As adults we are taught to avoid talking about race, including with our children. Whether we can admit it or not, children notice the ways that they and their peers are treated based on the color of their skin since ago two. When we are silent about race, our children are left to draw their own conclusions about how to navigate the world as a person of color and/or how to interact with people of color.

 

Without intentional coaching or support, our children’s conclusions often reflect and reinforce racial biases, prejudices, and assumptions about people of color and/or about themselves. When we are intentional about teaching our children about race, we can positively impact the ways they see, categorize, and make meaning about ethnically and linguistically diverse people.