Take Action. Have the Conversation.

Racism has a profound impact on the health and well-being of our children, and we want to make sure we give you support in order to do something about it. These could be actions that you take as a school, as a teacher, or forward on to parents. Every action counts. It will take time, education, and continued conversation for all of us to end systemic racism.

Here are a few resources we’ve found helpful when talking to children about racism and the current events:

  1. Talking to kids about race

  2. How to talk to your children about protests and racism

  3. Anti-Racism for Kids: An Age-by-Age Guide to Fighting Hate

  4. How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism

Here are a few ideas for opening up the conversation with youth about racism.

  1. Share book suggestions with your community. Age-appropriate books that deal with discrimination and promote tolerance and diversity are an easy way to help explain different perspectives. These books also offer positive role models, especially for children of color.

  2. Share movie suggestions with your community. Here are a few of our favorites:

    1. Hidden Figures, 10+.True story of African-American women at NASA.

    2. Pride, age 12+.True story of an African-American swim team.

    3. Harriet, 15+ (for language and violence).True story about Harriet Tubman.

And here are some resources for adults too. We believe that by staying educated as to what has happened before us and what is happening now, we can better understand how to end racism.

Organizations

Podcasts

  • 1619 (New York Times) A New York Times audio series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, “1619” examines the long shadow of American slavery. Listen to the episodes below, or read the transcripts by clicking the icon to the right of the play bar.”

  • About Race Co-discussants Anna Holmes, Baratunde Thurston, Raquel Cepeda and Tanner Colby host a lively multiracial, interracial conversation about the ways we can’t talk, don’t talk, would rather not talk, but intermittently, fitfully, embarrassingly do talk about culture, identity, politics, power, and privilege in our pre-post-yet-still-very-racial America. 

  • Seeing White How Race Was Made: S2 E2
    For much of human history, people viewed themselves as members of tribes or nations but had no notion of “race.” Today, science deems race biologically meaningless. Who invented race as we know it, and why? By John Biewen, with guest Chenjerai Kumanyika.

WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER

As an organization, NextWave STEM’s focus is on educational equity and ensuring all students — especially the most marginalized — have access to opportunities and careers in STEM.  Our programs have always been built around our core values: Innovation, Flexibility, Curiosity, Initiative, Equity. But, we can always do better.

Daily action. Continuous learning. Always listening.

Cultural RelevanceGuest User