Discussing Civil Rights: Resources for Families, Educators, and Students
A collection of resources to support families and educators while discussing: racism, protesting, civil rights, Black history and historical individuals, bias, past and current events and more.
Newest Resources!
Sesame Street: How to be an Upstander to Racism Song. Join Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Gabrielle, and Tamir to learn what you can say and do when you see someone being treated unfairly because of the color of their skin or fur.
“PBS KIDS Talk About: Race and Racism” The half-hour program features authentic conversations between real children and their parents, and includes content from PBS KIDS series DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, ARTHUR and XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM. The show features kids and their parents talking about race and racial justice-related topics in an age-appropriate way, such as noticing differences in race, understanding what racism can look like, and embracing the role we all have to play in standing up for ourselves and each other -- offering viewers ideas to build on as they continue these important conversations at home.
Watch the show on demand on the PBS KIDS YouTube chanel; on PBS KIDS Video or on PBS LearningMedia.
"The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special," to help children stand up to racism. “The Power of We” features Elmo and Abby Cadabby, who are joined by 6-year-old Muppet Gabrielle and her cousin, 8-year-old Tamir, as they learn how to become “upstanders” to unfair treatment based on skin – or fur – color.
Sesame Workshop has created a companion guide for families and caregivers to use as they discuss the special with children, available at https://www.sesamestreet.org/powerofwe
Meet the Helpers - the newest video in the collection, Kids Can Be Changemakers, talks about how changemakers can be activists, non-profit workers, volunteers, and even kids!
PBS Resources for Adults Working with Young Children
Parents & Caregivers
- PBS Books for Kids- (Ages 8-13) Watch the recording of the author talk with Anika Aldamuy Denise, the author of award-winning "Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre" and soon to be released "A Girl Named Rosita." Her recent work highlights two trailblazing Latina women, who were amazing storytellers--Pura Belpre and actress Rita Moreno. View the recording HERE.
- Article: Using Media to Talk With Children About Race
- PBS Books: Trailblazing Women for Kids with Vashti Harrison (Author & Illustrator) of "Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History" and "Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World". View the recording HERE.
- Webinar: Talking To Children Authentically About Race & Racism
- How to Teach Young Children about Cultural Awareness & Diversity
- Learning to Appreciate Diversity Through Play
- Celebrate Family Diversity
- Talking to Kids: Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes
- Play Pretend: How to Include Others
- How to Teach Your Child to Be An “Includer”
- 7 Ways for Kids to Learn Empathy Through Acting
- Creating an Emotionally Supportive Home Environment
- 6 Books to Read with Your Kids That Celebrate Differences and Diversity
- 13-year old Founder of #1000blackgirlbooks Shares Some of Her Favorite Reads
- It’s Never too Early to Talk to Your Kids About Race
- How One Parent Talks to His Biracial Kids About Race
- Talking Race with Young Children
- Kojo for Kids: Jason Reynolds Talks Racism and the Protest
Resources Appropriate for Small Children
- ARTHUR on Racism: Talk, Listen, and Act. Arthur, Buster and Mrs. Mrs. MacGrady share their thoughts on racism and discuss how to make a difference. Support materials available.
- Meet the Helper Videos: We Are All Different and Speaking Up
- Collection: World Cultures Collection
- Video: Same/Different with Abby & Elmo
- Lesson: Arthur’s World Neighborhood
- Media Gallery: Alike & Different | Daniel Tiger’s Life’s Little Lessons
- Song: Count Me In | Sesame Street
- Song: What I Am | Sesame Street
- Song: You Are Special | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
- Arthur All About Community
Professional Learning Tools for Educators
- Tools for Anti-Racist Teaching 4-part series:
Deepening Your Understanding of Race and Racism
Using Media to Know Better, Teach Better
Amplify Student Voice
Focusing on Young Learners - "Unlearning History: The Women’s Suffrage Movement" is the newest article on PBS Teachers Lounge.
- Developing Cultural Awareness | Learning with Littles
- Demonstrating Empathy and Perseverance| Learning with Littles
- Culturally Responsive Teaching with Molly of Denali
- Exploring the Community | Cultivating Good Neighbor Skills
- Building Relationships | Cultivating Good Neighbor Skills
Curriculum Resources for Educators on the PBS LearningMedia platform
Please note:
- This is not an exhaustive list of resources.
- These resources are appropriate for middle and high school students, unless otherwise noted.
- These educational materials are to be used in conjunction with other resources, conversations, and instruction to provide the most complete context for students.
- As with all educational materials, please preview these resources prior to utilizing with students to check for appropriateness.
Protests:
- Peaceful Protests
- Protest and Politics
- American Experience: Freedom Riders | The Tactic
- Freedom Rides of 1961
- March on Washington | Racial Equity: How Far Have We Come and How Far Do We Still Need to Go?
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
- Theatre as Protest
- Protests at the White House
- Youth Explain Why They March
- Art for Change
- Decisions in the Streets
- Whose Streets?
Black History & Historical Individuals:
- Reconstruction: America After the Civil War with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
- Georgia’s Black History Collection
- Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
- Coded Geographies: The Green Book | South Central Civic Action
- Lorraine Hansberry | A Raisin in the Sun: Jim Crow, Home Ownership, and the American Dream
- East Lake Meadows: Redlining | Stereotyping and the Narrative of the Welfare Queen
- The Lowdown
- A New Gilded Age: Income Inequality in the United States Today
- Finding Your Roots: Ruth Simmons | Maya Rudolph | Sean Combs | Valerie Jarrett | Derek Jeter | Courtney B. Vance | Condoleeza Rice | Samuel L. Jackson | John Lewis | Wanda Sykes
- American Icons: Malcom X | Rosa Parks | Muhammed Ali | Sojourner Truth | George Washington Carver | Martin Luther King Jr. | Jackie Robinson
- American Masters: James Baldwin | Maya Angelou | Lorraine Hansberry | August Wilson | Zora Neale Hurston | Bill T. Jones | Sammy Davis Jr. | Ralph Ellison
Civil Rights:
- Civil Rights: Then & Now
- The Supreme Court: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
- Civil Rights
- American Experience: Civil Rights
- The Lowdown: The Unfinished Business from the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement
- The Civil Rights Landscape Today for People of Color
- The Economic Impact of Racial Discrimination
- Project C: Lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement
Current Events and News:
Non-PBS Resources
Books
- Black Books Matter: Children’s Books Celebrating Black Boys
- 1000 Black Girl Books Resource Guide
- Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, & Inclusion
- Where to Find Diverse Books
- African American Literature Book Club
- The Brown Bookshelf
- Curated Booklists
- See What We See: Children’s and Young Adult Book Reviews
- Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
- Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom
- 31 Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism, and Resistance
Teaching Tolerance
- Race & Ethnicity
- Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Responding to Prejudice
- Talking to Children About Racial Bias
- 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race
- Racism and Violence: Using Your Voice as a Parent to Support Children Aged 2 to 5
History
- A History of Racial Injustice Calendar
- Teaching Materials
- Explore by Time Period
- If We Knew Our History
Teaching (classroom)
- Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families
- Understanding Anti-Bias Education: Bringing the Four Core Goals to Every Facet of Your Curriculum
- Equity Resources: Living the Statement
- Building Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: The Role of the Leader
- Moving Beyond Anti-Bias Activities: Supporting the Development of Anti-Bias Practices