No, Elementary Students Are Not Too Young to Talk About Race

Brian R. Kayser and Abigail Amoako Kayser

When our son was in 3rd grade, a poster his school displayed at the entrance to celebrate Black excellence during Black History Month became fuel for controversy. The poster featured a poem written by Mississippi teacher Jovan Bradshaw: "Dear students. They didn't steal slaves. They stole scientists, doctors, architects, teachers, entrepreneurs, astronomers, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, etc. and made them slaves. Sincerely, Your Ancestors."

An administrator saw that students were arguing over the contents of the poster and removed it under the superintendent‘s guidance. Later, the superintendent wrote on a blog that the poster "was not bringing the community together in a spirit of inclusivity and celebration." Many members of the school community were outraged that a poster humanizing people who were stolen into slavery could be divisive. Despite requests from families, the school refused to hang the poster back on the wall, and the superintendent, in other interviews and at school board meetings, dug in further that he made the right decision.

As the buzz surrounding the poster grew amongst students, some teachers decided to address the situation in their classrooms. Our son's teacher was one of them. When she opened the discussion, our son raised his hand to discuss what he knew about the horrors of slavery. One of his peers made a cruel joke about slavery, and while the teacher said it was inappropriate, the lack of explanation and clarity in his teacher’s response, along with his peers’ silence, continued to trouble him.

What also troubles us is that students in other classes did not have a chance to discuss the poster’s message and why it was taken down. Teachers may not have been comfortable leading a discussion on the topic because they could not predict responses and were unsure of how to handle potential conflicts. Or, perhaps, they did not see it as something worth talking about. It’s also possible that they felt the situation was too controversial and complex for young students when, in fact, the opposite is true.

A Central Conversation Point for Families of Color

In today's highly politicized environment, many people are quick to pacify situations where others might take offense by refusing to address controversial issues both within and beyond the classroom. It's as if we, as educators, are concerned that students, families, or administrators may interpret our opinions as politicized or believe that we have ulterior motives to “brainwash” students into believing what we believe. However, teachers make a strong political statement when they choose not to discuss the daily atrocities Black people and people of color in the United States endure.

The narrative that children are too young to talk about race and racism is false. It’s also a privilege of white families. As parents of three Black boys under the age of 9, talking about race and racism is a daily occurrence. When we discuss stereotypes that we see in movies or analyze a current event, we first make sure our children understand the issue at hand and why a stereotype is harmful. We ask our children how they would portray the situation differently. For example, how might a character or scene change in the absence of the stereotype?

Research shows that children can critically engage in these conversations beginning at age 5, with thoughtful reflection, ideas, and questions (Bronson & Merryman, 2009). Infants notice the difference in the melanin in people's skin (Sangrigoli & De Schonen, 2004). From there, children’s understanding of how others see them and how they see themselves is shaped by others' perceptions of them. Just like adults, young children can internalize stereotypes and form negative opinions about who they are if we do not give them the words to unpack their feelings and experiences. Children also begin developing prejudiced ideas about race as early as age 2 (Hirschfield, 2008). We must build their capacity to develop counter-narratives to refute these damaging beliefs (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

As teachers, we have a moral obligation not to underestimate our students' humanity, feelings, and understanding. So, when conversations come up in the classroom, whether they’re about the atrocities of the Middle Passage or a poster’s removal, we must feel comfortable moderating them. When Black children share their perspective in these discussions, as our son did, we must amplify, not silence, their voices. These interactions not only bring lived experience that white peers do not have into the classroom, they also develop and solidify children’s understanding of power and privilege, how we tell stories, and who we omit or devalue (Ryan & Grieshaber, 2004). This becomes even more important when state curriculum often shows only stereotypical narratives of Black people as slaves, freedom fighters, athletes, or entertainers, as if they did not make valuable contributions in other fields and could be seen as examples of Black excellence in those fields as well.

In the words of Angela Davis, "It is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist." Inaction is complicity. When we don't reckon with our histories, we don't make room to begin the healing process.

What Can We Do?

Engage in identity self-reflection. 

Many teachers ascribe to culturally relevant pedagogy to build a more inclusive and equity-minded classroom. However, what precedes teacher practice is critical reflection of one's identity, background, and histories and interactions with folks from different racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds. The majority of elementary teachers are white women from predominantly middle-class backgrounds, and what they choose to include in curriculum and instructional practices is heavily influenced by their own lives and realities (Coopersmith & Gruber, 2009). Teachers must move beyond projects that promote color blindness. Elementary school hallways often show colorful self-portraits of children with similar facial features except for the color of their skin. Instead of these superficial ways of recognizing diversity, teachers must take steps to acknowledge diversity in intentional and authentic ways.

One way teachers can do this is through a curriculum audit. Take some time to understand whose voices you privilege within your curriculum and learning materials and whose are missing. Can your students see themselves, or does your science curricula often privilege white male scientists? Another way to move beyond the superficial recognition of diversity is to build sustained family partnerships within your classroom. This means inviting families to participate and share their culture during class throughout the year, not just for Hispanic Heritage Month or Black History Month. As the teacher learns more about their students’ funds of knowledge, they can use that information to inform academic content.

Increase representation with multiple perspectives.

People of color are not a monolith. Black people are not a monolith. Teachers must move away from the single story of Black American history told from a slavery and deficit mindset. We must center and highlight the excellence in Black and Brown communities globally, nationally, and locally and read books written by authors of color with characters of color as protagonists. Picture books like Crown by Derrick Barnes and The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson build confidence and pride and center Black excellence; Leo Leonni’s picture books discuss race and identity with younger children. For upper elementary students, we recommend Jerry Craft’s New Kid or Christopher Paul Curtis novels.

Being a culturally responsive teacher is about including multiple perspectives in your classroom, pulling from the funds of knowledge of all your students' families, and engaging students to be critically conscious (Ladson-Billings, 1995). In our own experiences, teachers have understood our sons’ funds of knowledge by building a sustained relationship throughout the year that is centered on asking questions and listening, as well as making home visits to see our sons where they are most comfortable. When students of color and their families challenge conventional narratives, we must listen and find ways to support them. It is okay to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable but not okay to forgo learning partnerships.

Notice name and talk about race outside the classroom. 

Beyond formal classroom settings, children use the idea of race during pretend play and insinuate messages about power and privilege (Ryan & Grieshaber, 2004). When we witness these kinds of interactions, we must facilitate conversations to help children understand the magnitude and context of their words and actions. When Abigail was a kindergarten teacher, one of her students, who is African American, made a comment about how her skin was better than Abigail’s because it was lighter. This was an opportunity for Abigail to ask her student where that idea came from, why that student believed it, and how ideas like that are harmful to people with Abigail’s skin tone. Though the student’s comment was hurtful on a personal level, Abigail approached it from a teaching perspective to teach the student a valuable lesson.

Talk about race at home with white children. 

When your child notices differences in skin color or hair texture, do not "color silence" them by ending the conversation or making your child feel bad for discussing it. Instead, use the opportunity to answer their questions honestly, counter colorblindness, and address stereotypes that may be beginning to form (Tatum, 2017). First, it’s important to acknowledge that your child is asking a great question and that you’d like to have a conversation. If it is a question rooted in a stereotype, you want to explain what a stereotype is and why the stereotype exists. Then, you want to point out how the stereotype is harmful and why it isn’t true while providing counterexamples using books or TV shows. We think of books as both mirrors and windows for our children.

Discussing race and racism with children is not always an easy task. As adults, we all have a desire to protect children’s innocence for as long as possible, whether that’s leaving Tooth Fairy money under their pillow after we suspect they no longer believe or ignoring racism because we know it’s something they’ll have to learn eventually. When we shield children from racism, we miss a valuable opportunity to equip them with the tools to identify and call out racism and other forms of hate when it occurs. Silence, in any form, is complicity.

References

Bronson, P., & Merryman, A. (2009). NurtureShock: New thinking about children. London, U.K.: Ebury.

Coopersmith, J. & Gruber, K. (2009). Characteristics of public, private, and bureau of Indian education elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States: Results from the 2007–08 Schools and Staffing Survey: First look. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Ladson Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159–165.

Ryan, S., & Grieshaber, S. (2004). It's more than child development: Critical theories, research, and teaching young children. YC Young Children, 59(6), 44.

Rogers, R., & Mosley, M. (2006). Racial literacy in a second grade classroom: Critical race theory, whiteness studies, and literacy research. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(4), 462-495.

Sangrigoli, S., & De Schonen, S. (2004). Recognition of own race and other race faces by three month old infants. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(7), 1219–1227.

Tatum, B. D. (2017). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race. New York: Basic Books.

Brian R. Kayser (@bkayser11) is a doctoral student at the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. 

Abigail Amoako Kayser (@AmoakoKayser) is a postdoctoral research associate at the Curry School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

 More on This Topic: Supporting Early Language Development for Diverse Learners

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