Family Corner

S.T.R.I.D.E is committed to provide families with the necessary resources and tools to have crucial conversations with their children.

Disclaimer: the views expressed in some of the following resources are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the PS 58 Staff and Community.

STRIDE November/December Newsletter

How to Talk to Your Children About Race and Current Events

"Courageous Conversations About Race", written by Glenn Singleton, defines a courageous conversation as one that:

engages those who won't talk
sustains the conversation when it gets uncomfortable or diverted
deepens the conversation to the point where authentic understanding and meaningful actions occur
expect and accept non-closure, these conversations should be continuous and ongoing

Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters | Part IAll educators have the civic responsibility to learn and teach the basic history and tenets of this movement for racial justice.

Social Justice ResourcesSocial Justice Resources Do you want to talk to your young child about issues of social justice, but don't know how? You're not alone—most adults find topics like race, gender, and class difficult to talk about with children. But if we don't find ways to talk about it,

Child Mind Institue Racism.mp4

Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News by the Child Mind Institute.

I Am a Parent or Caregiver

Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News | Child Mind InstituteTips for helping kids process big emotions and tackle hard questions about racism and violence.

Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup — Pretty GoodYour kids aren’t too young to talk about race. Here are a few resources to get your started.

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

Talking to Kids About Racism, Early and OftenThese books can help start the conversation.

George Floyd, Racism and Law Enforcement (in English and en Español)Engage your family in a discussion about the killing of George Floyd, how bias and hate escalate and the larger context of systemic racism.

Anti-racism resources for white people

This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now.

Additional Resources

Videos and Conferences

The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

KidLit Rally 4 Black Lives: Anti-Racist Resources for Children, Families, and Educators

How to build an antiracist worldThere is no such thing as being "not racist," says author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces and personal beliefs. Learn how you can actively use this awareness to uproot injustice and inequality in the world -- and replace it with love. (This virtual interview, hosted by TED's current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers and speaker development curator Cloe Shasha, was recorded June 9, 2020.)

How to teach kids to talk about taboo topicsWhen one of Liz Kleinrock's fourth-grade students said the unthinkable at the start of a class on race, she knew it was far too important a teachable moment to miss. But where to start? Learn how Kleinrock teaches kids to discuss taboo topics without fear -- because the best way to start solving social problems is to talk about them.

Podcasts

The 1619 ProjectAmerican slavery began 400 years ago this month. This is referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the country’s true origin.

Code SwitchWhat's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story.

Come Through with Rebecca Carroll: Episodes | WNYC Studios | Podcasts15 essential conversations about race in a pivotal year for America.

Introducing: Nice White ParentsA new five-part series about building a better school system, and what gets in the way. New episodes of “Nice White Parents” are available here, brought to you by Serial, a New York Times Company.

Talking to White Kids About Race & Racism - Safe Space RadioMany white parents have never learned how to talk about race and racism with their kids. Silence perpetuates racism—but it can be hard to know how to start. This hour-long program is about talking to white kids about race and racism: how white parents, families, and teachers can learn to show up for racial justice in a way that will make a difference for generations to come. The show explores a wide variety of approaches with kids of all ages....read more »

Books

Historical Context of Race in the United States

Drawing on personal stories, research, and historical events, an esteemed educator offers a vision of educational justice inspired by the rebellious spirit and methods of abolitionists.

A poetic and powerful memoir about what it means to be a Black woman in America—and the co-founding of a movement that demands justice for all in the land of the free.

A book discussing race-related issues specific to African-American males and mass incarceration in the United States. Alexander's central premise, from which the book derives its title, is that "mass incarceration is, metaphorically, the New Jim Crow.

Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America and asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.

Some Americans cling to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America - more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. Kendi argues that if we have any hope of grappling with this stark reality, we must first understand how racist ideas were developed, disseminated, and enshrined in American society.

Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy?

Self Reflection about Race in the United States

My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not only about the head, but about the body, and introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racial divide.

A book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.

From a powerful new voice on racial justice, an eye-opening account of growing up Black, Christian, and female in middle-class white America.

Oluo explores the complex reality of today's racial landscape-from white privilege and police brutality to systemic discrimination and the BLM movement-offering straightforward clarity that readers need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide.

Fictional Works about Race in the United States

In the midst of a family crisis one late evening, white blogger Alix Chamberlain calls her African American babysitter, Emira, asking her to take toddler Briar to the local market for distraction. There, the security guard accuses Emira of kidnapping Briar, and Alix's efforts to right the situation turn out to be good intentions selfishly mismanaged.

Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing.

This stirring love story is a deeply insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward- with hope and pain- into the future.

Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. 15 years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.

Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin's story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions-affection, despair, and hope.

A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.