It is never too early to explain racism to children. In today’s climate of racial violence, children’s literature is often an excellent vehicle for talking about abstract concepts through stories often inspired by real events. Here is our selection of books on the subject:
Ruby head up, of Irène Cohen-Janca and Marc Daniau
The story takes place in Louisiana in the 1960s, where whites and blacks do not mix. The Supreme Court officially ends segregation, and Ruby, 6, is the first black girl to enter a white school. Her family is threatened, the parents of the other children refuse to let them play with her. Ruby keeps her head high. Ruby Bridges’ true story inspired this book, and had already inspired a Norman Rockwell painting, “The Problem We All Live With”.
Series “Ordinary people change the world“, by Brad Meltzer
Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman… So many exceptional destinies that have advanced the cause of the African-American community. These books, which are aimed at children from 5 years old, are easy-to-read biographies: the characters have been portrayed from an early age, their destiny is explained in a few key moments and a message easy to understand serves as a thread. conductor to a well illustrated story.
Seven billion faces ((People, in original version), by Peter Spier
How can we represent the diversity of the seven billion human beings who inhabit our planet? This album details the eyes, noses, body shapes, hair, daily habits of all these individuals to celebrate differences and diversity. Perfect for little ones from 3 years old.
Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History, by Walter Dean Myers
This book, which gives pride of place to illustrations, tells the story of Frederick Douglass, a slave born in 1817, who learned to read and write on his own. He freed himself from slavery and made abolitionism his workhorse. A renowned speaker, he founded a newspaper and held high administrative office after the Civil War, even going so far as to be a candidate for the Vice-Presidency of the United States.
A is for Activist, by Innosanto Nagara
This primer is intended for the youngest who discover on each page a new term, a new value. Beyond racism, Innosanto Nagara tackles the broader subject of social justice and respect for diversity. It is recommended for children under 3, but will also captivate older children.
Uncle Tom’s cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
This classic, which dates from 1852, is the first abolitionist book and has largely contributed to raising awareness of slavery and the reality of African-Americans. We even consider that Uncle Tom’s cabin precipitated the American Civil War by exacerbating racial tensions between the North and the South. Uncle Tom, loyal to his master for years, must be sold when the latter faces a reversal of fortune. Tom is then subjected to the worst injustices, which he endures without flinching thanks to his great faith, until he dies. His death will push the son of his first master to free all his slaves, proof that the sacrifice of Tom was not in vain.
