While we are still here promoting the fairy tale-themed Summer Reading Program that began yesterday, there is
too much going on in the real world to ignore. We believe the first step in
igniting change begins with reading and learning. We have compiled these
resources to better educate ourselves, help parents learn how to talk to
children about racism and current events, and inspire people of all ages to do
better. This list is not exhaustive, and if you would like more information, please contact the library.
Books For Kids:
The
day you begin by Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by Rafael López
Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael López's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.
Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael López's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.
Let
it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney,
illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and sparked a boycott that changed America. Harriet Tubman helped more than three hundred slaves escape the South on the Underground Railroad. Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The lives these women led are part of an incredible story about courage in the face of oppression; about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights; and about speaking out for what you believe in--even when it feels like no one is listening. Andrea Davis Pinkney's moving text and Stephen Alcorn's glorious portraits celebrate the lives of ten bold women who lit the path to freedom for generations.
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and sparked a boycott that changed America. Harriet Tubman helped more than three hundred slaves escape the South on the Underground Railroad. Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The lives these women led are part of an incredible story about courage in the face of oppression; about the challenges and triumphs of the battle for civil rights; and about speaking out for what you believe in--even when it feels like no one is listening. Andrea Davis Pinkney's moving text and Stephen Alcorn's glorious portraits celebrate the lives of ten bold women who lit the path to freedom for generations.
Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni ; illustrated by Bryan Collier
The story of Rosa Parks and her courageous act of defiance.
The story of Rosa Parks and her courageous act of defiance.
Separate
is never equal : Sylvia Mendez & her family's fight for desegregation by
Duncan Tonatiuh
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California.
Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California.
Something
Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard,
illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
Something Happened in Our Town follows two families -- one White, one Black -- as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.
Something Happened in Our Town follows two families -- one White, one Black -- as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.
Books For Teens and Adults:
Between
the world and me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
“In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of "race," a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men--bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?”
“In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of "race," a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men--bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?”
The
hate U give by Angie Thomas
(TEEN) After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.
(TEEN) After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.
How
to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Combines ethics, history, law, and science with a personal narrative to describe how to move beyond the awareness of racism and contribute to making society just and equitable.
Combines ethics, history, law, and science with a personal narrative to describe how to move beyond the awareness of racism and contribute to making society just and equitable.
We
are not yet equal : understanding our racial divide by Carol Anderson with
Tonya Bolden.
(TEEN) Adapted for young readers, We Are Not Yet Equal examines five key moments “When America achieves milestones of progress toward full and equal black participation in democracy, but the systemic response is a consistent racist backlash that rolls back those wins.”
(TEEN) Adapted for young readers, We Are Not Yet Equal examines five key moments “When America achieves milestones of progress toward full and equal black participation in democracy, but the systemic response is a consistent racist backlash that rolls back those wins.”
Just
mercy : a story of justice and redemption by Bryan Stevenson
“The founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama recounts his experiences as a lawyer working to assist those desperately in need, reflecting on his pursuit of the ideal of compassion in American justice.”
“The founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama recounts his experiences as a lawyer working to assist those desperately in need, reflecting on his pursuit of the ideal of compassion in American justice.”
Me
and white supremacy : combat racism, change the world, and become a good
ancestor by Layla F. Saad
“Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.”
“Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.”
When
they call you a terrorist : a Black Lives Matter memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors
“From one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Cullors' story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America. But in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful.”
White Fragility : Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo
The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.
“From one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Cullors' story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America. But in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful.”
White Fragility : Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism by Robin DiAngelo
The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.
Movies:
Do
the Right Thing
“On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.”
“On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.”
The
Hate U Give
“Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right.”
“Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right.”
Just
Mercy
“World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.”
“World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.”
Selma
A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.
A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.
Online resources and further reading:
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism
and resistance
https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations-on-race-racism-resistance
https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations-on-race-racism-resistance
Beyond
the Golden Rule: a Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
by Dana Williams; Illustrations by Vincent Nguyen
https://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/beyond_golden_rule.pdf
https://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/beyond_golden_rule.pdf
Talking to Your Kids About Race
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/in-the-news/talking-about-race/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/in-the-news/talking-about-race/
Talking to Your Children About Racial Bias
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Talking-to-Children-About-Racial-Bias.aspx
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Talking-to-Children-About-Racial-Bias.aspx
