Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right.
Social justice for toddlers: These new books and programs start the conversation early.
In case you don't accept your 3-month-old may be a racist, you ARE a racist
In the era of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, many parents are wondering when the right time is to talk to their children about social justice. Experts say it's never too early, and a new wave of tools and resources can help start the conversation.
You can enroll in a music class (virtually now) that develops understanding of gender and personhood. A drag queen story time will soon be a television show. And there are more and more children's books that discuss intersectionality and broaden representation, plus flashcards and short videos that teach parent and toddler about anti-racism ideas.
"Teaching children to have an equity mind-set and strive for justice is giving them a crucial skill that will help them through life", says Nicole Stamp, a Toronto-based children's TV writer and host who co-founded the limited-run ByUs box, a curated box of toys, books and curricula that aims to dismantle bias for kids as young as 2 years old.
Leigh Wilton and Jessica Sullivan, Skidmore College psychology professors who study race and social interaction, say that children develop implicit bias as early as 3 months old, and at 4 years old are categorizing and developing stereotypes.
Sullivan, a developmental psychologist, says that while there may be no precise age to discuss race - all children are different - there are abstract notions that children need to deal with, and they are capable of reasoning about things such as death even in preschool.
Wilton adds: "When you think about reading, you don't say a child at 2 years old can't read, so let's not read to them or teach them to recognize letters. We begin building those foundational concepts early. Adults can help even the youngest of children begin to develop the social, emotional, and cognitive skills that will enable them to engage with race throughout their lives".
They add that ensuring children have authentic connections to people from different backgrounds is likely to reduce bias.
In Philadelphia, Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriett's Bookshop, developed a children's space that aligns with her mission of promoting Black women authors, women's activism and women artists. She sells children's books such as "Antiracist Baby", "Woke Baby" and "You Matter" and plans to institute child-led storytelling, publishing and book talks.
Cook suggests using Christian Robinson's picture book "Another" to start social justice conversations with young children. "What I've been encouraging parents to do is take a picture book like that and support their children in telling the story. Put children in the position where they are the storytellers", she says.
In the era of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, many parents are wondering when the right time is to talk to their children about social justice. Experts say it's never too early, and a new wave of tools and resources can help start the conversation.
