“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The events of recent months and weeks have had a cumulative effect that has impacted all individuals, families, and communities. Our hearts go out to the families who have been directly impacted by COVID-19. And we share the outpouring of concern about long standing acts of injustice in our society. We recognize that these layers of trauma call for bold, bright, immediate, and sustained action. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others have prioritized, education is an equalizer and a conduit for closing the literacy opportunity gap — this is our mission at Raising A Reader MA.
Together we stand for equality. We commit to bringing empowering resources that will offer hope for the future. We encourage use of these references to facilitate difficult conversations to support children holistically around challenging topics.
May we continue to build a better tomorrow. Be well.
With gratitude,
Christine Ward, Executive Director
Katee Duffy, Director of Programs
Mary Ann F. Lerner, Director of Development
Resources & References
Raising A Reader National’s Town Hall Meeting on June 5, 2020
Children’s Book Lists:
- Embrace Race: Read Aloud Books for Raising a Brave Generation
- Today’s Parent: 30 Books to Help You Talk to Your Kid About Racism
Navigating Conversations with Kids:
- Video: Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma and Race in a World of Nonstop News
- Teaching Tolerance: Race & Ethnicity
- Talking to Children about Racial Bias
- Uplifting Youth Through Healthy Conversation about Race
- Talking About Race, Racism and Racial Violence with Kids
Educate Yourself Through the Eyes of the Most Impacted: