JEDI-recommended resources for families to watch, listen, follow, take action, and read

 
 

TO WATCH

Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” At the 2021 presidential inauguration, the Los Angeles-based poet, who has overcome a speech impediment, recites her poem about unity, justice, and “a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.”

Amaze Covering topics such as bullying, puberty, social anxiety, and online safety, this website uses short animated videos as prompts for conversations between kids and their parents and caregivers.

Arthur the Aardvark on Racism: “Talk, Listen, and Act” Animated animals Arthur and Buster seek advice from their lunch lady, Mrs. MacGrady, on ways they can help fight racism.

“Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices” on Netflix In a series hosted by teen activist Marley Dias, founder of 1000 Black Girl Books, Black celebrities such as Lupita Nyong’o, Marsai Martin, and Common read children's books from Black authors.

“Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism” special from Sesame Street and CNN Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and the Sesame Street muppets discuss racism with kids, CNN journalists, and government officials. 

L.A. Public Library’s Language Immersion and Read Aloud Every Wednesday afternoon, the L.A. Public Library hosts a foreign-language lesson and storytime for kids on its Facebook and YouTube pages. The schedule alternates with readings in Korean, Japanese, Persian, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

Nickelodeon’s “Kids, Race, and Unity” on YouTube Hosted by Alicia Keys, this 45-minute special focuses on youths and their experiences with racism. It includes appearances by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, musician Chance the Rapper, and others.

“PBS Kids Talk About: Race & Racism” In this half-hour program, children and their parents have authentic conversations about race and racial justice in an age-appropriate way. It includes content from popular PBS shows such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”

Sesame Street’s Upstanders for Racial Justice Sesame Street has compiled videos, songs and artwork to help kids be smarter, stronger, kinder, and an upstander to racism

“True Colors” on Peacock TV “True Colors” is a new series focusing on eight Hispanic trailblazers, including Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and baseball star Alex Rodriguez. The documentary is streaming on Peacock TV.

to listen

“Let the Kids Lead” episode on “How to Citizen with Baratunde” podcast Civics Unplugged cofounder Josh Thompson and teen leader Zoë Jenkins show what Gen Z leadership can look like as part of a new movement and social organization that sets a vision for the future of democracy in 2030.

“Nice White Parents” podcast This five-part series from Serial and the New York Times explores the role white parents have played over decades in New York public schools.

“Teaching Students Inclusion and Anti-Bias” podcast In a 10-minute segment, L.A.-based educator Monique Marshall talks with Rae Pica about how to normalize the asking of questions as one of various ways to teach inclusion and anti-bias effectively in elementary schools.

TO FOLLOW

American Indians in Children’s Literature blog Started in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, this website helps readers know who Native people are. It publishes reviews of children’s books, lesson plans, films, and other items related to the topic of American Indians and/or how this topic is taught in school.

Autistic Self Advocacy Network ASAN is a nonprofit run by and for people with autism to make sure that they are in control in their own lives, and have a say in policies that affect them.

Family Video Game Database With over 1,500 titles, this list helps parents and caregivers navigate the world of video, computer, and mobile games. Besides sharing content on YouTube, Twitter, and Discord, it also includes a detailed search, alternative suggestions, and information on understanding the benefits and risks of gaming.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day on social media This organization promotes an online and offline celebration to highlight diversity in children’s books and YA literature. It’s active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Teach and Transform on Instagram Liz Kleinrock is a Washington, D.C.-based educator who focuses on anti-bias and anti-racist teaching practices.

Transforming Family This L.A.-based group supports families with gender-diverse children by providing a supportive environment for children, adolescents, and their families to explore issues of gender identity.

Understood This website is full of information, podcasts, and an app to support kids who learn and think differently because of dyslexia, ADHD, executive function challenges, or other conditions.

TO TAKE ACTION

EmbraceRace EmbraceRace was founded in 2016 by BIPOC parents who wanted to gather the resources needed for meeting the challenges in raising kids in a world where race matters. They archive past webinars on their web site.

Inclusion Matters This global map of inclusive playgrounds was compiled by Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, an international non-profit fostering a bias-free world for children with disabilities.

White People 4 Black Lives The Los Angeles affiliate of an anti-racist collective and activist project for white allies has regular meetings and workshops.

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