# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black History Month 2023 - Celebrating our Sisters | Matriarchs of Movements #WEMATTER

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In recognition of their leadership, talent, and impact, this year's Black History Month 2023 will highlight pioneering black women who have blazed a trail in literature, music, fashion, sport, business, hair, catering, academia, social and health care, and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Black voices, Black stories and making sense of the news.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Racism can be a difficult topic to talk about and you may have lots of questions. These videos, news articles and books can help you to explore race and identity and learn how you can be an anti-racist.

Watch and learn

These TED talks share experiences of racism and how to speak out against it:
Ellis Fearon (aged 14) explains Black Lives Matter Nova Reid describes microaggressions Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
Making sense of the news

These news stories will help you to find out more about important racial issues:

Black Stories Matter

Reading can be a great way to learn about racism and equality. These extracts and book lists will help you to explore race, identity, family and community.

Age 13-16

Read an extract of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas at LoveReading4Kids

See Stormzy perform in the BBC's version of Noughts + Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Check out our book list
Age 16+
See Bernadine Evaristo talk about her award winning book Girl, Woman, Other
Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant , shares some of the ideas that inspired the book
Listen to Reni Eddo-Lodge's podcast About Race Watch Jennifer Eberhardt's Ted Talk about racial bias Check out our book list

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Racism can be a difficult topic to talk about and you may have lots of questions. These videos, news articles and books can help you to explore race and identity and learn how you can be an anti-racist.

# data[].attributes.body
Book lists for children and young adults.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We have brought together a series of book lists for children and young people of all ages to share black stories and promote black voices.

All books featured in the book lists are by black authors and/or illustrators and exemplify the principles of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The age-appropriate book lists have been curated to help children, young people, families and teachers explore race, identity, family and community.

The book lists available are:

Book list for ages 0-4

Book list for ages 5-8

Book list for ages 9-12

Book list for ages 13-16

Book list for ages 16+

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black Lives Matter: Book lists for ages 0-16+ | National Literacy Trust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We have brought together a series of book lists for children and young people of all ages to share black stories and promote black voices. All books featured in the book lists are by black authors and/or illustrators and exemplify the principles of the Black Lives Matter movement.

# data[].attributes.body
What to do when you see racist behaviour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For example, someone comments about a classmate who is Vietnamese American: "You don't want them on your track team, they'd be better in the science club."

If you are calling that person in, you can ask them to have lunch with you. You can tell them that they are perpetuating the "myth of the model minority" and that not all people who have Asian ancestry are math and science geniuses. You can explain that their comment over-generalized a large population of the world and lumps all folx from Asian countries into one big monolith of a people who are all the same. This is simply not true. Using the term Asian to describe all folx from Asian countries and ancestry does not acknowledge the vast and varied histories, cultures, and experiences of everyone.

To call someone in, you can also email or message them and explain why and how what they said is hurtful. You can send them articles and videos that explain how they perpetuated the stereotype that Asian folx are only good at math and science. And you can call them on the phone and let them know you heard what they said, that it bothered you because they were sharing misinformation and using a stereotype to set your Asian classmate apart from others.

Calling someone in can be a pretty effective way of working with someone to change their problematic behavior. They're more likely to hear what you are saying if it feels like a more gentle approach. It does require you to be compassionate and invest some of your time and energy.

If you choose to call that person out, other folx would be around and witnessing this interaction. You would probably say the things we just mentioned within earshot of other people.

Calling someone out can also be effective. It does require you to take a risk. You will be bringing attention to someone's oppressive and detrimental behavior. It allows for others to hear you and creates greater accountability as there's more than one person involved.

We will all have moments when we are the folx on the receiving end of a call-in or call-out. If you are the person who has just been called out, instead of bristling in defense, or getting upset, think about what the other person has just said. Hear
them. Thank them for their comment and acknowledge you listened. Use that as a moment to teach yourself, open up dialogue, and dig deeper. This is how we all learn and move forward. As American poet, singer, and activist Maya Angelou said, "When you know better, do better."

Whether you choose to call someone in or call them out, know that it will feel messy and that it will be. You will question yourself, wondering if you should have done it or not. You will make mistakes from time to time-we all do. Every action you take gives you the chance to learn and grow. You've got this!

Before you call in or call out, grab your notebook and ask yourself the following questions. These might help you to decide how to go forth.

-Who has the power in this situation? The person I'm calling in/out, or me? (If you have the power in this situation, consider calling them in.)
-Am I calling out a person or systemic behavior? (If you're calling out systemic behavior or an institution, call them out.)
- How much energy and emotional labor am I able to share right now? (If you don't have the energy or aren't willing to put in the emotional labor it takes to educate someone and work with them to change, consider calling them in with someone who can take on the work you are not able to do. I have a friend who helps me out when I don't have the capacity to educate white people on racial oppression.)
- Is this person likely to change their problematic behavior? (If they are not, call them out. If this is someone you've called in before and they're still repeating their actions, call them out.)
- Who is in the room? Who am I accountable to in this moment? Am I centering the needs of myself or the group? What will happen if I call this behavior out? What will happen if I call this person in?
-What am I hoping to accomplish with this call-in or call-out?

Tiffany Jewell is a Black biracial writer and Montessori educator. She spends her time baking bread, building LEGOS, watching British detective shows and dreaming up how she can dismantle white supremacy. This is her first book for children and young adults. Find her on Instagram @tiffanymjewell.

Aurélia Durand is a French illustrator based in Paris. Her work is dedicated to representing people of color in society and she uses bold art as a vivid demonstration. Find her on Instagram at @4ur3lia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When to Call Someone Out or Call Them In Over Racist Behavior - MindShift

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For example, someone comments about a classmate who is Vietnamese American: "You don't want them on your track team, they'd be better in the science club." If you are calling that person in, you can ask them to have lunch with you.

# data[].attributes.body
Talking about Noughts and Crosses, racism and immigration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Malorie Blackman on her new 'Noughts and Crosses' book and anti-immigrant feeling in the UK

# data[].attributes.body
Ted Talk by diversity and anti-racism campaigner Nova Reid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Not all superheros wear capes-how you have the power to change the world | Nova Reid | TEDxFrankfurt

# data[].attributes.body
The author of The Hate U Give and On The Come Up talking about being young and Black in America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When Worlds Collide | The Hate U Give & On The Come Up with Angie Thomas

# data[].attributes.body
Biographies that represent the voices missing from history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'These missing voices are vital': Bali Rai and Patrice Lawrence on writing hidden histories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out what Bali Rai and Patrice Lawrence had to say about taking part in the Scholastic Voices series, celebrating unsung voices of our past and looking at history in a new way.

# data[].attributes.body
Biography.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother was the National recording secretary for the Marcus Garvey Movement which commanded millions of followers in the 1920s and 30s. His father was a Baptist minister and chapter president of The Universal Negro Improvement Association who appealed to President Hoover that Marcus Garvey was wrongfully arrested.

# data[].attributes.body
Poems about social justice, identity and human rights from poets.org.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The following poems explore the themes of social justice, identity, and human rights and are appropriate for young people.
more poems for kids
" from Citizen, VI [On the train the woman standing]" by Claudia Rankine
On the train the woman standing makes you understand...

" Carrying Our Words" by Ofelia Zepeda
We travel carrying our words...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The following poems explore the themes of social justice, identity, and human rights and are appropriate for young people. more poems for kids "Praise Song for the Day" by Elizabeth AlexanderEach day we go about our business... "Still I Rise" by Maya AngelouYou may write me down in history...

# data[].attributes.body
Why diversity in books is important.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alex Wheatle: What happens when diverse readers see themselves reflected in fiction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Author Alex Wheatle explains why books need to show children and teenagers a world they recognise - and start telling some different stories.

# data[].attributes.body
"When we share our stories we quickly realize we are all in this together."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Two Poets, One Vision: The Art of the Spoken Word | The Twin Poets | TEDxWilmington

# data[].attributes.body
Anti-racism books for children and teenagers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The weight of the world seems heavier than ever right now. The incomprehensible killing of George Floyd has shone a bright light, yet again, on the pervasive racism faced daily by the black community. As we struggle to find the words to express our collective grief and pain, I'm reminded of Angela Davis's call to action: "In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." As a publisher and bookshop owner I willingly take great responsibility for creating a space that is accessible to all. A space that shines a light on stories that seek to be inclusive and anti-racist.

No reader is too young to start their journey, and A Is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara proves that. In a tiny board book that is meant for small hands and young minds, Nagara provides an alphabetised guide through what makes an activist. Bright, engaging illustrations sit alongside rhymes that have purpose. For parents who want to raise a socially aware, progressive child from day one, this ABC book is the perfect start.

Growing up as a young black girl in south London, I have fond memories of my mum cultivating my love of reading, through trips to the local library and hours spent in bookshops to pick that one special book that would make it home with me. Mum was patient and took great pains to make sure I knew that I could be whatever I set my mind to. In this way Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch, is no different. Grace, too, has a family that tell her she can be anything, absolutely loves reading and enjoys dressing up as her favourite book characters at home. So when a boy at school tells her she can't be Peter Pan because she's black, we witness one of Grace's first encounters with racism. We also see the conversation that so many black families have with their children, one that attempts to explain and prepare them for the prejudices they'll encounter. What I love about Amazing Grace is that it not only shows us that Grace can (of course) be Peter Pan, but makes us question where and when racist thoughts begin and who teaches us them.

Through history there has been a systematic and deliberate approach to the promotion of racist ideas. Working through such a history can be overwhelming, and knowing where to turn to for legitimate accounts can be hard. Jason Reynolds is a master when it comes to speaking to young people, he doesn't sugar coat the truth or ever talk down to his reader, instead meeting them where they are. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You is the perfect place to direct our children. A "remix" of Ibram X Kendi's Stamped (which all older readers need to pick up), the book takes us on a journey from 1415 and the world's first racist, to the present day, showing how racist ideology in the US has got us to where we are and what we can do to actively stamp out these deep-rooted ideas.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

What if? ... Masali Baduza and Jack Rowan in the 2020 adaptation of Noughts & Crosses. Photograph: Ilze Kitshoff/BBC/Mammoth Screen

It's easy to imagine a dystopian future where race is inverted and power balances changed, but that doesn't solve anything. Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses is a classic forbidden love story made even more dangerous by the segregated society that its main characters Sephy and Callum live in. Blackman's series has often been incorrectly described as dystopic because there is a black ruling class and a white underclass; if that world is dystopian then, surely, we too are living in a dystopia. A world where the ruling class do all they can to control a set of people in society, where micro-aggressions, cultural appropriation and threat to life are the norm. Reading Noughts and Crosses will wake you up to the reality many experience and make you wonder: "What if?"

Nursery rhymes from all over the world - a gallery to share with children

If you've read through this article empathetically nodding and have already enjoyed the great works these writers have produced, I leave you with This Book Is Anti-Racist. This is one for you, your neighbour, the children in your lives and especially that "only slightly" racist colleague. Here Tiffany Jewell puts together 20 lessons on how to wake up, take action and do the work to deconstruct what racism is and how to be actively anti-racist. There are even free resources aimed at young children in the classroom that are available to download - truly, no excuse.

It is our responsibility to be active in the face of injustice. Use these books to start conversations, hold yourself accountable and educate a new generation. Reading isn't the only answer but it's the start, above all else. Black Lives Matter.

Aimée Felone is a co-founder of Knights Of and Round Table Books in London.

Topics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'No reader is too young to start': anti-racist books for all children and teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The weight of the world seems heavier than ever right now. The incomprehensible killing of George Floyd has shone a bright light, yet again, on the pervasive racism faced daily by the black community.

# data[].attributes.body
Letters and photographs from a life of activism.

# data[].attributes.body
On why he wrote Refugee Boy.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading from Black Flamingo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shakespeare's Telling Tales: The Black Flamingo with Dean Atta

# data[].attributes.body
Meme book tag.

# data[].attributes.body
"Understand. Support. Challenge."

# data[].attributes.body
Biography.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) was a South African political activist who spent over 20 years in prison for his opposition to the apartheid regime; he was released in 1990. In 1994, Mandela was later elected the first leader of a democratic South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (jointly with F.W.

# data[].attributes.body
"It starts with education."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amazon/ Good Housekeeping

The death of African-American man George Floyd, after he was arrested by police in Minnesota, enraged and devastated the world. As the footage of Floyd telling the police officer kneeling on his neck that he couldn't breathe circulated online, many were left thinking about the racism which still plagues us as well as what they can do to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

There has been a surge in conversation online, with people talking about organisations to donate to, protests to attend and policymaking bodies to petition. As well as this, it's being widely acknowledged that for white people, it's important to learn from the Black community as a starting point; to listen to their experiences and to take notes on how to be an ally, before going forward and taking action.

If you're here to educate yourself about racism, white privilege and how we can all join together to support the Black Lives Matter movement, the below books are well worth reading.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

3 An American Marriage: WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION, 2019

7 Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World

16 So You Want to Talk About Race

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
These brilliant books by Black authors will help you learn about racism and privilege

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amazon/ Good Housekeeping The death of African-American man George Floyd, after he was arrested by police in Minnesota, enraged and devastated the world. As the footage of Floyd telling the police officer kneeling on his neck that he couldn't breathe circulated online, many were left thinking about the racism which still plagues us as well as what they can do to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

# data[].attributes.body
"I Have a Dream" speech.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King .Jr HD (subtitled)

# data[].attributes.body
The author of Crossover reads from The Undefeated.

# data[].attributes.body
School children learning about racism and unconscious bias.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BAFTA-winning documentary series that follows a British school as it helps its students uncover and eradicate hidden racial biases, exploring how this can affect us all and what we can do to tackle it

No episode available to watch on demand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BAFTA-winning documentary series that follows a British school as it helps its students uncover and eradicate hidden racial biases, exploring how this can affect us all and what we can do to tackle it No episode available to watch on demand