Many parents have reached out to ask for Black History and Social Justice children’s books and resources to help start the conversation at home. I applaud these brave parents for their willingness to navigate such uncomfortable topics. My family and I attended a town wide demonstration in 2020 and I am proud of the town I live in. The sight of various families, friends and neighbors side by side was the motivation I needed to do my part in this social crossroad we find ourselves as a nation.

An amazing educator I know posted a list of resources from an organization called EmbraceRace. I wanted to learn more and share it with you the extensive list of resources I found on their website. EmbraceRace is a community of adults of all colors – parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers, older siblings, librarians, cousins, therapists and other caring adults – who support each other in the efforts to raise and guide children who are inclusive, informed and brave when it comes to race.

When your children see demonstrations and protests in the streets or in the news as a response to racism and social injustice, you can help them navigate what is going on by giving them some historical context in a way that makes them feel safe and affirms them as global citizens.
Here are some Black History and Social Justice children’s books and resources that will empower you and your children to be the change you want to see.

Let The Children March 

In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world.

Freedom Over Me

Inspired by the actual will of a plantation owner that lists the worth of each and every one of his “workers”, Bryan has created collages around that document, and others like it. Through fierce paintings and expansive poetry he imagines and interprets each person’s life on the plantation, as well as the life their owner knew nothing about—their dreams and pride in knowing that they were worth far more than an Overseer or Madam ever would guess.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to empower young activists to listen, learn, and build a better tomorrow.

Long Way Down

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas–and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

Watch Us Rise

These two dynamic, creative young women stand up and speak out in a novel that features their compelling art and poetry along with powerful personal journeys that will inspire readers and budding poets, feminists, and activists.

Dear Martin

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Let’s Talk About Race

This children’s book by Julius Lester makes the point that each child, no matter their race, is unique and special.

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work

Author Tiffany Jewels talks to young adults in This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work. While the book explains the origins of racism, it also gives 20 activities to empower teens and young adults to undo racial oppression.

Show Way

From slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches and the fight for literacy, the tradition they called Show Way has been passed down by the women in Jacqueline Woodson’s family as a way to remember the past and celebrate the possibilities of the future.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation

Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites only” school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist

Meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, in this moving picture book that proves you’re never too little to make a difference.

The Journey of Little Charlie

Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis brings his trademark humor and heart to this story of a boy struggling to do right in the face of history’s cruelest evils.

Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

Don’t ever let anyone say that Black women weren’t on the front lines of the freedom movement. Andrea Davis Pinkney details the women that every Black child should know and reverence in this award-winning children’s book.

Count Me In

When Karina posts a few photos related to the attack on social media, they quickly attract attention, and before long her #CountMeIn post–“What does an American look like? #immigrants #WeBelong #IamAmerican #HateHasNoHomeHere”–goes viral and a diverse population begin to add their own photos. Then, when Papa is finally on the road to recovery, Karina uses her newfound social media reach to help celebrate both his homecoming and a community coming together.

The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA

For Gabriel Haberlin, life seems pretty close to perfect in the small southern town of Birdsong, USA. But on his twelfth birthday, his point of view begins to change.

I Am Alfonso Jones

In the first graphic novel for young readers to focus on police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement, as in Hamlet, the dead shall speak—and the living yield even more surprises.

Rosa

Fifty years after her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, city bus, Mrs. Rosa Parks is still one of the most important figures in the American civil rights movement. This tribute to Mrs. Parks is a celebration of her courageous action and the events that followed.

Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace

This book brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Engaging narrative and vibrant images paint a robust portrait of this inspiring champion of the land and of women’s rights.

Something Happened in Our Town

Something Happened in Our Town follows two families — one White, one Black — as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children’s questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.

We’re Different, We’re The Same

Elmo and his Sesame Street friends help teach toddlers and the adults in their lives that everyone is the same on the inside, and it’s our differences that make this wonderful world, which is home to us all, an interesting—and special—place.

Kid Activists: True Tales of Childhood from Champions of Change

Every activist started out as a kid—and in some cases they were kids when their activism began! But even the world’s greatest champions of civil liberties had relatable interests and problems–often in the middle of extraordinary circumstances

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things – bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn’t always accept them.

I am Martin Luther King, Jr. (Ordinary People Change the World)

Even as a child, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shocked by the terrible and unfair way African-American people were treated. When he grew up, he decided to do something about it—peacefully, with powerful words.

Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X

Ilyasah Shabazz gives us a unique glimpse into the childhood of her father, Malcolm X, with a lyrical story that carries a message that resonates still today—that we must all strive to live to our highest potential.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

This poetic book is a resounding tribute to Tubman’s strength, humility, and devotion. With proper reverence, Weatherford and Nelson do justice to the woman who, long ago, earned over and over the name Moses.

Nelson Mandela

It is the story of a young boy’s determination to change South Africa, and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country. Mandela believed in equality for all people, no matter the color of their skin. Readers will be inspired by Mandela’s triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world.

The Undefeated

This poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world’s greatest heroes.

My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth

Written in the fiery and eloquent voice of Sojourner Truth herself, My Name Is Truth will captivate readers just as Sojourner’s passionate words enthralled her listeners.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

The Only Black Girls in Town

Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.
When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie’s attic, they team up to figure out exactly who’s behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial

With gorgeous art from award-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis, The First Step is an inspiring look at the first lawsuit to demand desegregation–long before the American Civil Rights movement, even before the Civil War.

Chasing Freedom

With breathtaking illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Michele Wood, CHASING FREEDOM richly imagines the experiences of Tubman and Anthony, set against the backdrop of the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977.

1919 The Year That Changed America

Martin Sandler traces the momentum and setbacks of these movements through this last century, showing that progress isn’t always a straight line and offering a unique lens through which we can understand history and the change many still seek.

This list of Black History and Social Justice children’s books and resources is a great start to the conversation about race. I am learning that parenting propels us to educate ourselves, be willing to involve our children in the journey in order to grow as a family. Yes it is uncomfortable but being silent and not taking a stand speaks volumes to your children and your neighbor.

All the demonstrations we had been seeing are the start of something that could bring a change, if we keep pushing and raising our voices together. Black History and Social Justice children’s books and resources bring awareness and support because it’s not an either/or proclamation. We have a long way to go but what I experienced in our town demonstration challenged me to see that there is hope because I pray that we all want a change for a better and more United States of America!