Family Resources for Racial Literacy
A guide for parents, caregivers, and families
Differentiation
In the classroom we often talk about Learning Lines. We say that everyone is at a different place and we all move at a different pace when we learn. This applies to subjects like reading and math, and to skills like riding a bike without training wheels. We know that this applies to people’s learning about Race, Bias, and Social Justice as well.
This is a guide that has been differentiated. Our hope is that, depending on where you are as a family in your understanding and discussions of identity, race, and equity you will find a resource that most closely aligns with your place on the learning line.
(it is OKAY to be at the beginning, it’s that you are on the journey at all that counts!
Contents:
Each page has a link to a reading of a picture book that you can “read” with your family.
Some questions you can ask afterward are:
Contents, continued:
Each page has an article for grownups to read.
This resource is meant to better inform you and/or help you feel more equipped to have the conversations with your children and perhaps even other family and friends.
Remember that the option to talk or not talk about race is itself a privilege.
There is no “right way” to do it, you just have to do it! Be honest if you don’t know the answers and invite your child to consider what they think as a way to gauge their understanding and also to move the conversation forward if the grownups get stuck. (Children have very good ideas about justice.)
Early Emergent: I have no experience talking about race with my family.
For families:
Video link to book here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoDUJY9u9Jw
Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester
For grownups:
Emergent: I have talked a little bit about race with my family.
For grownups:
Fluent: I talk about race and issues of equity with my family when situations arise.
For grownups:
Extending: Our family discusses race and equity as a part of our everyday lives.
For families:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOhOFGcWm8
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice
By Marianne Celano
For grownups:
If you want more:
For white families:
Book lists for books to read as a family: White Racial Literacy -Robin DiAngelo Op-Ed
Embracerace A White Families' Guide to Talking About Racism
Social Justice Books What White Children Need to Know About Race
Book lists to read as a grown up: Places to buy books:
Buzzfeed News Eso Won Independent Black owned bookstore
Read it Forward Ashay By the Bay - Bay Area Black owned bookstore
Websites and social media accounts:
Here Wee Read Oakland Public Library Resource List The Stuart Center
The Conscious Kid Social Change Roles ADL Table Talk for Families
Remember...