Equity Kids

The Equity Collective Works in collaboration with a music Group called Alphabet Rockers. Their founder Kaitlin let us interview her for the blog and the band recently released a new album. My kid describes this album as “amazing” and “the most fun.” The lyrics are challenging and ask kids to determine what it means to be seen, how to be an ally, and what it takes to step up.

As we were listening to the album, we were talking about other cool stuff that teaches about equity and justice. So we made a list (this is not exhaustive, just a list of things we have read, listened to, or come across in our quest for developing an equity lens.)

While you can start at any age, my kid seemed interested in the topic of justice around five.  Around that age they seem to stay interested. My kid even asks for support around projects that address homelessness, foster youth, solidarity, clean water and gender.

A is for Activist is obvious. Author Innosanto Nagra has also written Counting on Community, these two books are a great starting place for conversation about the world. Rad American Women A-Z and Rad Women World Wide by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl provide a primer on all the amazing things that women do. Long Hair, Don’t Care is a picture book for boys that don’t fit the cultural norm.

In the land of coloring books The Revolution will be Colorized and Sometimes The Spoon Runs away with Another Spoon, offer up narratives for kids that provide space for dialogue or visions that represent the world in a way they don’t often see. PattyCake Dolls offers dolls for Asian, Latinx, African, Black, and Multiracial children.

Clothes Without Limits is a consortium of companies that offer gender neutral clothing for the little people in your life. In our home, we just really like to do what needs to be done without worry about the message our clothes send. This way we can just get to the fun.

As you are asking yourself questions and wondering what else you might do to support your budding change-the-world equity and justice activist, you can also check out the Talking to Your Kids About Race curriculum at World Trust and the blogs, Parenting for Liberation, Mamademics and Mothering Justice.