I know that this probably isn’t a post you were expecting here. What does a food blog have to do with Anti-Racism work? Well, frankly, a lot. With Two Spoons is a food and cooking blog. But it is also a blog about community, and in particular, community building. Lately, the community we live in – and the world at large – has been hurting. Much of that hurt has stemmed from the racial injustices so heartbreakingly prevalent in the everyday lives of so many people. I am committed in my personal and professional life to breaking down the old, hurtful world and building up a new, better community. A table where all truly feel welcome.
Much of the work I am personally doing right now is listening, reading, and learning. Like many, I am so very new to this world (and I am embarrassed about my previous lack of knowledge). Thankfully, the internet is filled with good people putting out amazing resources for people like me to start their education. I’ll refer you to those resources for your own learning (and see this previous post by Lane for some more suggestions). Right now, I want to talk about our kids.
In addition to being a blogger and physician, I am also a mom of two young kids. I feel a profound sense of responsibility to raise my children to not only understand the role that privilege plays in their lives, but to actively work to be anti-racist and to build a better world than we have done thus far. Thankfully, there are a huge number of great resources out there to help parents begin or continue this important education. Below is a collection of the Anti-Racism Resources for Kids I have found or that have been shared with me over the last few weeks:
To Watch
01 // CNN & Sesame Street Racism Town Hall
This was an absolutely excellent opportunity for families to discuss current issues, history, and next steps with younger kids.
02 // PBS Life’s Little Lessons “Alike & Different” featuring Daniel Tiger
Geared toward preschoolers, this is a great, age appropriate media option produced by PBS
03 // Christian Robinson Read Along
Christian Robinson is an incredible writer, illustrator, and artist. His instagram (@theartoffun) is a must follow. He partnered with PBS to do a read along of his book You Matter. It’s fantastic. My kids loved it!
To Read
Books are a wonderful place to start for us all! There are so many options for wonderful books, for kids in particular. The internet is awash with great lists of books for kids to help with conversations around race. Here are a few titles we are reading/exploring and a few links to more resources:
01 // 13 Children’s Books About Race and Diversity
There are so many guides out there right now with books for kids that it is almost overwhelming. I really like this one by PBS. We have (and love!) Sulwe already (seriously, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous) and I just ordered The Day You Begin and All Are Welcome.
02 // The Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
An excellent resource for books written by African-American and Black authors and illustrators for children and young adults. We love Last Stop on Market Street and I just ordered the most recent winner (a graphic novel!) New Kid.
03 // A Conscious Kid
Book subscriptions are a fantastic way to introduce kids to more diverse books. With options for varying age groups, A Conscious Kid sends a wrapped, hardcover book each month and supports an indie business at the same time. The subscriptions are currently sold out, but I’m going to keep checking back and hope to grab one soon!
03 // Anti-Racism Resources for All Ages
This is an incredible resource put together by Dr. Nicole A. Cook, a professor of library science at USC. I have bookmarked this page and have been referring to it often.
04 // Jacqueline Woodson Recommends Anti-Racism Books for Kids
Jacqueline Woodson is an amazing writer (if you haven’t read her book Brown Girl Dreaming, pick it up now – it’s incredible) who wrote this piece in Oprah’s magazine with recommendations for books to discuss racism with kids.
We Learn Best When We Learn Together
Friends, this is far from an exhaustive list and represents what I view as only the very first tiny steps along the way but I hope they are helpful if you, too, are searching for resources. If you have great resources and would be willing to share with us, please leave a comment below, send an email, or contact us on social media. We are committed to an equitable community and we say, loudly and clearly, Black Lives Matter. Thanks for sitting at the table with us.
An important note: We sometimes use affiliate links in our posts to help with the cost of running the blog. Please know that we have NOT used them in this post. We encourage you to purchase any resources (books, etc) locally if possible and support your community shops. A good option for Minneapolis parents/kids/locals is The Wild Rumpus. They also have a great list of books for kids about racism and injustice! Not in Minneapolis? All of the links in this post will direct you to indiebound.org, which will direct you to local, indie bookstores.
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