About
As parents and caregivers, we have a responsibility to ensure that every child and family is safe from racism and discrimination and has equitable opportunities to thrive.
In order to do this, we must begin with ourselves. Set aside time in your day to do a personal inventory. What thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have you contributed to upholding systems of racism? What assumptions are you making? What actions or inactions have you taken that contribute to systems of oppression?
Next, consider your family and your friends—what behaviors, statements, or jokes have gone unchecked? What actions or inactions have you taken within your interpersonal relationships that have contributed to an unsafe community for our black and brown children, neighbors, and colleagues? How might you begin to lead by example within your own family or community?
Anti-racism work is something that has to be attended to in an ongoing way. In order to support you in this work, Trying Together compiled the following resources. This list is not exhaustive.
Resources for Adults
-
- Video: ‘I Can’t Breathe: From Agony to Activism’, Pitt Diversity
- Implicit Bias Test, Harvard
- Anti-Racism Resources, Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein
- Black History Month Library
- African American History: From Emancipation to the Present, Yale
- 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence, Medium
- The critical role white parents play in shaping racism — and eradicating it, PBS
- How Not to be an Ally: Common missteps and advice for effective allyship, Psychology Today
- An Anti-Racist Reading List, The New York Times
- Mental Health Support and Education, Steel Smiling
- Center for Race & Gender Equality, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
- Race Research Online Directory, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
- How to raise anti-racist kids: 20 resources for parents, Motherly
- Podcast: Notice the Rage, Notice the Silence, On Being with Krista Tippett
- Talking About Race, National Museum of African American History & Culture
- Want to support Black Lives Matter? Here’s where to start in Pittsburgh., Kidsburgh
- Why Raising Kids to ‘Not See Color’ Doesn’t Help Fight Racism, HuffPost
- Video: What I am learning from my white grandchildren – truths about race, TEDx Talks
- Video: Juneteenth Round Table with Rep. Chris Rabb & Rep. Ed Gainey, For Our Future Pennsylvania
- Race and Equity Resource List, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
- Antiracism Meditation
- Confronting Prejudice: How to Protect Yourself and Help Others, Pepperdine University
- In My Skin Podcast, University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development
- Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community, Sunshine Behavioral Health
- Our Family’s Commitment to Being Anti-Racist, PBS Kids
- Black Lives Matter, Substance Abuse, and Addiction Recovery in the United States, Addicted.org
- Citizen Journalism and Political Protests, Syracuse University
- Black Boys Matter: Cultivating Their Identity, Agency, and Voice, NAEYC
- Things to Know If You Love a Multiracial Child, Embrace Race
- COVID-in-Color: Race-conscious Resources For Children & Families, Embrace Race
- Exploring & Understanding Structural Racism, Embrace Race
- “Love is not enough”: Supports for Transracial Adoptive Families, Embrace Race
- Nurturing Resistance & Joy in Black Children, Embrace Race
- Raising Muslim American Children Who Thrive, Embrace Race
- Anti-Hate Safety Resources, Asian American Federation
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- BIPOC Addiction and Mental Health Resources, Addictions.com
Discussing Racism and Violence with Children
-
- Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News, Child Mind Institute
-
- Video: A Clinical Perspective on Talking to Kids About Racism, Child Mind Institute
- Transcript: A Clinical Perspective on Talking to Kids About Racism, Child Mind Institute
- Video: A Clinical Perspective on Talking to Kids About Racism, Child Mind Institute
-
- Talking to Children About Race, Policing and Violence, The New York Times
-
- Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom: A Resource for Educators, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
-
- Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids, Center for Racial Justice in Education
-
- They’re not too young to talk about race!, The Children’s Community School
-
- Talking to Children About Racial Bias, HealthyChildren
-
- How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism, Parent Toolkit
-
- 10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race, Embrace Race
-
- How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence, Common Sense Media
-
- Resources for Talking About Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids, Center for Racial Justice in Education
-
- How to Talk to Your Children About the Protests, The Wall Street Journal
-
- Talking about Race with Kids and Teens, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
-
- 21 Anti-Racism Videos to Share With Kids, We are Teachers
-
- Experts answer your kids’ tough questions about race and racism, The Hechinger Report
-
- The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special, Sesame Workshop
-
- Raising Kids Who Embrace Race, National PTA
-
- Talking to Kids About Anti-Asian Racism, Time for Kids
-
- Asian Americans K-12 Education Curriculum, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
-
- So You Want to Raise a Young White Ally?, Embrace Race
-
- Supporting Children’s Leadership & Activism, Embrace Race
-
- Supporting Healthy Racial Learning in Early Childhood, Embrace Race
-
- Talking to Kids About Racism and Violence, Child Mind Institute
-
- Parenting in Racially and Culturally Diverse Adoptive Families, Child Welfare Information Gateway
Children’s Books
-
- I Too Am America, by Langston Hughes, ages 5+
-
- Baby Blessings: A Prayer For The Day You Were Born, by Deloris Jordan, ages 0-6
-
- Lullaby, A Poem, by Langston Hughes, ages 0-6
-
- Welcome, Precious, by Nikki Grimes, ages 0-5
-
- Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grow Up to Become Malcolm X, by IIyasha Shabazz, ages 6+
-
- CROWN: An Ode To A Fresh Cut, by Derrick Barnes, ages 3-10
-
- Turning 15 On The Road To Freedom: My Story of 1965 Selma Voting Right March, by Lynda Blackmon, ages 12+
-
- A Child’s Introduction To AA History, by Jabari Asim, ages 5+
-
- These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids, The New York Times
-
- Books About Racism and Social Justice, Common Sense Media
-
- Reading Race in Picture Books with Children, Embrace Race
Resources for Social-Emotional Development
-
- Helping Children Cope With Frightening News, Child Mind Institute
-
- How to Foster Resilience in Kids, Child Mind Institute
-
- What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious, Child Mind Institute
-
- NASP: Managing Strong Emotional Reactions to Trauma, National Association of School Psychologists
-
- The Brown Mama Blueprint Podcast, Pittsburgh Brown Mamas
