Social 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, children will learn whatever they can glean from unspoken messages, and that doesn’t often work out very well. The staff at CCS is always available to help you find strategies. Also, you may find some of the resources below useful.
“They’re Not Too Young to Talk about Race”
Perhaps you’ve seen this infographic we made. Feel free to share with families and educators!
Click here for JPG in English, JPG en Español, or print-resolution PDF (with clickable links) in English.
Infographic created by the Children’s Community School, based in part on information and ideas from Jillian Addler at FirstUp, Lori Riddick at Raising Race Conscious Children, and kiran nigam at the Anti-Oppressive Resource and Training Alliance. © 2018.
Gender Inclusion Policy
Read our policy and practices on gender inclusion as CCS.
Resources from Around the Internet
Tips and Approaches
- 7 Things to Do When Your Kid Points Out Someone’s Differences, by Rachel Garlinghouse.
- Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests, by Laura Markham.
- 6 Things White Parents Can Do to Raise Racially Conscious Children, by Bree Ervin.
- How to Talk to Little Girls, by Lisa Bloom.
- Mama, Ella Has A Penis! How To Talk To Your Children About Gender Identity, by Marlo Mack.
Information and Perspectives
- My son has been suspended five times. He’s 3. by Tunette Powell.
- Speaking “Mexican” and the use of “Mock Spanish” in Children’s Books, or, Do Not Read Skippyjon Jones, by D. Ines Casillas.
- When My 8-Year-Old Gay Son Taught His Class About Harvey Milk, by “Amelia.”
- It’s Not Just About Delaying Gratification, by Geek Feminism. (Also see To Predict Success in Children, Look Beyond Willpower, by Simon Makin.)
- It’s Okay to Be Neither, by Melissa Bollow Tempel.
- My Son Wears Dresses; Get Over It, by Matt Duron.
What Can One Little Person Do?
Perhaps you heard the song “What Can One Little Person Do?” on our album, and don’t know how to talk to your children about the historical figures mentioned. Here are one sentence answers you can use if your child asks, “Who is that?”, plus suggestions for children’s books about each of them.
- Rosa Parks is famous for refusing to obey a law that said people with dark skin could only sit at the back when they rode the bus, and for helping to change unfair laws like that one. More reading: Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier.
- Fannie Lou Hamer worked to make sure black people would have the same right to vote as white people, even when people tried to scare her and hurt her. More reading: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
- For a long time, an unfair law said that children with different color skin couldn’t go to school together; Ruby Bridges was the first black child to go to a school with white children when the law changed. More reading: The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford; Ruby Bridges Goes to School, by Ruby Bridges.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader in the civil rights movement, who helped thousands of people come together to say that people should be treated fairly, no matter their skin color. More reading: Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr., by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney.