These Nia House children are readying for their next adventure! This is a time of many different types of goodbyes. This blog, we dedicate to the children heading off to 1st grade or Kindergarten.
We love you and celebrate your growth during your time at Nia House. It truly is our greatest honor and gift to have been a part of your journey.
Sarah Dobkin, LCSW, shares ways to ready your child for their return to school. As you may recall, Sarah spoke twice to our Nia House parent community during our school closure/distance learning. In these blogs, she offers specific strategies and activities to ready you & your little ones.
Thank you, Sarah!
Picture from https://www.sarahdobkinlcsw.com/
Let’s keep on raising children that are aware of race, with strong senses of identity, with pride in who they are, and with a spirit of activism and peace!
Thank you to our teacher, Kendall, who compiled this wonderful resource of children’s books for the youngest of children and California black-owned bookstores for us to support.
Ashay By The Bay
1411 Webster Street Oakland, CA
Online bookstore:
Marcus Books
3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Oakland, CA 94609
The Multicultural Children’s Bookstore
2325 Hilltop Mall Rd. Richmond, CA 94806
https://www.multiculturalbookstore.com/
Underground Books in Sacramento, CA
Online bookstore:
https://www.sthope.org/underground-books-home
Eso Won Books in Los Angeles, CA
Online bookstore:
https://www.esowonbookstore.com/
Shades of Afrika in Long Beach, CA
Online bookstore:
Here is a video for preschool aged children to watch as they ready for their return to school.
Toddler families and parents that want to brush up on all the new changes can visit our COVID Resource Page for slideshows with pictures for the toddlers and Parent Meeting slides with new information.
See you soon!
As the nation is rising up against historical and current racism, those of us with younger children–particularly Black children–are trying to find our place in all this. Many of us want to be involved, but the burden of childcare in the pandemic is overwhelming. We need protests where we can take our children and be confident that
we and our children will be safe from further police violence
young people are getting age-appropriate messages about these injustices and the movement that is fighting for Black lives
young Black people are in positions of visibility and leadership
The experience includes fun, joy, and an opportunity to be out of our houses
people will be taking COVID precautions.
FREEDOM FRIDAYS is an opportunity for young people to see themselves reflected in leadership, and for Black youth to see themselves in the center. Our speakers and performers will all be young people.
Participants are instructed to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
We will assemble under the Fairyland sign near Grand & Harrison. Young people will address the crowd. Then we will assemble and march. Young people, particularly youth of color up front. We will march and chant. People are invited to walk, bike, skate, or push strollers Bring drums, bubbles, and chalk.
ROUTE: The entire route is about one mile long. We will march down the protected bike lane on Harrison and then on the sidewalk to keep our young people safe. Finally, we will cross one street, to get to the Alameda County Courthouse. Once there, we will finish by having young people chalk messages that relate to our demands, which are the demands of the Movement for Black Lives:
Defund Police
Invest in Black communities
Remove Donald Tr*mp
We will be building momentum throughout the summer as the uprising continues. We plan to hold FREEDOM FRIDAYS: Family Walk and Chalk for Black Lives every Friday at 4pm through the end of July, but we may continue afterwards, if momentum builds. Watch this space for updates.
Thank you again to Sarah Dobkins for supporting our parent community through MAJOR life transitions.
Sarah has authored an interactive children’s story that your child can help illustrate. This story will help navigate some of the challenging Covid concepts of safety. Find her story here.
If your family would like more professional support from Sarah Dobkins please do reach out. Sarah Dobkins specializes in serving children 0-5 and their parents. Find out more about Sarah here.
The needed materials are:
- a coffee filter (or paper cut in a shape of a circle);
- washable markers;
- water;
- eye dropper (or measuring spoon or brush);
- scissors.
Though every family’s needs are different, here are some ways to begin addressing race with children that Nia House employs:
1- Books- Share books with diverse representations of children in their families and community. This can be simple board books that reflect diversity to more detailed stories. Make sure books show empowered characters of color. Stories can show people of color that are artists, scientists, fathers, mothers, friends, and more. Books lists are provided below.
2- Name Race- It is a gift to have a community to draw upon that reflects such diversity. Here is how a beginning conversation might go..
“Skin has melanin. Some people have more melanin than others. People that have more melanin have ancestors that come from hotter places. The melanin protects their skin from the sun. People with less melanin have ancestors from milder climates. More melanin protects from the hot sun and less melanin allows for more sun absorption.”
Do not shy away from talking about our differences. The Colors of Us is a lovely children’s book that explores all the beautiful shades of brown in a child’s community.
3- Injustice- Begin conversations about fairness. Your talk might sound like this…
“Historically, or a long time ago and even today, people are working as teachers and as freedom fighters so that all people- all our friends, neighbors, and community members, especially people of color (people with more melanin- shades of brown), are treated with love, kindness, and equity. There are some rules and some people (who are still learning) that make the world unfair. In our family and our community, we will always be teachers of peace. We will always work to keep one another safe and loved.”
Books that explore injustice in age appropriate ways are listed below.
4- Action- Make art or a sign to demonstrate solidarity and hang it in your home window. Write a letter to your mayor or representative on an issue of fairness. Make friends with a diverse group of people. Donate money and time to causes that empower the wellness of our local community’s people of color.
Like all parts of our curriculum, we know that topics need to be revisited and represented over and over again. There is no one lesson or talk that will instill understanding of this very complex and deeply emotional work. Children and adults will need to keep learning and growing our social justice practices.
We recognize there is an abundance of resources out in the world. This is a very modest and hopefully manageable beginning.
Book lists for children:
Books for Littles on Diversity
Children’s books to support conversations on race
Oakland Library Booklist on Race and Justice by age group
Resources on Social Justice and Education:
The Center for Racial Justice in Education
For White Folks
Additional articles you might find helpful:
"Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup"
Trevor Noah addresses riots, police brutality, social justice and more
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change
Dear Nia House friends and families,
We, the Nia House teachers and staff, stand in solidarity and love with our Black community members. We condemn the violent mistreatment of the Black community by the police and the prevalence of institutional racial prejudice.
In light of the tragic murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the many others that have died due to systemic racism, we deepen our spirit of teaching as activism and empowerment. We are committed to creating a community that addresses race, matters of equity, justice, empathy, peace and kindness. These values are Nia House’s foundation, mission, and are imbued in our daily practices.
“Whereas non-racists merely profess tolerant attitudes and think everyone should be treated equally, anti-racists not only acknowledge that not everyone is treated equally but work ‘daily [and] vigilantly’ (hooks 1995:158) to combat this inequality.”
-Eileen O’Brien
At Nia House, we believe that in order for social justice to grow, we must teach it early, nurture it as a safe daily practice, and that it be a community effort. We urge each of you to discuss race, systems of oppression, and stories of liberation and activism with your children. And to model empathy, friendship, activism, and solidarity. Discussing race, systemic inequality, and continued resistance and activism is a tangible action each of us can take to support and grow the movement for Black Lives Matter. Talk with your children, talk with each other. While it may seem challenging to have these discussions, this moment is a profound opportunity for healing and for liberation, and now is the time to take this moment and plant the seeds for the movement.
Below are resources and 4 Practices to Introduce Race and Justice into your home.
With love and in solidarity,
Your Nia House Staff and Teachers
blog by: Monisha Bajaj
“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves … the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.
”
Young people have an innate sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair. Explaining the basics of human rights in age appropriate ways with stories and examples can set the foundation for a lifelong commitment to social responsibility and global citizenship.
As a parent to a preschooler and a professor of peace and human rights education, here are my top picks for children's books that discuss important issues—and that are visually beautiful. Some of the books listed offer an overview of rights; the majority show individuals and organizations past and present who have struggled to overcome injustices. All offer different levels of child-friendly images, concepts and text.
With my son who is 3, sometimes we will skip certain passages or pages, but introducing him to books like the ones listed below that include characters of different races, religions, genders, abilities, sexual orientations, and other backgrounds at an early age will hopefully lay the foundation for deeper engagement with these texts and issues later on. Lately, he has been making tea in his play kitchen for Martin Luther King Jr. and the other day asked about Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren.
Some of these books are on our shelf at home, others we have found at the library or at friends’ houses.
What’s on your list of go-to books for talking about human rights and social justice issues with your children? Let’s keep the list growing in the comments section below!
**These books should be easily searchable, and I’ve created a book list on Amazon.com at this link with all the books mentioned in this post.
1. We are all Born Free by Amnesty International
About the basics of human dignity as elaborated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
2. Whoever you Are by Mem Fox
About the common humanity we all share regardless of race, color, religion, nationality, gender, ability or sexual orientation
3. Can you Say Peace? By Karen Katz
A book about how peace looks in different countries around the world and a celebration of September 21 – the date the United Nations has declared the International Day of Peace
4. A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
A colorful board book with an introduction to speaking up and acting for social change whether related to LGBTQ rights, racial justice, or sustainability.
5. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
About the landmark 1947 case fought by a Latino family to desegregate whites-only schools in California that served as a precursor to the Brown vs. Board decision in 1954.
6. Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery by Jeanette Winter
About two young advocates for educational rights who were both attacked in Pakistan—Malala Yousafzai and the lesser-known Iqbal Masih. While Iqbal didn’t survive the attack on him, Malala went on to advocate for the right to education for girls worldwide and win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
7. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
About a young woman at the forefront of school desegregation in 1960 after the Brown vs. Board. The book shows her fortitude in enduring harassment from angry mobs to get a quality education.
8. Waiting for BiblioBurro by Monica Brown (author) and John Parra (illustrator)
Inspired by the real-life story of Luis Soriano, who started a mobile library with donkeys carrying hundreds of books over long distances for children in rural areas of Colombia.
9. Mama’s Nightingale by Edwidge Danticat (author) and Leslie Staub (illustrator)
Written by award-winning Haitian-American novelist, Edwidge Danticat, this book is about a family separated by the U.S. immigration system and how love transcends borders and orders of deportation.
10. Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh
Young Pancho the Rabbit misses his father who has gone north and sets out to find him, but encounters a coyote whose help comes at a high cost. This book introduces the hardships that thousands of migrant families face.
11. Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed (authors)
About two girls who share a pair of sandals in a refugee camp for Afghans on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, offering a humanizing glimpse into life in a refugee camp.
12. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams (author) and R. Gregory Christie (illustrator)
About the lost boys of Sudan who walked long distances for freedom, and were resettled as refugees in the U.S.
13. Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
A beautifully-illustrated book about the life of South African human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and first President of post-Apartheid South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
14. Ambedkar: The Fight for Justice by Durgabhai Vyam
About the life of by Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a human rights activist who came from a Dalit family (formerly called “untouchable”) and became the first Law Minister of India after independence. He drafted India’s Constitution and was a leading voice against caste discrimination.
15. Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus (Authors), andEvan Turk (Illustrator)
A book about Mohandas Gandhi, leader of India’s freedom struggle against the British, told through the voice of his grandson. His nonviolent resistance to oppression inspired movements across the world, such as the U.S. civil rights movement.
16. If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringold
A book about Rosa Parks, an activist who led the boycott of the Montgomery bus system, in order to advance civil rights in the U.S.
17. Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
& I Have a Dream (book & CD) by Bernice King (author) & Kadir Nelson (illustrator)
& for children 12+, March, a trilogy of graphic novels by John Lewis
Books about Martin Luther King, Jr., a leader of the U.S. civil rights movement, whose vision for racial and economic justice continues to inspire social action today.
18. Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped our History… and Our Future by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl
19. Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries who Shaped History by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl
These two beautiful books offer information on a wide range of amazing women—from athletes to activists to artists to politicians—that we all should know. The U.S. book focuses on women past and present (A is for Angela Davis, Y is for Yuri Kochiyama), who have radically transformed society. The global book introduces us to many women, and also offers a long list at the end of women to explore further – great for future book reports and projects.
20. Grace for President by Kelly S. DiPucchio (Author), LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
After learning that a woman has never been President (written in 2012), Grace deicdes to launch her political career in a school election.
21. My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/la vida de Gabriela Mistral by Monica Brown (Author) and John Parra (Illustrator)
This book is about Gabriela Mistral, a Chilean poet and educator who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She worked with the League of Nations and advocated for education for all children.
22. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings (Authors), Shelagh McNicholas (Illustrator)
This book tells the real life story of Jazz Jennings’ experience as a transgender child. An important read about trans children and how to support them.
23. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (Authors), Henry Cole (Illustrator)
A story about two penguins, Roy and Silo, who with the help of a friendly zookeeper, welcome a baby of their own.
24. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman (Author), Kristyna Litten (Illustrator)
A colorful book celebrating LGBTQ history with a glimpse into the struggles for greater equality. The handy note to parents and caregivers offers additional ways of addressing issues of sexual orientation with young children.
25. Joelito’s Big Decision by Ann Berlak
This book presents the dilemma faced by 9-year old Joelito: whether to eat at his favorite restaurant when the workers are being mistreated and protesting outside.
26. ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn (Author), Francisco Delgado (Illustrator)
This book tells the story of the successful janitor strike in LA through the voice of Carlitos whose mom works at night cleaning office buildings.
27. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull and Yuyi Morales
& Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez by Monica Brown (author) and Joe Cepeda (illustrator)
These two books about the United Farm Workers movement led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta introduce young people to the rights of agricultural workers, and the immigrants who often toil in harsh conditions to produce the food we eat.
28. Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson (Author) and Sean Qualls (Illustrator)
The real-life story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a young man from Ghana, born with a disability and, with the support of his family, attended school, became a cyclist and earned international fame for his achievements.
29. My Friend Suhana: A Story of Friendship and Cerebral Palsy by Shaila Abdullah and Aanyah Abdullah (Authors)
A book about finding friendship and unconditional love, co-written by the author’s then 10-year old daughter.
30. Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller by Doreen Rappaport (Author), Matt Tavares (Illustrator)
A biography about Helen Keller, a deaf and blind U.S. author and political activist who was a co-founded of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
31. Ed Roberts: Father of Disability Rights by Diana Pastora Carson (Author)
This book offers a glimpse the work and contributions of Ed Roberts, who became a quadriplegic at the age of 14 due to polio and later an effective advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.
32. Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson
A book about environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner from Kenya, Wangari Maathai.
33. The Earth Book by Todd Parr
A simple board book about how we can take care of our planet and be responsible citizens of the earth.
34. Call Me Tree / Llamame Arbol & I Know the River Loves Me by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Author, Illustrator)
Two bilingual (Spanish/English) book about connecting with nature—trees and rivers—and becoming your true self.
35. One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon
A true story about one woman’s actions to address the waste and environmental harm caused by plastic bags.
36. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine (Author) and Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
A story about a young enslaved boy who doesn’t know his birthday and goes on a quest for freedom.
37. Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp by Katie Yamasaki
About two Japanese-American boys living in an internment camp after the U.S. went to war with Japan.
38. The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
About the friendship of two girls that forms as one’s family is hiding in the other’s house from the Nazis during World War II in France.
39. Chachaji's Cup by Uma Krishnaswami (Author) and Soumya Sitaraman (Illustrator)
A story about a boy’s relationship with his great uncle who has lived through the violent partition of India and Pakistan. There is also a note at the end with information about the partition.
40. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter (Author)
A true story about a woman’s fight to save her community’s thousands of books from violence and war.
Stacey’s child, Atticus, got a new pet! We went to the Vivarium in West Berkeley to get a baby bearded dragon. Atticus named the lizard- Lizalfos. In this video, Lizalfos eats live crickets.
Here Atticus shares a few Bearded Dragon insights…
