Racial Socialization in the Early Years

Children's views of race are shaped during their early years. As adults working with youth and families, it can be helpful to grow our knowledge about racial socialization much as we learn about other aspects of early childhood development. 

EmbraceRace is an organization developing resources  like this recent webinar "Racial Socialization as Resistance to Racism, the Early Years," which is available to view on demand. Previous webinars can also be found on the website with a host of other resources.

Time is limited so if you want something to read and use immediately, their action guide "16 ways to help children become thoughtful, informed, and BRAVE about race" is a downloadable pdf in English or Spanish.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Friday FAQs with Tessa for 3/12/21

Dear Library Staff Serving Youth, 

Happy Friday! Here is the latest installment of Friday FAQs for Youth Services. The slides used in the recording are attached as a PDF. Also, the FAQ Friday form is open for your input anytime. FAQs are published on the second Friday of each month. 

            FAQ Friday 3/12/2021 recording (5:34) 

FAQ Friday for Youth Services 2021 Form 

Question of the month: As we begin to re-emerge, reset, and return from the pandemic way of life, what can you say for certain? Is there anything you are sure about? Are there any changes you want to hold on to or let go?

 

For FAQ archives, visit the Youth Services Section blog 

Resources related to this week’s topics

• One Year Later
• Pandemic Reflections on Youth Librarianship: One Year Later (ALSC Blog)
• COVID Trauma Anniversary: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (ALSC Blog)
• Planning Ahead
• Wisconsin Public Libraries Reopening Guide
• Racist Imagery
• Racist Imagery and Seuss (YSS Shout Out Blog) 
• CCBC Choices 2021
• CCBC Choices 2021, the latest edition of the CCBC’s annual best-of-the-year list, recommending 257 books for children and teens from birth- high-school age is available as pdf online: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-choices/ 
• All of the books in CCBC Choices 2021 are also searchable in the CCBC Recommended Books database.
• Check out the Upcoming Events for several online presentations in which the CCBC librarians will be featuring some of the books in CCBC Choices 2021.
• Beanstack
• Rebekah (Becky) Garrety rebekah@zoobean.com

 

Enjoy the signs of spring!

Sincerely,

 

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt (she/her/hers)

Youth and Inclusive Services Public Library Consultant

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction | Library Services

(608) 267-5077 Tessa.Schmidt@dpi.wi.gov

Friday FAQs with Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

• 6/18/21 recording

• 5/14/21 recording
• 4/9/21 recording
• 3/12/21 recording
• 2/12/21 recording
• 1/15/21 recording
• 12/11/20 recording
• 11/13/20 recording
• 10/9/20 recording
• 9/11/20 recording
• 8/14/20 recording
• 7/31/20 recording
• 7/17/20 recording
• 7/10/20 recording
• 6/26/20 recording
• 6/19/20 recording
• 6/11/20 recording
• 6/5/20 recording
• 5/29/20 recording
• 5/22/20 recording
• 5/15/20 recording
• 5/8/20 recording
• 5/1/20 recording
• 4/24/20 recording
• 4/17/20 recording
• 4/10/20 recording   

 

Racist Imagery and Dr. Seuss - A Note From Tessa

In the following note, Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Wisconsin's Youth and Inclusive Services Public Library Consultant shares more perspective on Intellectual Freedom considerations and some important links from the CCBC and elsewhere to help us navigate the recent Seuss news.

This week’s announcement from Seuss Enterprises left many libraries considering their collections. 

Regarding the six books no longer in publication, I urge you to read the What IF? response, “Books with Racist Images,” from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s Intellectual Freedom Services. 

 The response includes a link to another What IF? Forum entry entitled “Cultural Inaccuracies in Books and Intellectual Freedom.” This entry discusses books used in programs and displays. Given the wide-ranging product tie-ins related to Seuss books, it bears consideration if your library has puppets, costumes, toys, stickers, decor, or other merchandise featuring  problematic illustrations such as the Cat in the Hat.

 

The Cat in the Hat was not one of the titles designated by Seuss Enterprises at this time. However, I urge you to read the following articles about books authored/illustrated by Dr. Seuss. These peer-reviewed pieces provided context, then and now, for examining racist imagery in books for children. 

• The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss’s Children’s Books by Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens. Research on Diversity in Youth Literature. Vol 1, Iss 2. 2019.
• Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books by Philip Nel. Oxford University Press. 2017.
• The Problem With Picture Book Monkeys: Racist imagery associating simians with Black people has a long history by Edith Campbell. School Library Journal, December 4, 2019.

 

Lastly, you might consider the blog post from the Youth Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association which offers suggestions for how to talk about Seuss with library users, including a helpful infographic. 

 

Thank you for your time and attention to these important issues. I appreciate your critical thinking and commitment to creating libraries where everyone is safe, welcome, and respected.

 

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt (she/her/hers)

Youth and Inclusive Services Public Library Consultant

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction | Library Services

(608) 267-5077 Tessa.Schmidt@dpi.wi.gov

 

Anti-Racism and Dr. Seuss posts

• Responding to Surprised Dr. Seuss Fans  3/3/21
• Racist Imagery and Dr. Seuss – A Note from Tessa  3/5/21
• Philip Nel’s Anti-Racism Resources  3/15/21

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20
• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20

Winter Speaker Series on Diversity and Representation in Kids Lit

Registration is open!

Professional Learning Network: Children's Literature Presents

Virtual Winter Speaker Series 

This virtual event is free and open to Librarians and Museum Educators

Featuring presentations by award winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, children's book author Gloria Repress-Churchwell, David Feinstein from The Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art, and ALSC Institute presenter and Illinois librarian Sophie Kenney.

More information can be found on our Facebook group page: bit.ly/PLNchildrenslit

Click on each presentation title to a link to our registration

2/19/2021 Exploring Race and Representation in Picture Books with David Feinstein

3/5/2021 Resilient Chester! Microaggressions, Allies, and Civility with Gloria Repress-Churchwell

3/19/2021 Diversity's Rainbow with author Jewell Parker Rhodes

This Winter Speaker Series is presented by the Professional Learning Network (PLN.) PLN is an online community which facilitates discussions, idea sharing and learning opportunities. This is the second occurrence in our event series.

Membership to PLN is FREE. There are no license/membership affiliate requirements. This work is hosted by Reading Success by 4th Grade and the Springfield City Library.

About PLN:

We strive to be a vibrant and connected network for librarians and museum educators who seek to learn and share about children’s literature. 

Our Mission:

• Continue the conversation of diversity in children’s literature.
• Learn how to create an effective and welcoming space of dialogue, inclusion, safety, and equity for children and families.
• Discuss what we can do as librarians and educators to stop the perpetuation of racial inequities. 

Who Can Join:

• You work in a museum or library (school, public, private).
• You are passionate about social issues in children's literature.
• Your work focus is on birth-12 year old children/literature.

 

Antiracism Work with Preschoolers

We have been sharing some antiracism and social justice resources over the past month that have come our way. You can access these resources in the compiled blog posts link at the bottom of this post.

Some resources that we have seen lately are important to highlight especially in providing programs, services and collections to preschoolers and thinking about talking to our youngest children about race or helping support families with young children  as they address racism.

They're Not Too Young to Talk About Race
This graphic from the Children's Community School In Philadelphia is an excellent place to begin raising awareness and learning about the importance of talking about race with young children.

Diverse BookFinder for picture books 
As described in Tessa Michaelson Schmitt's recent Friday FAQ:
"The Diverse BookFinder's free, online Collection Analysis Tool (CAT) for public and school libraries -- funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services -- offers an analysis of which racial/cultural groups are represented, and how they are represented, in your current picture book collection." You can signup for their newsletter here: sign up"

Photo - ALSC Virtual Storytime Services Guide

Serving Diverse Children and Families section of ALSC's  new Virtual Storytime Services Guide

In 70 powerful pages, a wide range of issues are explored and resources and guidance provided to empower librarians to make their storytimes more inclusive, more diverse and more just. The sections include:

• COVID-19, Racism and Xenophobia

• African American Children and Families

• Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander Children and Families

• Children and Families with Disabilities

• Latinx Children and Families

• LGBTQ+ Children and Families

• Native/Indigenous Children and Families

• Serving Families Across the Digital Divide

Join the Movement #FamilySummer4Black Lives
Seen on the blog Books for Littles, three monthly actions are being planned to engage families in anti-racism work. The first, coming up this weekend, involves families creating cards and "To Minneapolis with Live - Love Letters 4 Black Lives." It's a great way to work in the larger community to support Black Lives and communities and social justice work.

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

DPI Race and Antiracism Resources for WI Public Libraries

The WI Department of Public Instruction and the State Library of Ohio have created an excellent list of resources to help you in your work in creating a more just society and fight systemic racism.

The google doc is a "living document" that is updated as new resources come to light. The document is divided into several sections:

• Scheduled Courses
• Self-Paced Courses
• Recorded Lectures/Webinars
• Providers
• Other Opportunities
• Library Specific Resources

You can access the document here.

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens

Race and Racism: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12

This is the second of two bibliographies we are creating to respond to the requests we are getting from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens about race and racism. We also encourage you to check out the CCBC bibliography Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12.

When choosing books about race and racism and its impact on the lives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), we have emphasized books by BIPOC creators. We have also included several books by white authors that can help readers, especially white readers, develop an awareness of whiteness and white privilege.

This list features both historical books (set in the past) and books set in the present day. Understanding history is critical to understanding racism; it is also critical to acknowledge and discuss the realities of racism and the ongoing legacy of systemic racism today.

We have chosen books for this list from among titles we’ve recommended for our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices. Our selections are far from exhaustive--there are many books we've recommended that offer perspectives on race and racism in the past and present. Additionally, many other reading lists for children and teens about racism have been curated in recent weeks. Among those we encourage you to check out is the one created by author Jacqueline Woodson.

Finally, it's important to keep in mind that no book can take the place of ongoing, meaningful conversations about race and racism. To that end, you may also find We Need Diverse Books and Teaching Tolerance, among others, helpful as you seek out additional resources.

To view the booklist, visit: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=667

© 2020 Cooperative Children's Book Center

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance

We’ve received a number of requests from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens addressing systemic racism. But just as important, we know, thanks to Black colleagues and book creators, are books that go beyond pain narratives and celebrate Black lives.

Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Reistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12

We also know that the work of seeking out and sharing books about Black experience is the responsibility of all of us doing work related to connecting young readers with books, not just of Black librarians and educators. But it’s important to know there are other wonderful curated lists available. Here are two to start with:

• Black Joy Booklist (Alia Jones, Cincinnati Public Library) (focus: Black experience)
• We Are Kidlit Collective Summer Reading lists (focus: Black, Indigenous and People of Color)

If you’re interested in purchasing books on any of these lists, check out this list of Black-owned bookstores.

Finally, by all means share the books on this list with white children, too; as a matter of course and intention sharing diverse books is essential. But if you are also looking specifically for books about race and racism, we have also created Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens.

We have chosen books for this list from among titles we’ve recommended for our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, emphasizing books by Black creators. It is far from exhaustive; there are many other books we’ve recommended, and as the Cincinnati Public Library and other lists attest, many other books available for children and teens, acknowledging that Black Lives Matter by celebrating and affirming Black identity and speaking the truth of Black experiences.

To view the booklist, visit: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=666

© 2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

Friday FAQs for June 12, 2020

Dear Library Staff Serving Youth, 

Happy Friday! Here is the latest installment of Friday FAQs for Youth Services. The slides used in the recording are attached as a PDF. Also, the FAQ Friday form is open for your input on next week’s episode.

                FAQ Friday 6/12/2020 recording (5:58) https://youtu.be/AXrp3on9-_w 

FAQ Friday form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcCCH0bDIXMTpzt4WBrfmJHvP-B7Vm_B5Ide6p0byioYwh9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

Last Week’s FAQ Friday 6/5/2020 recording (5:20) https://youtu.be/rxgWbaH5SfI   

Resources related to this week’s topics

• Virtual Library Program Attendancehttps://dpi.wi.gov/pld/boards-directors/disaster-planning/coronavirus
  See ”Library Services” section
• ALSC Virtual Storytime Services Guide
  http://www.ala.org/alsc/virtual-storytime-services-resource-guide
  Virtual programs are a valuable way to connect with our communities regardless of crisis. As libraries of all types expand their digital collections and explore virtual programming, we offer this guide as a resource to those seeking to offer or improve storytime services from afar. While this guide primarily focuses on virtual storytime, it also includes helpful resources and suggestions for other online library experiences and virtual children’s programs.
• Diverse BookFinderhttps://diversebookfinder.org/
  Newsletter sign up
  The Diverse BookFinder's free, online Collection Analysis Tool (CAT) for public and school libraries -- funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services -- offers an analysis of which racial/cultural groups are represented, and how they are represented, in your current picture book collection. 
• ALSC Blog: Black Books Matterhttps://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2020/06/black-books-matter/
  An argument for diversifying your collection. 
• Race and Antiracism Resources for Wisconsin Public Librarieshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1yez_gyFeKEsDFRf1CVAXgY3UYv6dixCuaVgQctVzOr4/edit?usp=sharing
  Continuing education and personal learning resources

Sincerely,

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

Public Library Consultant – Youth and Inclusive Services

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Division for Libraries and Technology

(608) 267-5077

Friday FAQs with Tessa Michaelson Schmidt

• 6/18/21 recording

• 5/14/21 recording
• 4/9/21 recording
• 3/12/21 recording
• 2/12/21 recording
• 1/15/21 recording
• 12/11/20 recording
• 11/13/20 recording
• 10/9/20 recording
• 9/11/20 recording
• 8/14/20 recording
• 7/31/20 recording
• 7/17/20 recording
• 7/10/20 recording
• 6/26/20 recording
• 6/19/20 recording
• 6/11/20 recording
• 6/5/20 recording
• 5/29/20 recording
• 5/22/20 recording
• 5/15/20 recording
• 5/8/20 recording
• 5/1/20 recording
• 4/24/20 recording
• 4/17/20 recording
• 4/10/20 recording