Asian Violence: What Schools Should Start Doing About It (Education Week)
- 15 Classroom Resources for Discussing Racism, Policing, and Protest (Education Week)
- How Should I Talk about Race in My Mostly White Classroom? (ADL)
- Teaching Young Children about Race (Teaching for Change)
- Speaking Up Against Racism Around the Coronavirus (Learning for Justice)
- Social Justice Resources (The Children’s Community School)
More Anti-Racism Resources for Adults
- Harvard University’s Implicit Bias Test (Harvard)
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack (The National SEED Project)
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice (Medium)
- How Racism Invented Race in America, Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Atlantic)
- The Greatest White Privilege Is Life Itself (The Atlantic)
- The 1619 Project (The New York Times)
- White Allyship 101: Resources to Get To Work (Dismantle Collective)
- Showing Up For Racial Justice’s Educational Toolkits (Showing Up for Racial Justice)
- Anti-Racism Project