Brittany Smith, 27, is an inclusive pre-kindergarten teacher from New Jersey.
On Monday, Brittany tweeted a thread of great children's books that discuss race and racism, and it quickly went viral, with nearly 200,000 retweets.
Teacher in me had to do this.. CHILDREN’S BOOKS THAT DISCUSS RACE & RACISM THREAD:
Brittany told BuzzFeed, "I work with a diverse array of students from all backgrounds, and — as a black woman myself — I know the importance of representation and diversity within the classroom. Creating a welcoming and safe environment for all students means having representation, acknowledging and celebrating differences."
Brittany added, "Given today’s climate and our fight for justice, I want parents, teachers, grandparents, aunts/uncles, and anyone who regularly comes in contact with children to be aware there are resources that can help start the conversations of race and racism. There’s a misconception that they’re too young and don’t understand, but they do! They just don’t always have the tools to express it."
Here are the books Brittany recommended:
1. Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz
2. Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney
3. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard
4. My Hair Is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera
5. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
6. Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock by Aslan Tudor and Kelly Tudor
7. My Family Divided: One Girl's Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope by Diane Guerrero and Erica Moroz
8. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
9. I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer
10. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford
11. Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi
12. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
13. The Boy and the Wall by Amahl Bishara
14. The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren
15. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
16. When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
17. Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
18. Chocolate Milk, Por Favor: Celebrating Diversity with Empathy by Maria Dismondy
19. Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford
20. When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett
21. Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story by Paula Yoo
22. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
23. Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt
Brittany added, "These are not the only books available to us! There are so many others out there!" Many people added other terrific books — like Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry — in the replies.
this discusses our community and relationship with hair. Idk how I forgot to post this because I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Thank you to whoever added this in a comment, I can’t find your handle, I’m sorry! 😭