Discussing Race in the Classroom

"You can't be Peter Pan, he isn't black." 



Race is something that is a difficult subject to talk about, no matter what age group you are discussing it with. However, with younger children, it is especially crucial to talk with them about race because according to Sarah Butler, "young children are hard-wired in their brains to notice difference and categorize it. So it is vital during early childhood to put some context around making sense of differences". One way to help with that is to read children books about race and the differences that they may see and help them understand that all people should be treated equally.

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman is about a young girl who loves to act. When her teacher at school says they will be doing the play Peter Pan, Grace jumps at the chance to play Peter. However, other students don't think that is a good idea, one of them saying "You can't play Peter Pan, you are a girl". Another student saying "You can't play Peter Pan, you are black". Soon Grace doesn't think she can play Peter Pan because of what the other students have told her. She goes home and talks to her Ma and Nana, where they try their best to cheer her up and Nana tells her "You can be anything you want to Grace if you put your mind to it".

Amazing Grace  talks about race in a subtle way to students. It shows all students, no matter their skin color, that they can do anything they want. This book, along with other book ideas listed below, will help students realize that all races should be treated equally. According to Strauss, "too often children of color and the poor have window books into a mostly white and middle-and-upper-class world. We need to include a wide variety of books in our classroom library that talk about different races, so children will see all human races are important. Addressing race with children at a young age in a classroom may be difficult to talk about but it is important to address the topic. Butler tells us from research she's done that "all children will inevitably stereotype and categorize people based on race, much to their parents dismay".

Here are other children's book that help talk about race:

Chocolate Me by Taye Diggs


The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson


Here is a link to more books dealing with race: Humane Education-Race Books

The K-2 Common Core standards addressed from these books include: K.C.1. Understand how individuals are similar and different and 1.C.1 Understand the diversity of people living in the local community. 

Butler, Sarah. "It's Never Too Early to Talk About Race." Teaching Tolerance. N.p., 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 12 July 2016.

Hoffman, Mary, and Caroline Binch. Amazing Grace. New York: Dial for Young Readers, 1991. Print.

Strauss, Valerie. "How Common Core’s Recommended Books Fail Children of Color." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 July 2016.