What Do Children Understand About Race?

Kids are aware of race and absorb ideas about race from the social world around them.

Kids form racial identities. They recognize that their race and racial group is part of who they are and how others see them.

Not talking about race increases racist thinking and racism!

Hands up

So what does any of this have to do with kids? Kids don’t understand this complex race stuff, right? Even as adults we struggle to wrap our minds around it! So why is it necessary to include kids in this conversation? Research gives us 3 big reasons why we should talk to kids about race:

  1. Kids are aware of race and absorb ideas about race from the social world around them. They absorb these ideas from parents, peers, the media, teachers, schools, books, and so on.
  2. Kids form racial identities. They recognize that their race and racial group is part of who they are and how others see them.
  3. Research suggests that not talking about race with kids actually increases racist thinking and racism.

Kids think for themselves but they also observe those around them, particularly influential adults and peers. Then they reflect what they see in their own beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and interactions with others. From an early age, children gather information from observing other peoples’ behaviors, language, and emotions. And they use this information to determine how they should feel and respond and treat others. Information about race is no exception.

  • Bias
    the belief that some people or ideas are better than others, usually resulting in unfair treatment
    Biological race
    physical racial features such as skin color, hair textures, and facial features
    Explicit racism/bias
    racism that is plainly expressed through words and or actions
    Implicit racism/bias
    racism that hides in our unconscious biases and gets expressed in our actions
    Racism
    the beliefs and practices that uphold and reinforce inequalities based on race
    Social identity
    a person’s sense of self that is based on group membership
    Social race
    The social norms, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that accompany racial groups
    Systemic racism
    policies, practices, and laws that reinforce social inequalities by discriminating against groups of people, either directly or indirectly, and limiting their rights