Teaching Kids about Race and Racism

The recent hate crimes in Portland have challenged me to think about how to talk to my kids about violence and hate without scaring them or giving them too much information. Yet, I know that kids and adults need to learn about our history in all its complexity and that making conversations about race and racism a part of our lives from a young age will make it more possible for them to grapple with the topic as they get older. There are tons of fabulous books and picture books -- but I just stumbled on an interesting web site from the American Anthropological Association for ages 10 - 13. It supports the supposition that race is historically constructed (the opening quotation is "Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look" and includes games / interactive sections about stereotypes, history, and science.) I'd be curious about what others think of it and if you'd encourage your 10 - 13 year old to check it out? (There is an adult page as well!)