Listen, Learn, Participate: a #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series

Talking to Kids About Racism and Justice:

a list for parents, caregivers & educators
Awake youth of the land and accept this noble challenge of salvaging the strong ship
of civilization by the anchors of right, justice and love Ella Baker

BOOKS
Babies&Toddlers
AisforActivistbyInnosantoNagara(localauthor).Boardbook.AlsoavailableinSpanish.

K-2nd
LetsTalkAboutRacebyJuliusLester.Introducesconceptofraceaspartofapersonsstory;
Introducestheideaofprejudicebasedonskincolor.PicturebookforK-2.
Henry'sFreedomBoxbyEllenLevine.Excellentbookaboutachildsresistancetoslavery.
Sit-In:HowFourFriendsStoodUpbySittingDownbyAndreaDavisPinkney.Describesthe
sit-inbyfourcollegestudentsataWoolworthscounterin1960.PicturebookforK-2.
WeMarchbyShaneEvans.Picturebookabout1963MarchonWashington.Preschool-Grade2.
ASweetSmellofRosesbyAngelaJohnson;illus.byEricVelasquez.Astirringyetjubilant
glimpseoftheinvaluablecontributionsofyouthintheCivilRightsmovement.Ages5-8.
Yoursforjustice,IdaB.Wells:thedaringlifeofacrusadingjournalistbyPhilipDray
DoloresHuerta:aherotomigrantworkersbySarahE.Warren;illustratedbyRobertCasilla

3rd-6th
BrownGirlDreamingbyJacquelineWoodson.Throughpoetry,Woodsonsharesher
experiencegrowingupAfricanAmericaninthe1960sand1970s,livingwiththeremnantsof
JimCrowandhergrowingawarenessoftheCivilRightsmovement.Grade4&up.

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 Listen, Learn, Participate: a #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series

ThroughMyEyesbyRubyBridges.AutobiographyabouttheharrowingstoryofhowBridges
integratedapublicschoolinNewOrleanswhenshewas6yearsold.Grades2-4.
OneCrazySummerbyRitaWilliams-Garcia.Threesistersvisittheirmother,aBlackPanther
Partymember,duringamemorablesummerinOakland.SequelP.S.BeEleven.Grades3&up.
Freedomoverme:elevenslaves,theirlivesanddreamsbroughttolifebyAshleyBryan.
Usesprimarysources(andpoetry)tocontrastthemonetaryvalueofaslavewiththepriceless
valueoflife,dreamsanddignity.Grades4&up.*NEW
Turning15ontheroadtofreedom:mystoryofthe1965Selmavotingrightsmarchby
LyndaBlackmonLowery.TheyoungestpersontocompletetheSelmatoMontgomeryMarch
sharesherinvolvementinhistoricCivilRightsevents.Grades4&up.*NEW
LittleRockNinebyMarshallPoe;illustratedbyEllenLindner.TwoboysinLittleRockget
caughtupinthestruggleoverpublicschoolintegration.Grades4&up.
MarchingforFreedom:WalkTogether,ChildrenandDontYouGrowWearybyElizabeth
Partridge(localauthor).Aphotoessayfocusingonthecriticalrolethatchildrenandteens
playedinthesuccessofthecivilrightsmarchfromSelmatoMontgomery.Grades4&up.
TheWatsonsGotoBirminghambyChristopherPaulCurtis.TheWatsonslivesaredrastically
changedaftertheyvisitGrandmainBirminghaminthesummerof1963.Grades4&up.
RevolutionbyDeborahWiles.Twelve-year-oldSunnyevolvesagrowingsenseofjusticeand
empathyaftertheinvadersarriveinherMississippitowntointegratepublicfacilitiesand
registervotersduringFreedomSummer.Grades4&up.
ThePortChicago50:Disaster,MutinyandtheFightforCivilRightsbySteveSheinkin.The
rivetinglocalaccountofAfricanAmericansailorswhowerechargedwithmutinyforrefusingto
workinunsafeconditionsafteradeadlyexplosionduringWorldWarII.Grades4&up.
Thekid'sguidetosocialaction:howtosolvethesocialproblemsyouchoose--andturn
creativethinkingintopositiveactionbyBarbaraA.Lewis
ClaudetteColvin:twicetowardjustice.Anexcellentbookparentsandteacherscanuseto
raisethequestion:Whogetstobealeader?WhichBlacklivesmatter,andwhogetsleftout
whenwelookforjustonekindofhero?Grades6&up.
BlacklivesmatterbySueBradfordEdwardsandDuchessHarris.Grades6&up.
Intheshadowofliberty:thehiddenhistoryofslavery,fourpresidents,andfiveblacklives
byKennethC.Davis.Grades6&up.*NEW

7th&Up
From#BlackLivesMattertoBlackliberationbyKeeanga-YamahttaTaylor
All-AmericanBoysbyJasonReynoldsandBrendanKiely
HowitWentDownbyKeklaMagoon
March:books1,2and3byJohnLewis;withAndrewAydin;artbyNatePowell*NEW

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 Listen, Learn, Participate: a #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series

Ayoungpeople'shistoryoftheUnitedStatesbyHowardZinn
PoliceBrutality(opposingviewpointsseries)bySheilaFitzgerald.
ALettertoMyNephewbyJamesBaldwin(1962).SeealsoTheFireNextTime.Grades9&up.
ArePrisonsObsolete?byAngelaDavis.Grades9&up.
Seealso:
CanerowBookList,titlesfeaturingchildrenofcolorascentralcharactersintheirownstories,
curatedbyBayAreamom,activistandauthorMiaBirdsongforchildrenofcolortosee
themselvesandtheirhistoriesreflectedinliterature.
#RaiseUpJusticeDiverseBooksStarterKitfromShowingUpforRacialJustice(SURJ)
TheZinnEducationProjectteachingmaterialsonracism,civilrightsandothersocialissues.
TeachingforChange.Resourcesbytheme,includingRacialIdentityandFairnessandActivism.
PuttingtheMovementBackintoCivilRightsTeaching.Samplelessonplansandresources.
#WeNeedDiverseBooksenvisionsaworldwhereallchildrencanseethemselvesinthepages
ofabook.Getinvolvedwiththe#WeNeedDiverseBookscampaignbytweetingandcontacting
publishers.http://diversebooks.org

ARTICLES
ConfederateFlag2-HowtoTalktoSmallChildrenAboutRacism;CelebratingBree
Newsome,amodelforeducational,age-appropriatestorytellingbyAyadeLeon.
StraightTalkonRace:ChallengingtheStereotypesinChildrensBooksbyMitaliPerkinsin
SchoolLibraryJournal
HowToTeachKidsAboutFergusonbyMarciaChatelaininTheAtlantic(containsresourcelist)
AHerstoryofthe#BlackLivesMatterMovementbyAliciaGarzaonFeministWire.com.
Articlefordiscussionwithgrades7&up.
ContemporaryPoliceBrutalityandMisconduct:AContinuationoftheLegacyofRacial
ViolencefromtheBlackRadicalCongress.Articlefordiscussionwithgrades7&up.
BlackYouth100-AgendatoBuildBlackFuturesincludesnumerousresources,solutionsand
reportsfordiscussionwithgrades7&up.
HowtheChildrenofBirminghamChangedtheCivilRightsMovementinTheDailyBeast.
TheseTeensand20-SomethingsareOrganizingtheCivilRightsMovementThatWill
ChangeOurCountryonMTV.com

PARENTandTEACHERPERSPECTIVES
Restinpower:theenduringlifeofTrayvonMartinbySybrinaFultonandTracyMartin*NEW

Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice Updated Feb 8, 2017 oaklandlibrary.org/blacklivesmatter
 Listen, Learn, Participate: a #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series

TheRules:MakingsenseofraceandprivilegebyLawrenceOtisGrahaminPrincetonAlumni
Weekly.ABlackfathersharesthelessonsandruleshehopedwouldprotecthisupper-class
Blackchildren,andhowtheyfailed.
AMothersWhitePrivilegebyElizabethBroadbentintheHuffingtonPost
TalktoYourKidsAboutFergusonbyBruceReyes-ChowintheHuffingtonPost
TellingMySonAboutFergusonbyMichelleAlexander,authorofTheNewJimCrow
WhatWhiteChildrenNeedtoKnowAboutRacebyAliMichaelandEleonoraBartoliin
IndependentSchoolMagazine.
YourChildandtheJuvenileJusticeSystembyLenoreAnderson.Forparents.

VIDEOS&MULTIMEDIA
BlackLivesMatterCo-CreatorontheNewCivilRightsMovement.AliciaGarza,co-founder
of#BlackLivesMatter,tellsAJ+ abouttheyoungBlackactivistsleadingamovementforchange
andwhatitistheyareaskingfor(03:51minutes).Grades7&up.
CrackingtheCodesdir.byShaktiButler(filmanddiscussionguide)
TeachingFergusonintheClassroomfromPBS.Variousvideosfordiscussion.
MichelleAlexander:ASystemofRacialandSocialControlonPBSFrontline.Grades7&up.
LettertotheLocalPolicebyJuneJordan.Usethispoemasaconversationstarter:Remove
keyidentitywordsfromthepoemandaskstudentstofillintheblanks.Discusshowthepoem
couldactuallybeaboutracism,ableism,homophobia,transphobia,orsexism.
TheKnottedLinebyEvanBissell.Aninteractivemediaprojectexploringthehistorical
relationshipbetweenfreedomandconfinementintheUnitedStates.Withminiaturepaintings
ofover50historicalmomentsfrom1495-2025.Includesresourcesforeducators.
ForTeens:IsFergusonLikeMockingjay?fromMTVBraless.(03:15minutes,clipcontinues
until04:09-Stronglanguageintheunrelatedsegmentstartingat03:16mins).Grades8&up.

USEFULWEBSITES&OTHERRESOURCES
ResourcesforFamiliesfromSURJ(ShowingUpforRacialJustice)
RaisingRaceConsciousChildren(blog)
EmbraceRace(newsletter),alsoonfacebook.
YWCAStandAgainstRacism
Teaching#BlackLivesMatters,aguidefromSanFranciscoUnifiedSchoolDistrictGuide
St.LouisSchoolLibrarianOffersLibGuideonFergusonfromSchoolLibraryJournal

Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice Updated Feb 8, 2017 oaklandlibrary.org/blacklivesmatter
 Listen, Learn, Participate: a #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series

TheChildrensPeaceEducationandAnti-BiasLibrary
TeachingAfricanAmericanLiteratureandHistoryfromtheNationalHumanitiesCenter
TeachingAboutFerguson:RaceandRacismintheUnitedStatesfromTeachingTolerance
BookstoIncreaseAwarenessoftheCyclesofPoverty,RaceandIncarcerationfrom
ReachingReluctantReaders,ablogbyAmyCheney.
TheOtherAmerica,speechbyMartinLutherKingJr.ReadwhatMLKactuallysaidabout
riots,protestandracismintheweeksbeforehewasassassinatedin1968.
IntheMarginsbooklistsforyouthincustody
GaleOpposingViewpoints:RacialProfilingCommunityPolicing Racism Activism

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Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice Updated Feb 8, 2017 oaklandlibrary.org/blacklivesmatter