Image courtesy of Jan Sonnenmair
At United Way of the Columbia Willamette we focus our work on serving the most marginalized and underserved groups and we know that centering race and ethnicity is critical to ending the historical and social inequities that continue to exist in our region. To learn more about our commitment to racial equity visit our Leading with Equity page.
As part of our continuing work on advancing racial equity, we’ve put together a compilation of local and national resources created by multiple organizations. The content in this section includes books and resources for children to understand what race is, how race plays a part in all of our lives, and why race in America is important. Great for parents who believe their child can be an agent of change against racial inequity!
Children books
- 26 children’s books to support conversations on race, racism & resistance - Association of California School Administators
- Childrens Book Bank inclusive stories books
- Diversity & Inclusion; The Stories for All Project - First Book
- Free 40 Leveled Readers in Colloquial Cantonese with Audio - Storybooks Canada
- Indigenous Storybooks
- Global Storybooks Portal
- Unite for Literacy
- Afro-latinidades en la literatura infantil (Spanish)
For parents
- Racial Equity resources - Washington County Cooperative Library Services
- Social Justice resources - Glazer Children’s Museum
- Talking about race - National Museum of African American History and Culture - Smithsonian
- Talking with children and teens about race and racism - Multnomah County Library
- Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism - Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) for Parents
Find more tools and materials on our Racial Equity resources page, to increase your own understanding and to help others work toward racial justice.