Five Small Things You Can Buy Your Child to Teach Them Black Lives Matter

Hey all.

This country has had quite the week/month/year already, haven’t we?

While Mike and I are doing a lot of work on how to be the best adult allies to the Black community during this crisis, I’m also thinking a lot about the best ways to teach our four-year-old how to be one as well. As I’ve read over and over again, it does a great disservice to our children to teach them to be colorblind. Unfortunately, that’s not our how our country operates; we live in a place of great racial inequality, where white privilege during the COVID-19 pandemic has literally meant the difference between life and death.

At first, I might have thought Avvie was too young to dive into such waters. But, it is important to have conversations about race and inequality even when they’re as young as toddlers. As the above-linked WaPo article notes, by the age of six, children understand that some skin colors are considered to be superior to others. SIX.

Think about it this way, as the article says: if you deny that something exists — like skin color — then how can you engage in meaningful conversations about our country’s unequal treatment of Black and Brown people? How will your White (or non-Black) children be able to process what’s going on around them if you don’t give them the proper words? Engage your children now in talks about racism so that when they speak to their friends, they do so from a place of understanding and knowledge.

Our journey to becoming anti-racist is never ending: there is always more to learn. But, in the meantime, I wanted to share a few items that I’ve bought to help Avvie become a young ally.

I’d love your suggestions, too, if you have any to share.

a kid’s book about racism by Jelani Memory

This book, written by a Black dad of six, is an excellent primer on racism, and written in a way that’s approachable for young children. Also, try to buy from a Black-owned bookstore, if possible. Buzzfeed has a list here.

Jada Jones book series by Kelly Starling Lyons

It’s important to give your non-Black children books and toys with Black protagonists. So often, White characters are the focus, which perpetuates the myth that White culture is the norm and everything else is not. Try to also steer away from the trope of the Black child overcoming adversity and find stories where it just happens that the main character is Black. The Jada Jones series features a smart, spunky protagonist who loves rock collecting.

Katherine Johnson t-shirt by Piccolina

I also want Avvie to learn about exceptional Black women, who have often been pushed to the sidelines in the history books. Girls’ clothing company Piccolina has a whole line of trailblazer shirts (Avvie already has Frida Kahlo), many of which feature Black women leaders like Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou. Avvie loves learning about astronauts and the universe, so who better to look up to than Katherine Johnson?

Harper Doll from Manhattan Toy Company

I’m not sure if I love the bear or Harper’s outfit more, but either way, I am obsessed with how cute this pair is.

Quilted Jacket from Kido

It’s also important to support Black-owned businesses, especially now, but always, too. Kido out of Chicago has adorable kid stuff, like this jacket that I would wear in my size.

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This list is, obviously, just a very, very small way to continue the conversation about racism and support the Black community. I look forward to reading and learning more every day, and I hope you will join me.