By 5 years old, children have a very complex awareness of which groups society portrays positively vs. negatively. Even if we do not say a word to them about race, they pick up cues from TV, toys, books, parents subtle messages,etc. that inform them of the social status of racial group. It is crucial that parents and educators pay specific attention to groups that are negatively stereotypes (i.e. African-Americans) and provide children with MANY positive examples of that group. We must realize its better to begin talking to them about race as early in development as possible, in order to foster healthy/positive attitudes before society tells them some groups are better than others.
ACTIVITIES
Appropriate and Encouraged for Children as early as 12-months
For more strategies (and customized solutions for your specific case) OR to have your child's racial attitudes professionally assessed, please contact Dr. Bentley L. Gibson at- bgibson@thebiasadjuster.com
ACTIVITIES
Appropriate and Encouraged for Children as early as 12-months
- Provide your child with a LARGE amount of products that have positive characters of color. See the Books, Toys, and Media list below of products that foster positive attitudes about African-Americans.
- Highlight their beautiful skin of color on a regular basis– “You look so beautiful/handsome today! Your beautiful, brown skin is so amazing!”
- Highlight others beautiful skin of color on a regular basis- “Look at that pretty little girl over there. Her skin is beautifully brown just like yours ” or "Her skin is beautifully brown just like our friend Pam!"
- Pay close attention to what children naturally gravitate towards. Do they constantly pick up toys, books, clothing with White characters? Allow them to freely respond to questions about why they choose some products over others. See if their answers indicate race and/or skin color. If so, contact Dr. Bentley L. Gibson (bgibson@thebiasadjuster.com) for solutions to your specific child’s attitudes.
- DO NOT BUY TOO MANY BOOKS OR PRODUCTS THAT TEACH ABOUT RACISM UNTIL THE CHILD IS OLDER (10+). The early childhood should mainly focus showing groups that society negatively stereotypes in a positive fashion. Messages such as "you are different, people may not like you, but you are still beautiful" are too loaded for young children. These are contradicting statements, that are more appropriate for older children. These types of statements may actually increase prejudice/bias.
- Observe your child's classrooms and how diverse the class is (books, classroom decorations, student and faculty body, etc.) are. Suggest diversity training for the institutions your child is a part of. The Bias Adjuster does observations and trainings.
- Find local activities (Mom groups, sports programs, music and arts programs) where over 50% of the participants are African-American. Allow your child to regularly participate in these types of programs and have positive interactions.
For more strategies (and customized solutions for your specific case) OR to have your child's racial attitudes professionally assessed, please contact Dr. Bentley L. Gibson at- bgibson@thebiasadjuster.com
| Infancy – 2 years old Books | Early Childhood 2-7 years old Books/ Toys/ Shows |
| 1) Lola’s Library- Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw 2) Please Baby Please - Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee 3) Whose Knees are These - Jabari Asim 4) Whose Toes are Those - Jabari ASim 6) I Can Do It too - Karen Baicker 7) You Can Do It Too - Karen Baicker 8) Baby Dance - Ann Taylor 9) Girl of Mine - Jabari Asim 10) Boy of Mine - Jabari Asim 11) Peekabo Morning - Rachel Isadora 12) Full, Full, Full of Love - Trish Cooke 13) Little Bill Series - Catherine Lucas 14) Pretty Brown Face - Andrea Davis Pickney 15) Baby Says - John Steptoe 16) Ready, Steady, Its Dress-up Time- Kerry Timewell Middle Childhood - 7-11 years old Books/ Comics Books 1) If I Ran For President – Catherine Stier 2) Dancing in the Wings - Debbie Allen 3) Five Brilliant Scientists – Linda Jones 4) Abiyoyo- Pete Seeger’s Storysong 5) Marvel Comic - Moon Girl 6) Fly Eagle, Fly: An African Tale - Christopher Gregorowski 7) BAP: The Official Guide to the Black American Princess - Kalyn Johnson 8) What Color is My World - The Lost History of African American Inventors- Kareem Abdul Jabbar & Raymon Obstfeld 9) Black Firsts: 4000 Groundbreaking & Pioneering Historical Events - Jessie C. Smith 10) DC Comicbook- BatWing - The Batman of Africa 11) DC Comicbook- Firestorm - The Nuclear Man 12) Comicbook- Black Panther 13) Comicbook - Static Shock 14) Comicbook - Miles Morales - Black Spiderman | Books 1) Emis Curly Coily Hair - Tina Olajide 2) I'm a Pretty Little Black Girl - Betty Bynum 3) Whose Knees are These - Jabari Asim 4) Bright Eyes and Brown Skin – Cheryl Willis Hudson 5) The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats 6) Jaden Touissant, The Great (book series) – Marti Dumas 7) Genesis and The Fearless Five - Siphriah Davidson 8) Julian Dream Doctor - Ann Cameron TOYS: 1) NATURALLY PERFECT DOLLS - 2) UZIRI KID KIDZ BENJAMIN BANNEKER ACTION FIGURE 3) HIA TOYS FOOTBALL MATCH SET WITH BLACK CHARACTER- 4) HIA TOYS BLACK BEAUTY DOLLS/GAMES CHILDREN'S SHOWS YOUTUBE- AFRICAN Children's show Bino and Fino Bouba and Zaza Adolescence - 12 years and up Books/TV Books 1) Legacies : A Guide for Young Women in Planning Their Future by Constance Gipson and Hazel Mahone 2) Health First: : A Guide for Young Women in Planning Their Future by Eleanor Hinton Holt and Hilary Beard 3) We Could Be Brothers - Derrick Barnes 4) Young Gifted and Black - Theresa Perry, Claude Steel and Asa Hillard 5) Amber and the Hidden City-Milton Davis 6) Letters to a Young Brother - Hill Harper 7) Asleep - Wendy Raven McNair 8) Before the Mayflower: A Historty of the Negro in America - Lerone Bennett Jr. FILMS 1) Hidden Colors Documentary Series 2) Hidden Figures 3) The Great Debaters 4) Finding Forrester |
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