Brooklyn Public Library offers workshop on how to talk to children about race

Educators at the Brooklyn Public Library have created a workshop on how to talk to children about race.

News 12 Staff

Feb 26, 2021, 6:17 PM

Updated 1,383 days ago

Share:

Educators at the Brooklyn Public Library have created a workshop on how to talk to children about race.
"One of the questions that children often have is why do we have different skin tones?" said Jessica Ralli, coordinator of early literacy programs at the Brooklyn Public Library.
The library has a free virtual workshop called ABCs of Racism, geared toward educators but helpful for parents as well.
"Children as young as 6 months old do see skin color and they do notice it, and they start to categorize the people in the world by skin color. And by 3 years of age, they're really starting to have some racial bias and stereotyped opinion," said Ralli.
The workshop was created by Boston-based racial justice organization Little Uprisings. Its goal is to facilitate discussions between educators and young children about race, which can sometimes be difficult.
"When you're in college studying to become a teacher, these are things that really don't come up. You know, there's not a curriculum for how to talk about race, it's not included," said Maribel Nunez, early literacy outreach associate at Brooklyn Public Library.
Books with titles "I Like Myself" and "Hair Love" are incorporated into the workshop. Staff goes over how to talk with children so they can understand.
The workshop is scheduled for Feb. 23 and is open to the public. It is one of many early childhood workshops offered by the library to help parents navigate complex conversations with their children.