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What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society - from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation - because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.

What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society - from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation - because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.

A podcast that will make you a better person

I find this highly entertaining and highly informative. I appreciate y'all's style and production and have learned a lot I will carry with me. Also great book recommendations!

Learning a lot

Super informative. Down to earth conversations and really hits home on many issues. Look forward to a new episode all the time

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‎What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society - from politics and pop culture to history, food and everythi...

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Dr. Robin DiAngelo (Author), Michael Eric Dyson (Foreword)

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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism [DiAngelo, Dr. Robin, Dyson, Michael Eric] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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In the wake of the 2020 summer of racial reckoning, faculty and educators have increasingly felt the pressure to examine the role of institutions of higher education and their teaching in challenging white supremacy and oppression. Many educational institutions and academic associations published statements condemning police brutality and racism; signaling that academia was embarking on a journey of self-reflection and renascence. Despite the efforts of many faculty across the United States to display their commitment to racial justice, curricular and campus reforms have been slow to come.

This piece builds on our initial call to action pertaining to our colleagues in criminology. As faculty and criminologists, we felt especially responsible for initiating and sustaining change, an issue that directly relates to our discipline; however, it has become increasingly clear that our call to action for antiracist and decolonized teaching requires a broad commitment across all scholarly disciplines. On October 9 th, 2020, the White House issued a proclamation that sought to protect the celebration of Columbus Day from " radical activists [that] have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus's legacy..." and from " extremists [that] seek to replace discussion of his vast contributions with talk of failings, his discoveries with atrocities, and his achievements with transgressions." It is precisely such legacies that we are concerned about-mythologized characters, such as Columbus, and associated doctored propaganda does not provide students with an accurate understanding of history. Beyond history, antiracist teaching is about changing a culture that maintains a system of oppression and upholds disparities in education, health care, criminal justice, politics, science, and business. Institutions of higher learning are the critical node for stimulating such change and our aim is to provide faculty with a framework to assist in this process.

It is important to mention that we approach concerns over racial and social justice as practitioners and learners who strive towards the goal of antiracism and decolonization of the curriculum. This is ongoing and the purpose here is to share strategies to bring us closer to being ethical educators. The list and framework suggested here is not comprehensive and there is much more learning and growth that needs to be done, particularly when it comes to acknowledging our own biases and how they manifest in the classroom. It is important to realize that you do not have to be an expert on these topics to actively engage in these conversations with students. However, to effectively guide these conversations, faculty should continuously educate themselves.

The aim is for teaching practice to be more honest and encompassing. We are not challenging academic freedom, but rather encouraging a reflection on how our knowledge is abridged and distorted. Academic freedom does not give us the right to disregard integrity, professional values, and human rights. As scholars we have a social responsibility to provide students with the comprehensive education they deserve, not one that is inherently racist and colonizing.

Ethical and comprehensive teaching and learning begins with intellectual reflexivity; according to Emirbayer and Desmond (2011) reflexivity requires that individuals engage " in rigorous institutional analyses of the social and historical structures that condition one's thinking and inner experience." Such reflexivity requires a recall of the principles of antiracism and decolonization. Antiracism requires an acknowledgement of the role race plays in society and the recognition that reality is constructed around a person's social identity, location, and experience. As faculty, we need to actively engage with what is absent and missing in our courses. This requires a decolonization pedagogy and a move away from the Colonial University. Education needs to be unfettered and actively recognize selective narratives that exclude the knowledge, culture, and history of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

The framework incorporates five key areas of action. The aims of each are supplemented with a series of questions that guide faculty in the reflection and the recall of antiracist and decolonizing strategies.

1. Acknowledge our own biases and privilege

According to Kendi (2019), active bias control " requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination." Racial bias is interwoven in society and culture structuring how people think. It is a systemic problem that has created an unequal social reality. Knowing your biases is the first step toward becoming antiracist rather than nonracist. Being an ethical and antiracist educator requires regular and repeated reflection on the Eurocentric assumptions and education that guide our thoughts and actions.
Self-Assessment Guide Questions:
2. Revising courses and curricula

Courses and curricula need to ensure that social and racial inequalities are not re/produced. This requires a critical assessment of the core objectives of individual academic fields and an examination of the concepts that guide disciplines. Such work asks that faculty critically review the materials they were taught and identify how they perpetuate systems of injustice. As academics we need to interrogate established paradigms and canons, and identifying racial undertones in writings, productions, art, and other work. Faculty need to actively democratize and internationalize their courses and materials; non-Western approaches need to become integral to scholarship and education.
Self-Assessment Guide Questions:

How does your course/curriculum interrogate inequalities and injustices?

For whom is your course/curriculum designed? What assumptions do you make about your students' backgrounds and culture?

In what ways does your course recognize and tackle the dominance of Western pedagogy, content, and philosophy?

How are you working to ensure your course/curriculum is valuing a diversity of approaches and not privileging dominant forms of knowledge?

How are you acknowledging and addressing the omissions within the field through your coursework and lectures? What is given priority and what is relegated to less important?

How are you encouraging healthy skepticism which allows students to question what they are learning?

3. Amplify minoritized voices

The ivory tower needs to be diversified; this needs to be done meaningfully without allowing collectivity to overlook particular minoritized groups or intersectional experiences. Beyond ensuring that campuses are diverse, this requires that the expertise of Black and Brown scholars be integrated into disciplines, including in coursework, conferences, and other academic spaces. This cannot be tokenized inclusion, but requires incorporating materials that represent the scholarship, research, and firsthand experiences of BIPOC and those from the Global South. This requires consistent individualized efforts so that race and equity work is not borne by minoritized individuals.
Self-Assessment Guide Questions:

How have you incorporated BIPOC work into spaces where it has previously been excluded?

How are you integrating storytelling into your course? Whose stories are being told? What are you communicating when you exclude certain voices?

If your institution is located in a postcolonial secular nation, how are indigenous narratives integrated into your courses?

In what ways are you keeping up to date with scholarship in your field? Are these methods inclusive of minoritized voices?

How are you supporting and valuing your BIPOC students without assuming assimilation?

4. Incorporating high impact learning activities

High impact learning activities engage students in material on a personal level. Students are required to use critical thinking and analytical skills as they immerse themselves in hands-on exercises. Such activities allow students to recognize the historical biases that remain inherent in research, development, practices, programs, and policies. This affords students the opportunity to better understand the effects of systemic racism, racial disparities, and injustice. As students engage with material more holistically, they are better prepared to confront social problems.
Self-Assessment Guide Questions:

What types of coursework are you engaging in outside the typical assessment modalities?

What content in your course lends itself to hands-on engagement?

How do the assessments engage students in questioning and critiquing existing and established content?

In what ways does the activity require students to question their biases and knowledge to work toward a solution?

How do class activities encourage students to be self-critical and engage in self-improvement, both intellectually and civilly?

5. Developing community partnerships

Community partnerships enable students to engage with material in real-world settings. Agencies which work with historically underprivileged populations, assisting justice involved individuals, and reintegrating populations, are underfunded and overworked. This is the perfect opportunity to connect students with advocates. Students gain an array of tangible learning opportunities whilst communities and agencies receive needed support.
Self-Assessment Guide Questions:

What community agencies engage in the work you teach? How can students in your discipline support diverse community agencies that support the underprivileged, underserved, and underfunded?

What projects can benefit both the community partner, the individuals they serve, and the student(s)?

How are you ensuring the relationship is reciprocal and you are not adding labor to the community partner?

In what ways are your students learning more about the world around them?

It is not enough to be nonracist, faculty must make their courses and curriculum actively antiracist. This requires a decolonizing pedagogy that lifts those that have been oppressed. Many have already begun this work, however, it is high time for us to reach a critical mass. Students of all backgrounds benefit from ethical and inclusive teaching. Collectively, we must provide students with an honest representation of knowledge to heal and push toward a just society. Students deserve the opportunity to think critically about the world around them and as faculty, our job is to give them the tools they need to make the world a better place.
Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal is an associate professor of criminology at Stonehill College. She holds a PhD in criminology and justice policy from Northeastern University, a master's degree in international business law from Queen Mary, University of London and a bachelor's degree in law with honors from the University of Wolverhampton. Dr. Twyman-Ghoshal's research and teaching center on the relation between power, systemic injustice, social harm, and deviance in a globalized world. Danielle Carkin Lacorazza is an associate professor of criminology at Stonehill College and the editor of Crime & Delinquency. She holds a PhD in criminology and justice studies, a master's in community social psychology and a master's in criminal justice from University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Dr. Carkin Lacorazza's research interests are co-occurring disorders, reentry, juvenile delinquency & justice, and onset, persistence, and desistance of offending References:
Behari-Leak, K. (2020). "Toward a Borderless, Decolonized, Socially Just, and Inclusive Scholarship of Teaching and Learning." Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 8(1), 4-23. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.8.1.2

Chang, A., Martin, R., & Marrapodi, E. (2020). "Summer of Racial Reckoning." NPR: Special Series America Reckons with Racial Injustice. https://www.npr.org/2020/08/16/902179773/summer-of-racial-reckoning-the-match-lit

Davis, L. (2020). "Colleges Can Help Resolve our Racial Crisis." Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/09/24/colleges-must-work-establish-cultures-are-just-world-they-profess-value-opinion

Emirbayer, M., & Desmond, M. (2011). "Race and Reflexivity." Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35(4), 574-599. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2011.606910

Executive Office of the President. (2020). Executive Order 13950: Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/28/2020-21534/combating-race-and-sex-stereotyping

Executive Office of the President. (2020). Proclamation 10100: Columbus Day, 2020. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/16/2020-23107/columbus-day-2020

Flaherty, C. (2020). "Diversity Work, Interrupted." Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/07/colleges-cancel-diversity-programs-response-trump-order

Kachani, S., Ross, C., & Irvin, A. (2020). "5 Principles as Pathways to Inclusive Teaching." Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/02/19/practical-steps-toward-more-inclusive-teaching-opinion

Kendi, I. X. (2019). How to be an Antiracist. One World.

Larkin, M. (2020). "Seeking Racial Justice, A 2-Day 'Scholar Strike' Disrupts Mass. Universities." WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/09/10/scholar-strike

McKenzie, L. (2020). "Calls for Change." Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/06/02/higher-ed-leaders-address-protests-racial-tensions-and-killing-george-floyd

Mineo, L. (2020). "How Textbooks Taught White Supremacy." The Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/09/harvard-historian-examines-how-textbooks-taught-white-supremacy/

Morreira, S. & Luckett, K. "Questions Academics Can Ask to Decolonise Their Classrooms. " Foluke's African Skies, November 18, 2018. https://folukeafrica.com/questions-academics-can-ask-to-decolonise-their-classrooms/?fbclid=IwAR3vO3NjeFFvRvI-FqZDJMZSsWGrfQuyeJ4oe-ZLNDkm4Tkj1jF5d5JpZow.

Pasquerella, L. (2020). "Higher Education's Racial Reckoning". Diverse Issues in Higher Education. https://diverseeducation.com/article/190266/

Scholar Strike for Racial Justice. #ScholarStrike September 8-9, 2020. https://www.scholarstrike.com

Simmons, D. (2019). "How to be an Antiracist Educator." Education Update Newsletter, 61(10).

Smart, B. (2020). "Practicing Afrocentric Ethical Teaching: Towards a Decolonized Pedagogy." Teaching Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.5840/teachphil202035119

The Guardian. "Are You Racist? 'No' Isn't a Good Enough Answer - Marlon James | Comment Is Free." January 13, 2016. Video, 2:15. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm5DWa2bpbs.

Twyman-Ghoshal, A. & Carkin Lacorazza, D. (2020). "Antiracist & Decolonized Teaching: A Call to Action." The Criminologist, 45(5), 3-6. https://asc41.com/wp-content/uploads/ASC-Criminologist-2020-09.pdf

University College London. "Why Is My Curriculum White?" November 11, 2014. Video, 20:10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dscx4h2l-Pk.

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Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal, PhD, and Danielle Carkin Lacorazza, PhD

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Strategies for Antiracist and Decolonized Teaching | Faculty Focus

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In the wake of the 2020 summer of racial reckoning, faculty and educators have increasingly felt the pressure to examine the role of institutions of higher education and their teaching in challenging white supremacy and oppression. Many educational institutions and academic associations published statements condemning police brutality and racism; signaling that academia was embarking on a journey of self-reflection and renascence.

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Educators are acutely aware of the impact of systemic racism and the inequities that exist in the education system. Because of this, we are uniquely positioned to create immediate, positive change in the fight against anti-Black racism.

In this four-part series, we will explore tools for anti-racist teaching and will consider the ways in which we can use media and media literacy to deepen our understanding of systemic racism. Wherever you are in your social justice journey, this series is designed to introduce you to curated anti-racism resources, support your own learnings of anti-Black racism, help you discover innovative ways to integrate media into inclusive teaching practices, and show you how to amplify your Black students' voices and experiences. By attending, you will reflect on your role in systemic oppression within education, and leave with new tools and ideas for creating lasting change in their classrooms.

We are part of a movement: a widespread promise to our families and our neighbors that we will be ongoing, engaged participants in civic actions designed to root out racism, end police brutality, amplify, honor, respect and remember Black Lives Matter.

PBS will provide a certificate of attendance for each one hour virtual professional learning event.

Deepening Your Understanding of Race and Racism
July 21 @12 PM ET
As educators, we have a deep responsibility to confront racial injustice, and ensure that we create anti-racist classroom environments. This includes our own ongoing reflection and learning. In this one hour event we will explore the role media plays in our collective understanding about race and racism, and how educators can use media to disrupt white supremacy and systemic oppression of Black people in America. This is a live event, so you will have the opportunity to ask our guests questions. Come prepared for a rich, deep, and honest conversation that will not only help you gain a deeper understanding of the roots of systemic racism, and how anti-Black racism impacts our daily lives, but also guide you as you reflect on your own role and responsibilities as an educator.

Download your certificate of attendance here.
Using Media to Know Better, Teach Better

July 23 @12 PM ET

When conversations of racial injustice and equity arise, many educators find themselves reacting in the moment, without being prepared for these important conversations. In this series, we'll introduce steps you can take to be proactive, starting with a focus on media literacy. In the second episode of our four part series, "Tools for Anti-Racist Teaching," we'll explore ways in which you can use media to know better and teach better. The current media landscape is oversaturated, and it's sometimes hard to analyze which resources are best, especially around topics of racism and oppression. This conversation is designed to help educators analyze and evaluate media, and provide important context so you can meaningfully shape your anti-racist classroom planning and practices. We'll also focus on ways in which you can use these media literacy tools to empower yourself and your students to change classroom and personal practice.

Download your certificate of attendance here.
July 28 @12 PM ET
Amplify Student Voice

How can media be used as a tool to share messaging, ignite action, and change perspectives for your students? Join us for this one hour conversation to find out. In the third episode of our Virtual Professional Learning Series, Tools for Anti-Racist Teaching, middle and high school students will take center stage. While focusing on student voice, we will explore ways in which educators can use media to support and amplify their students in their own anti-racist learning journeys.
Download your certificate of attendance here.
July 30 @12 PM ET

Focusing on Young Learners
Download your certificate of attendance here.

In the fourth and final episode of our Virtual Professional Learning Series, we will discuss how and when to use media as a tool in anti-racist teaching for young learners. Whether it is in your lessons, practice, or literature you will learn ways to integrate media to guide young learners in developmentally appropriate, anti-racist learning.

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Tools for Anti-Racist Teaching | PBS Education

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Educators are acutely aware of the impact of systemic racism and the inequities that exist in the education system. Because of this, we are uniquely positioned to create immediate, positive change in the fight against anti-Black racism.

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"I have a dream

that my four little children will one day live in a nation

where they will not be judged by the color of their skin

but by the content of their character."

~ Dr. Martin Luther King

Sadly, the above part of Martin Luther King's famous dream still hasn't come true and racism is very much alive and well in America (as well as in many other parts of the world).

Talking to our children about racism and discrimination is as necessary as it is uncomfortable for most parents (especially white parents). Necessary because racial bias in children starts as early as from the age of 3; uncomfortable because it means we have to address our own racial biases, too.

These multicultural children's books are a selection of picture books and novels about the past and the present. They can be helpful for talking to your children (Elementary to High School) about racism and its devastating consequences.

37 Children's Books to help talk about Racism & Discrimination

Elementary School

In 1960 a judge orders little Ruby to attend first grade at William Frantz Elementary, an all-white school in New Orleans. Surrounded by Federal Marshalls, Ruby faces angry mobs of segregationists as she walks through the school door on her first day (and many after). Being the only student in her class she is taught by a supportive teacher. With simple text and engaging watercolour illustrations, The Story of Ruby Bridges is a moving picture book about a little girl's calm perseverance and gracious forgiveness in the ugly face of hate and racism. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 26 Multicultural Picture Books about Inspiring Women & Girls

"I am a story. So are you. So is everyone." In this acclaimed book, Julius Lestershares his own story as he explores what makes each of us special. He emphasizes that race is just one of many facets of a person. With stunning illustrations and engaging text, Let's Talk About Race will appeal to young readers and is sure to spark further conversations about race and racism. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
by Duncan Tonatiuh

In 1944 Sylvia Mendez, an American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. With the help of the Hispanic community, her parents filed and won a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually led to the end of segregated education in California. Separate Is Never Equal tells Sylvia's story in a touching and accessible way. ~ Hispanic - Elementary School

Related: 32 Multicultural Picture Books About Strong Female Role Models

Desmond's pride and joy about his new bicycle turn to hurt and anger when some boys shout a very mean word at him. Responding with an insult, Desmond soon realizes that fighting mean with mean doesn't make him feel any better. Based on Desmond Tutu's childhood experiences, Desmond and the Very Mean Word is a touching story about compassion and forgiveness. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 9 Children's Books about Nelson Mandela & Desmond Tutu

Based on true events, White Flour tells the story of a whimsical and effective response to a Ku Klux Klan rally in Knoxville, Tennessee in May 2007. The Coup Clutz Clowns trumped hatred with humour by 'misunderstanding' the racist's "White Power" shouts. With vivid rhymes and colourful illustrations, this picture book provides a great example of a non-violent response to racist aggression. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Slowly making her way up a hill to the polling station to vote, 100-year-old Lillian remembers her family's tumultuous voting history: Her great-grandfather voting for the first time, her parents trying to register to vote, herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Beautifully illustrated Lillian's Right to Vote is a moving and lyrical account of black people's fight for voting rights. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 18 Multicultural Children's Books About Voting & Elections

When Ruth and her family go on a trip in their new car in the early 1950's, they soon realize that black travellers aren't welcome everywhere. Many hotels and gas stations refuse service to the family. Eventually, someone gives them a book that listsall the places that welcome black travellers. The Green Book is a poignant story about racial discrimination in the Jim Crow era, brought to life by expressive watercolour illustrations. ~ African - Elementary School

"It was February 1, 1960. / They didn't need menus. / Their order was simple. / A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side." Sit-In celebrates an important milestone in the fight for racial equality: The momentous Woolworth lunch counter sit-in, staged by four young college students. With dynamic illustrations and poetic text, this compelling picture book is a great starting point for conversations about racism and discrimination. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 21 Picture Books for Black History Month

The Other Side tells the touching story of a friendship during segregation. Clover's mom warns her that it is dangerous to cross the fence between their side of town and the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls meet across the fence and strike up a friendship anyway. Expressive watercolour illustrations complement the lyrical narrative perfectly. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 18 Multicultural Children's Books about Friendship

Stunningly illustrated Shining Star tells the rags-to-riches story of Anna May Wong, a Chinese American Hollywood star in the 1930s and 1940s. Wong confronted racial discrimination and stereotypes and broke new ground for future generations of Asian American actors. ~ Asian - Elementary School

Related: 30 Asian & Asian American Children's Books

We adore spunky Grace and her love for re-enacting stories, be they from books, movies, or her grandmother. But when she wants to play the lead role in a Peter Pan school play, her classmates tell her she cannot do it because she is a girl and because she is black. With the support of her family and after seeing a black ballerina perform, Grace remains determined to win the lead role. With expressive watercolour illustrations and a strong main character, Amazing Grace is an engaging story about challenging gender and racial stereotypes. ~ African - Elementary School

Find the whole Grace series here: 40+ Multicultural Book Series for Girls & Boys

Little Hector loves playing soccer and dreams of playing on a real pitch with the white boys. When apartheid slowly starts to crumble and the national soccer team wins the African Cup of Nations, Hector's dream suddenly doesn't seem so impossible anymore. With simple text and expressive pencil and acrylic illustrations, The Soccer Fence tells a story of hope and change. Includes a (quite advanced) timeline of historical events. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 23 Children's Books set in South Africa

Because he was white and she was African American and Cherokee, Mildred and Richard Loving were not permitted to marry under Virginia's law in 1958. The couple got married in Washington, D.C., but when they moved back to Virginia, they were arrested. Mildred and Richard fought the discriminatory law all the way to the Supreme Court, and won! The Case for Loving is an inspiring story about a couple who changed the world for interracial couples and opened people's eyes to the unfairness of any law that restricts whom you are allowed to love. ~ African - Elementary School

For a more in-depth review of this book, go to: Multicultural Book of the Month: The Case for Loving

On a magical bus ride to school, Marcie learns about the story of Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights movement. She even meets Rosa Parks and some other distinguished guests at a birthday party. Illustrated with colourful folk-art style paintings, If a Bus Could Talk tells Rosa Park's story in an unusual and bold way. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: Author Spotlight: Faith Ringgold // 21 Picture Books for Black History Month

Strong-willed Olemaun wants to learn to read and persuades her father to let her go to residential school, despite his concerns. At the Catholic-run school, the Inuit girl is stripped of her Native identity, humiliated and treated harshly. Remaining undaunted, Olemaun draws the attention of one nun who tries to break her spirit. When I was Eight is a stunning picture book adaptation of the bestselling memoir , a tribute to the power of the human spirit. ~ Diverse - Elementary School

Related: 32 Native American Children's Books

only performing in shows with unknown black singers and actors. ~ Harlem's Little Blackbird tells the story of Florence Mills, an African American singer born in 1896. In poetic text, complemented by stunning paper-cut illustrations, the story follows Mills from singing with her mother to breaking into the musical world despite facing racial discrimination. Mills declined the role of a lifetime and chose to support all-black musicals instead by African - Elementary School

Related: 15 Children's Books about the Harlem Renaissance

The captivating portrait on the cover draws the young reader right into this award-winning picture book biography. In poignant free verse and with the most stunning, powerful paintings, Nelson Mandela tells the story of Mandela's life, from his tribal childhood to the triumph of his election as President of South Africa. ~ African - Elementary School

Related: 9 Children's Books about Nelson Mandela & Desmond Tutu

After moving to a new place, Bilal and his sister Ayesha start at a new school where they are the only Muslims. When Bilal sees his sister bullied on their first day, he worries about being teased himself and decides not to let his classmates know that he is Muslim. My Name Is Bilal is a heartfelt story about a young boy struggling with his identity and a great starting point for discussions about prejudice and discrimination. ~ Asian - Elementary School, Middle School

Related: 20 Multicultural Children's Books about Bullying

This striking picture book biography chronicles the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the civil rights movement's most inspiring leaders. With free-verse text, coupled with spirituals and quotes, and with stunning quilt-like collages, Voice of Freedom makes this amazing woman's life story accessible to young readers. ~ African - Elementary School, Middle School

For a more in-depth review of this book, go to: Multicultural Book of the Month: Voice of Freedom

With stirring poetry and striking illustrations We Troubled The Waters gives a voice to the everyday and extraordinary people who fought for racial justice during the civil rights movement. From the "Cleaning Gal" and the "Garbage Boys" to Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, this heartfelt book captures the spirit of the civil rights movement beautifully. ~ African - Middle School

More poetry books: 26 Multicultural Poetry Books for Children

Middle School

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. This classic masterpiece focuses on Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, and learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect. ~ African - Middle School

Related: 21 Award-winning Children's Books for Black History Month

Hidden Figures tells the amazing true story of four African American female mathematicians at NASA. Despite facing gender discrimination and racial prejudice, these "human computers" helped achieve some of the greatest moments in the US's space program by calculating the numbers that would launch rockets into space. ~ African - Middle School

Related: 50+ Multicultural STEAM Books for Children

One night 11-year-old Stella and her brother witness a Ku Klux Klan meeting in the North Carolina woods. For the African American siblings, living in the South is a dangerous, scary and often humiliating experience. Stella by Starlight is a gripping and realistic portrayal of life in the segregated South during the Great Depression. ~ African - Middle School

Related: African American Historical Fiction for Middle School

Brown Girl Dreaming is an intimate and moving account of the author's childhood as an African American in the 1960's and 1970's. Growing up in South Carolina and New York, she becomes increasingly aware of the Civil Rights Movement. In poetic language full of imagery this award-winning book gives a glimpse into a child's soul and her journey of self-discovery. ~ African - Middle School

Related: 21 Multicultural Middle-Grade Novels for Summer Reading // African - Middle School

Junior, an aspiring cartoonist, leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school. Based on the author's own experiences, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written novel about the contemporary adolescence of a Native American boy. Illustrated with poignant cartoon-style drawings. ~ Diverse - Middle School, High School

Adapted from Nelson Mandela's memoir Long Road to Freedom, this is his authorized graphic biography. Nelson Mandela tells his life story in dramatic pictures, from his childhood to his years as the first black president of South Africa. The comic book form together with new interviews, firsthand accounts, and archival material makes the story of Mandela's life and work accessible for teenagers. ~ African - Middle School, High School

In 1955, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was lynched for supposedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. The brutality of his murder, the open-casket funeral and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew wide media attention. Award-winning A Wreath for Emmett Till is a moving and chilling poem about the boy whose fate helped spark the civil rights movement. ~ African - Middle School, High School

Related: 21 Award-winning Children's Books for Black History Month

High School

16-year-old Starr is balancing life between her poor neighbourhood and her fancy suburban school. When her unarmed best friend Khalil is killed at the hands of a police officer, his death is making national headlines and protesters are taking to the streets. As the only person who knows what really happened that night, Starr is caught between threats from the police and the local drug lord, protecting her community and risking her own life. No.1 New York Times Bestseller The Hate You Give is a powerful and heart-wrenching novel about police brutality and systemic racism. ~ African - High School

Co-written by Malcolm X's daughter, Xfollows the formative years of one of the most powerful leaders in African American history. From his father being murdered, his mother being taken away, and himself being placed in foster care, to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would guide him onto a new path, X is an award-winning novel about a man who shook the world. ~ African - High School

Related: 21 Award-winning Children's Books for Black History Month

Due to be released in October, this stunning debut is another novel about racial prejudice and police brutality. Top of his class and set for the Ivy League, Justyce writes a journal to Martin Lurther King Jr in an attempt to make sense of a police encounter in which he was treated roughly and unfairly. When he is caught up in another police encounter in which shots are fired, Justyce finds himself under attack in the media. Dear Martin is a compelling must-read that tackles the myth that if you don't do anything wrong you have nothing to fear from the police. ~ African - High School

Indian American Samar's mother has always kept her away from her old-fashioned family. But shortly after 9/11, her uncle shows up, wanting to reconcile and teach the teenager about her Sikh heritage. When some boys attack her uncle, shouting "Go home Osama!" Samar realizes how dangerous ignorance is. Shine, Coconut Moon is a poignant story about identity, prejudice, and difference. ~ Asian - High School

"Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster." Multi-award-winning Monster chronicles the unfair court proceedings for Steve Harmon, a teenager accused of murder and robbery. Written as a screenplay playing in Steve's imagination, coupled with his journal entries, this heart-wrenching novel highlights the racism deeply ingrained in the American justice system. ~ African - High School

Also available as a stunning black-and-white graphic novel adaptation: Monster: A Graphic Novel

"When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can't sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, 'This is not right.'"On March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be nine months later, the teenager found herself shunned. Undaunted, a year later she became a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery. Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Twice towards Justice is an in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure. ~ African - High School

When Black teenager Tariq Johnson is fatally shot by a White man, his whole community is turned upside down. While the truth is obscured by new twists every day, Tariq's family is trying to cope with their loss. How It Went Down is a compelling and timely novel about racial prejudice and its devastating consequences. ~ African - High School

Set in Australia, this timely new release tells the story of Michael who attends anti-immigration protests with his parents, and Mina, a refugee from Afghanistan, who is on the other side of the protest lines. When Mina starts at Michael's school, the two teenagers enter into an unlikely relationship. With increasing discrimination against immigrants, Michael and Mina have to face difficult decisions. The Lines We Cross is a poignant and thought-provoking Romeo-and-Juliet story about prejudice and discrimination against Muslim immigrants. ~ Asian - High School

Related: 30 Multicultural Picture Books about Immigration

When 16-year-old Rashad goes to buy a packet of chips at the corner shop, he finds himself mistaken for a shoplifter and beaten up by the police. Soon the incident is all over the news and simmering racial tensions get to the point of explosion. Written by two award-winning authors and alternating between the perspectives of one black and one white teenager, All American Boys is a moving novel about privilege and racism that every teenager should read. ~ African - High School

March: Book Three is the stunning conclusion of the award-winning trilogy by congressman and civil rights key figure John Lewis. Starting in 1963, the book describes the continuing struggle for justice. With an unpredictable new president and fractures within the movement deepening, 25-year-old John Lewis risks everything in a historic showdown high above the Alabama river, in a town called Selma. With expressive black-and-white illustrations, this unique graphic novel makes the history of the civil rights movement accessible to teenagers. ~ African - High School

Complete trilogy: March (Trilogy Slipcase Set)

Also featured here: The 10 Best Multicultural Young Adult Novels of 2016

*You can buy any of the books on this site from Amazon USA by clicking on the book titles or images*

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37 Children's Books to help talk about Racism & Discrimination

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"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

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