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The news cycle over the past week has been relentless. 

to what’s happening and they want to learn. But it can be hard to know how to address heavy topics with young people. 

So how should teachers and families talk to kids about racism, police killings and the conviction of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin? 

7 tips: How two Black Minnesota teachers discuss racism with their fifth-grade students

How two Black Minnesota teachers discuss racism with their fifth-grade students

“To not address it, once again, is that silence piece and it is complicit because you are erasing the experience of kids of color, communities of color,” said Qorosho Hassan, who taught fifth graders at a Burnsville elementary school and was a recent Minnesota Teacher of the Year. 

“You’re also really kind of creating more space for that confusion, that anger, that hurt to not be checked, to not be processed, and I think that that is dangerous.”

MPR News host Angela Davis’ conversation about having ‘the talk’ with kids about race

MPR News host Angela Davis’ conversation about 

having ‘the talk’ with kids about race

Two fathers joined the program to talk about why parents of color have long felt they must have this conversation with their children, and how parents can explain recent events to young people. Listen to the program 

Angela Davis’ virtual discussion about talking race and racism with kids

Angela Davis’ virtual discussion about 

Dianne Haulcy, host of the Early Risers podcast, answered parents’ questions about raising children in this moment. How do we talk about race, racism, equity and fairness with the youngest people in our lives? Listen to the program 

NPR’s quick guide on talking race with young children

NPR’s guide on how white parents can talk to their kids about race

how white parents can talk to their kids about race

Michel Martin, weekend host of All Things Considered, spoke with Jennifer Harvey, author of “Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America” about the consequences of silence — and how to have healthy conversations with their children about race. 

Podcasts! Code Switch’s episodes on race that are kid-appropriate

episodes on race that are kid-appropriate

“Over the past few weeks, all of us at Code Switch have noticed that a lot of you have children — bright young minds with boundless energy, just waiting to learn how to fight the power and advance racial justice. (Right?) But with everything that's going on, finding ways to critically engage school-age kids has been a challenge at best. With that in mind, we've compiled a playlist tailor-made for our youngest listeners.”

A 7-minute listen on how parents can help their kids understand how to be anti-racist

how parents can help their kids understand how to be anti-racist

What does it mean to be anti-racist and how should adults talk to kids about race and racism? NPR's Noel King talks to children's author Renee Watson and anti-racism scholar Ibram Kendi.

EdWeek talked to two Minnesota teachers on how and why they’re addressing the Chauvin trial in class

EdWeek talked to two Minnesota teachers on 

how and why they’re addressing the Chauvin trial in class

“Two Black teachers in Minnesota, which has been the epicenter of the Black Lives Matter movement and the location for several high-profile shooting deaths of Black people over the past year attested to the need to discuss police brutality with their students. Although it is emotionally exhausting and they risk facing backlash from parents or their district, both teachers said not addressing systemic racism is doing a disservice to their students and to themselves.”

Educators and experts across Minnesota weighed in on social media this week, too. Here’s some of their advice:

Unable to see the full tweet? Click here.

Social Issues

Conversations around race and racial justice

NewsPartners

Crime, Law and Justice

The murder of George Floyd

Elizabeth Shockman

Author

Kids are paying attention. Here’s how to talk to them about this week’s news: from the Chauvin verdict to the police killings of Adam Toledo, Daunte Wright and Makhia Bryant.

How to talk to kids about the Chauvin verdict and race

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