Photo credit: Danielle Coke (@ohhappydani on Instagram)
This past week, I’ve spent more time on social media absorbing content around anti-racism and what is happening locally, as well as nationally. Like I know many of you did, I shifted gears from just following what is happening (the news) to working to gain a better understanding of why it continues to happen (systemic racism) and what I can do to be a better ally. One of the things now abundantly clear to my husband and meI is the fact we need to go beyond teaching our girls that “all people are good people” and “be kind to everyone”.
Below you’ll find a compilation of resources shared with me by our community, shared with me by others, and resources I found on social media/the Internet. If you have any others you would like to add, please email me at [email protected].
This video is over a year old and explains the complex issue of Systemic Racism in an easy to understand way.
Source: The Conscious Kid, @theconsciouskid on Instagram. Adapted from the work of The Children’s Community School
Elected Officials:
Please note not all of our local officials have active public accounts. Below are examples of officials who are participating in the conversation. If I have missed any, please share and I can update the list.
Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (U.S. 5th District, covering the greater Danbury area)
Instagram: @repjahanahayes
Facebook: @repjahanahayes
Read her editorial published in the Hartford Courant on 6/5 here.
Senator Chris Murphy
Instagram: @chrismurphyct
Facebook: @chrismurphyct
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Instagram: @senblumenthal
Facebook: @senblumenthal
Mayor Mark Boughton – (Mayor City of Danbury)
Instagram: @mayormark
Facebook: @MayorBoughton
CT Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan – (CT Rep for the 2nd Assembly serving Bethel, and parts of Redding, Danbury & Newtown)
Instagram: @raghibct
Facebook: @raghibct
Online Resources:
In addition, two residents of Newtown have created a Facebook page in hopes of fostering better dialogue in our community. The goal of the group is to educate and inform those in the community about the experiences of people of color, while supporting them and learning to be strong allies. You can join here.
Museums/Trails:
Connecticut Freedom Trail Tour: More than 130 sites in over 50 towns.
Local stops on the tour: Click here for full list
Marian Anderson House – Danbury
Marian Anderson Studio – Danbury
Hopkins Street Center – Waterbury
Mary & Eliza Freeman Houses – Bridgeport
Walters Memorial A.M.E Zion Church – Bridgeport
Nero Hawley Gravesite – Trumbull
Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington Depot, CT
Non-Fiction
How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo
Me & White Supremecy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor – Layla F. Saad
Between the World & Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America – Jennifer Harvey
Fiction
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
An American Marriage – Tayari Jones
The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas
Click here for Good Reads’ list of novels on Racism & Discrimination
Links below are to each book’s description page on Amazon. Please note that many of these titles are currently out-of-stock or backordered.
Early Readers (0-3)
Little People Big Dreams Series – Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Harriet Tubman
Wilma Rudolph
Rosa Parks
Frida Kahlo
Muhammad Ali
Maya Angelou
Ella Fitzgerald
Bruce Lee
Martin Luther King, Jr.
African American Legends for Little Learners
Think Big Little One and Dream Big Little One – Vashti Harrison
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Babies Around the World – Puck
Preschoolers/ Early Elementary School (3 -6)
A is for Activist – Innosanto Nagara
Everyone Matters: A First Look at Respect for Others – Pat Thomas
Happy in Our Skin – Fran Manuskin
Mae Among the Stars – Roda Ahmed
We’re Different, We’re the Same – Bobbi Kates *& Joe Mathieu
The Skin You Live In – David Lee Csicsko
Independent Readers (6+)
28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
For more extensive lists, please visit the following articles: 50 Children’s Books that Celebrate Diversity (from The Every Mom), 7 Books About Race (from Glamour), Socialjusticebooks.org for over 60 curated lists, and The Conscious Kid Anti-Racism Book Fund.
Miniland Dolls – Dolls that encourage social & cultural awareness through role/imaginative play.
LOVEVERY: Click here to listen to a podcast on talking to your child on race & racism.
Little Passports Subscription Boxes – Introduce your child to different parts of the world.
Diverse Toys for Kids – from The Everymom
Favorite Diversity Tools & Toys for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners – from Pocket of Preschool
Netflix
13th (Ava DuVernay)
American Son (Kenny Leon)
Dear White People (Justin Simien)
See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol)
When They See Us (Ava DuVernay)
Hulu
Blindspotting (Carlos Lopez Estrada)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins)
The Hate U Give (George Tillman, Jr)
HBO
King in the Wilderness
Available to Rent
Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975
Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu)
Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler)
I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin)
Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton)
Selma (Ava DuVernay)
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Check out this Anti-Racism Google Document for a list of articles, podcasts, and organizations to follow on social media. One of our community members shared this with me, so a big thank you to her!
Child Mind Institute – childmind.org
Racism & Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News
A Clinical Perspective on Talking to Kids About Racism