Racial Equity Resources for Early Childhood
This page serves as a hub for resources and guidance on racial justice and equity issues that connect to early childhood. It is not comprehensive. We will continue to add and update this page.
If you have a specific resource, opportunity, or update to share, please email Helen Shum at helen@childinst.org.
Advocacy & Thought Leadership
| RESOURCES |
|---|
| Kali Thorne Ladd on OPB discussing why it's important to talk to children about the protests and what’s behind them. Ladd is the co-founder of KairosPDX, a public charter school focused on eliminating racial achievement and opportunity disparities. |
| Campaign Zero works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies |
| Color of Change works to make government more responsive to racial disparities |
| Open letter from Marcus Mundy, executive director of Coalition of Communities of Color |
| Statement from the Urban League of PDX |
| Prioritizing equity in teaching and hiring practices, an opinion piece in the Oregonian from Stand for Children's executive director, Toya Fick |
| "Fighting Racism: Working For Equitable Outcomes For Young Children And Their Families." Statement from the Build Initiative. |
| "Our role in this moment," written for the City Club by Board of Governors member, Danielle Pacifico-Cogan (formerly of Children's Institute) offers important historical context and resources. |
All Learning Resources
| B | A |
|---|---|
| RESOURCE | Use the arrows on the far right of this table to sort by type. | TYPE | CR= Classroom Resource GR= General Resource PR= Parent Resource) |
| Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood spaces, presents strategies for creating an anti-racist environment to promote the development of healthy racial identities. [Recorded Webinar is here.] | CR, GR, PR |
| Embrace Race, founded in early 2016 by two parents who set out to create the community and gather the resources needed to meet the challenges they face raising children in a world where race matters. | CR, GR, PR |
| Threads of Justice Collective : Bringing together representatives of communities facing specific struggles. Providing education, awareness and strategies for people in dominant groups to become allies for social and economic change. | GR, CR, PR |
| Anti Bias Leaders in Early Education resource page. | GR, CR |
| Kali Thorne Ladd on OPB discussing why it's important to talk to children about the protests and what’s behind them. Ladd is the co-founder of KairosPDX, a public charter school focused on eliminating racial achievement and opportunity disparities. | CR, GR, PR |
| June 18. Book launch event for 'Antiracist Baby' with author Ibram X. Kendi and Dereka Purnell. Registration required for this pay-what you-can online event. | GR, PR |
| June 9. American Public Health Association begins its webinar series, "Racism, the ultimate underlying condition," exploring health equity. APHA membership required. | GR |
| From NPR: 'Raising White Kids' author on how white parents can talk about race. (7 minute-listen with transcript.) | PR |
| Guide from Zero to Three: Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five | PR |
| Black Lives Matter at School, a national coaltion created an anti-racist curriculum guide with English/language arts, math, social studies, and arts materials. The guide has lessons for early childhood through high school students that align with the principles of the Black Lives Matter movement. | CR |
| Education Week offers a set of classroom resources for discussing racism, policing, and protest. | CR |
| A wealth of equity-focused resources from NAEYC. | CR |
| Reading is Resistance. Portland-based effort to support kids reading for social justice/anti bias | CR, PR |
| New York Times book List and other resources for kids | CR, PR |
| CNN & Sesame Street Workshop's Town Hall on Racism | CR, PR |
| Are your kids too young to talk about race? Great infographic. | CR, PR |
| A resource for adults talking with children about race and racism from Raising Race Conscious Children. | CR, PR |
| How white parents can talk about race. NPR | PR |
| People's Plan from the Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF) | GR |
| Resolutions Northwest timeline of Oregon's racial and education history | GR |
| Racism, the ultimate underlying condition. Health Equity | GR |
| The Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC's early childhood page, including resources and guidance. | GR |
GR= General Resource
PR= Parent Resource
Classroom & Parent Resources
| B |
|---|
| RESOURCE |
| Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood spaces, presents strategies for creating an anti-racist environment to promote the development of healthy racial identities. Recorded Webinar |
| Embrace Race, founded in early 2016 by two parents who set out to create the community and gather the resources needed to meet the challenges they face raising children in a world where race matters. |
| Threads of Justice Collective : Bringing together representatives of communities facing specific struggles. Providing education, awareness and strategies for people in dominant groups to become allies for social and economic change. |
| Anti Bias Leaders in Early Education resource page. |
| Kali Thorne Ladd on OPB discussing why it's important to talk to children about the protests and what’s behind them. Ladd is the co-founder of KairosPDX, a public charter school focused on eliminating racial achievement and opportunity disparities. |
| Black Lives Matter at School, a national coaltion created an anti-racist curriculum guide with English/language arts, math, social studies, and arts materials. The guide has lessons for early childhood through high school students that align with the principles of the Black Lives Matter movement. |
| Education Week offers a set of classroom resources for discussing racism, policing, and protest. |
| A wealth of equity-focused resources from NAEYC. |
| Reading is Resistance. Portland-based effort to support kids reading for social justice/anti bias |
| New York Times book List and other resources for kids |
| CNN & Sesame Street Workshop's Town Hall on Racism |
| Are your kids too young to talk about race? Great infographic. |
| A resource for adults talking with children about race and racism from Raising Race Conscious Children. |
Events & Webinars
| B | |
|---|---|
| DATE | EVENT |
| 7.27.20 | Alliance for Early Success' offers a deep dive discussion on how racism drives Black infant and maternal mortality. Led by Dr. Joia Crear Perry, founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. |
| June 18, 2020 | June 18. Book launch event for 'Antiracist Baby' with author Ibram X. Kendi and Dereka Purnell. Registration required for this pay-what you-can online event. |
| June 17, 2020 | Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood spaces, presents strategies for creating an anti-racist environment to promote the development of healthy racial identities. Recorded Webinar |
| June 9, 2020 | American Public Health Association begins its webinar series, "Racism, the ultimate underlying condition," exploring health equity. APHA membership required. |
| June 8, 2020 | CNN & Sesame Street's town hall on racism. |
Latest News
Schools Push for Equity Against Forces of Pandemic
After the pandemic closed Oregon schools this spring, teacher Nicole Odom and her assistants at McKay Elementary in Beaverton depended on parental help to remotely teach their preschoolers. They prepared video lessons, learning activities, songs and Zoom sessions,...
Kindergarten Readiness Programs Support Equity, May Lose Funding
In Oregon, Kindergarten Readiness Partnership and Innovation Grants (KPI) fund a diverse range of programming that supports early school readiness and family engagement, as well as professional development for early childhood and early grades educators. Data shows...
Podcast: BLM Organizer La Mikia Castillo on Systemic Change and Dismantling Racism
In this week’s episode, host Rafael Otto talks with La Mikia Castillo, a Black Lives Matter activist and community organizer, about what it looks like to dismantle systemic racism. Guest La Mikia Castillo is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern...
Racial and Economic Injustice Persists; Our Actions Must Make a Difference
A statement from Swati Adarkar, President and CEO, and Rafael Otto, Director of Communications. We are heartbroken by the recent loss of life in cities across America and our failure to uphold a society based on racial and economic justice. The reasons for fury,...
Podcast: How Culturally Specific COVID-19 Liaisons Are Reaching Communities
In this week’s episode, host Rafael Otto talks with Regina Ingabire and Virginia Luka about their role as culturally specific COVID-19 liaisons. Guests: Regina Ingabire is a Community Outreach Manager at the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM)....
BPI’s Bahia Overton on COVID-19’s Impact on Black Community
Bahia Overton is the executive director of the Black Parent Initiative (BPI), which supports African American, African and multi-racial families by providing culturally specific services that help them thrive. COVID-19’s Impact on the Black Community In our...
Soobin Oh Discusses Anti-Bias Education in Early Childhood
In this week’s episode, we speak with Soobin Oh about the importance of anti-bias education in early childhood. Soobin Oh is the senior education advisor at Children’s Institute. He is a committed social justice educator and is well-versed in anti-bias education,...
The Impact of Racism on Children’s Health and Education Outcomes
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new policy statement this month, "The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health." The statement explores the impact of structural, personally mediated, and internalized racism on children's development and health...
Maternal Mortality Rates in the U.S. Are Shockingly High, Especially for Black Women
According to "Out of Sight, Out of Mind? What Is the True US Maternal Mortality Rate? No One Knows," a report issued this month from the Rockefeller Institute of Government, maternal mortality rates are higher in the United States than in any other developed...
English
Chinese (Simplified)
Russian
Somali
Spanish
Swahili
Vietnamese