Teach Your Kids About Badass Black Women

Beyoncé videos and children’s books to teach intersectional feminism

Beyoncé Art — Cropped Photo by Brianna Santellan on Unsplash

Today, my 4-year-old and I had a great talk about institutionalized racism and intersectional feminism.

Actually, we had a ton of tiny talks, while watching lots of Beyoncé videos.

I sometimes overtalk on subjects I’m passionate about, like the struggle against racism and sexism. But I’m finally realizing we’ve got to reach people where they’re at, and where my 4-year-old is at is that she loves dancing and cute clothes.

How do you start a conversation with your kid about race?

People of color have conversations about race by necessity. White people sometimes try to put off talking about race, because it makes them nervous.

My kid is a white-passing Jew. I’m a Jew who reads as ethnically ambiguous. I grew up feeling othered, and I’m doing what I can to raise an ally.

Today, Beyoncé helped us talk about race, but usually, we turn to children’s books. So many children’s books that explicitly deal with race center on two topics: slavery and the civil rights era.

Yes, teach your kid about slavery, and the struggles for rights (past and ongoing). Our favorite books on the subject focus on black empowerment in the midst of white brutality.

Four of our favorite children’s books that deal with slavery:

But, when it comes to black history, slavery is far from the full picture.

If we only teach our kids the stories of slavery and segregation, stories of white power, are some kids going to think, “Well, maybe they/we did something to deserve it?” It is a hard thing to fit in our heads, that people commit atrocities for no good reason, so little minds (and big minds) try to rationalize, try to invent excuses, where there are none.

Again, it’s very important to teach kids the horrors white culture committed, and continues to commit. But let’s also talk about how it’s getting better because of the struggles of people of color and allies, and let’s make sure we teach our kids stories of black people and other people of color just living life, being awesome.

We need to teach our kids about slavery and civil rights, but we also need to help them see the rest of the picture: People of color are beautiful, powerful, smart, talented, and accomplished.

Our black kids need to see it. Our white kids need to see it. Everyone needs it.

It’s why so many families took their kids to Black Panther at a younger age than they would for other violent movies: The Afro-futurism was gorgeous and inspiring, and these sorts of portrayals set our kids up to love themselves, to love each other, and to grow up to knock down institutional racism everywhere they find it.