Building An Anti-Racist Home Library For Your Family

“Education for peace is the deepest aim of the Montessori method. Dr. Maria Montessori was an outspoken peace activist and knew that parents and teachers have the great responsibility and honor of raising the next generation to do better than those before them. Children learn from what we do, not what we say. So as we search for the right words, let's remember to follow with peaceful love and service.”

- Zahra Kassam, Founder of Monti Kids.

We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. As parents, it is our duty to pave the path of the future for our children. We are excited to share resources for families on how to raise loving, conscious, and anti-racist children.

Sharing books with our children in which black and brown people are the characters, the heroes, and the center of the story builds their worldview towards a more just society, in which all people are visible and valued. 

Take stock of your bookshelf to curate one that is inclusive. As we seek to create a world that is safer for black people, indigenous people, and all people of color, we can support our children's natural curiosity and awareness of the world around them by including diversity on our bookshelves.

Recommended Books For An Anti-Racist Bookshelf

Where possible we have linked to Bookshop.org in an effort to support small businesses with this post.

• All Kinds of People
• This is How We Do It: One Day in the Life Of Seven Children Around the World
• Global Babies
• A Kids Book About Racism
• Shades of People
• Something Happened in Our Town
• Anti-Racist Baby

As adults, we can model a growth mindset for our child, too, as we read new books. "I'm learning about new habits," we can tell our children when they see us reading. "I want things to be more fair and I have to figure out what I can do about it."

Here are some Instagram accounts to follow to learn more about anti-racist curriculum and books for young children:

@thetinyactivists
@britthawthorne
@littleblackbooknook
@thetututeacher
@readlikearockstar
@hereweeread
@theconciouskid 

Read next: Montessori Tips for Reading + More Picks for Diverse Books