BY DONNA DUARTE-LADD &
KARATINA AVENDAÑO
With racism being at the
forefront in the news these
last few weeks, many families
are having hard conversations
on what being antiracist
entails with our kids.
Books serve as one of the best
tools to educate, and with the
recent senseless killing of
George Floyd, many of us are
looking to broaden our understanding
via storytelling.
How important are books
on racial diversity for our
kids? Very. Iman Powe-
Maynard, a librarian with
the Brooklyn Library Paerdegat
Branch, shared, “Young
children absorb information
like sponges. The books we
choose for them refl ect what
we want them to know about
the world they live in.
Reading and talking about
racial diversity allows kids to
be mindful and respectful of
our differences, and teaches
them important lessons on
the dangers of inequality and
injustice. Having these conversations
are imperative in
raising young, educated allies.”
Here are nine books to add
to your family library:
Antiracist Baby, by
Ibram X.Kendi
This baby book by New
York Times bestselling author
Ibram X. Kendi is available
June 16th and couldn’t have
come out at a better time.
Mr. Kendi, who is the founding
COURIER L 28 IFE, JUNE 12-18, 2020
director of the Antiracist
Research and Policy Center
at American University, has
written his fi rst children’s
book Antiracist Baby that
educates the reader about
race and racism at the earliest
age. Visual artist Ashley
Lukashevsky artfully illustrates
the book. Ages 0 -3.
Shades of Black, by Sandra
L. Pinkney
Recommended by
the Brooklyn Library this
book celebrates and shows
the diversity and beauty of
the African American heritage.
The text shares the worthiness
of each child; this is
a perfect read for young children.
Ages 0-3.
Hair Love, by Matthew A.
Cherry
This charming book
touches on hair and love. Notably,
a black girl’s hair and a
relationship between her and
her father. Daddy gives his
daughter a special hairstyle
that helps build her self-confi
dence by embracing her gorgeous
hair while nurturing
their relationship. Ages 4-8.
B Is for Baby, by Atinuke
and Angela Brooksbank
A sweet story about Baby
and Baby’s big brother who
BROOKLYN
on his way to the next village,
has a curious stow away on
his bicycle. The story of Baby’s
adventures is told in “B”
words as Baby and the reader
travel and take in the beauty
of Africa. Ages 3-7.
I am Enough, by Grace
Byers
This popular book, accompanied
by beautiful illustrations,
is a lovely read that focuses
on the beauty of black
girls. Authored by activist
and actress Grace Byers with
essential messages written
in uplifting affi rmations is a
positive read for all. Ages 4-
up.
The Other Side, by Jacqueline
Woodson
Brooklyn author and New
York Times Bestseller Jacqueline
Woodson’s shares a story
on an interracial friendship
that the reader can experience
through the eyes of a
child. A great book to discuss
with your child about race,
friendships, segregation, and
more. Ages 5-8.
Malcolm Little: The Boy
Who Grew Up to Become
Malcolm X, by Ilyasah Shabazz
Malcolm X, the human
rights activist, and American
Muslim minister’s name,
is at the forefront of activists
who fought for the civil rights
of black Americans. He is a
vital part of history, and this
book written by his daughter,
Ilyasah Shabazz, touches on
the early years with his parents
and on how much they
shaped him on who he was
to become later in life. Ages
6-10.
Not My Idea: A Book
About Whiteness, by Anastasia
Higginbotham
This book tells the story of
a young white boy who sees
police shooting a brown person
whose hands were up on
the TV. Concerned about what
he sees, his family defl ects
what is happening, especially
the rallies in response to the
police shooting, stating that
they simply, “can’t watch the
news.”
This book teaches kids
about white supremacy, police
shootings, racism that
exists within society, and
raises awareness about these
matters. Ages 8 -12.
Resist: 35 Profi les of Ordinary
People Who Rose
Up Against Tyranny and
Injustice, by Veronica Chambers
In a time of unrest, this
is a beautiful read for teens
to young adults on ordinary
people such as Frederick
Douglass to Malala
Yousafzai, who stood up for
what they believed in and became
activists.
This book by acclaimed
author Veronica Chambers
shares stories that will teach
how one person can speak
and rise to the injustices of
the world. Ages 8-12.
When available, many of
these books can be checked out
as an e-book at Bklyn Library.
BY KEVIN DUGGAN
Brooklyn theater and cultural
institutions have started
opening their buildings and offering
snacks, water, and other
resources to protesters marching
around the borough decrying
the killing of George Floyd
by a Minneapolis police offi -
cer.
The head of Fort Greene’s
performing arts center Irondale
said organizations like his
need to take action and support
the ongoing protest against police
brutality, rather than just
post statements of support online.
“It’s easy to put ‘Black
Lives Matter’ on your website
and a black box on your Facebook,
but what’s the skin in
the game?” said Terry Greiss,
Irondale’s executive director.
“What’s going on around the
corner from me still has to affect
the theater. Now we have
to really step up, we can’t just
talk about activism and social
responsibility, we have to do
it.”
Two senior staffers at the
S. Oxford Street venue started
handing out free snacks, water,
hand sanitizer and menstrual
products last week, while also
providing fi rst aid and power
outlets for marchers to charge
their phones — initiatives taking
place at other venues in the
borough and beyond.
An online database called
Open Your Lobby has logged
and promoted many of these
efforts, with maps and spreadsheets
detailing what organizations
are offering and at what
times on what days. The group
provides regular updates tailored
to where protests are happening
across the country.
Open Your Lobby did not return
a request for comment by
press time.
Fort Greene’s Bric joined
the movement and also started
offering resources on top of
opening their lobby on Fulton
Street and Rockwell Place to
show their support, said the organization’s
president.
“We opened up as part of
the Open Your Lobby initiative
to welcome protesters to have a
safe space to recharge and just
reinforce that we are a welcoming
and inclusive community,”
said Kristina Newman-
Scott. “We see ourselves as a
resource and a platform.”
The institutions get a lot
of their supplies from donations,
including from other
arts groups or through online
drives, and volunteers have
been quick to respond to help
out, according to the artistic
director of the Brick Theater
in Williamsburg, Theresa Buchheister.
“The initial thought of what
can I do, I thought I can’t do
anything because I’m by myself,
which now seems like a ridiculous
thought,” she said. “I
hope that the people that run
these spaces see that having
these spaces is a huge responsibility
and if you’re not willing
to shoulder that responsibility,
you should not be running that
space.”
It’s never too early
Suggested anti-racism books for kids and teens
Offering welcome
Many Brooklyn arts organizations
open their spaces to protesters