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ajoymccann's review
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
I enjoyed Ibram’s fatherhood/parent journey and how our biases affect our children and in turn our society. Really great points surrounding empathy and love for mankind.
itsmeamethyst's review
5.0
"The most critical part of raising an antiracist child is not what we do with our child. It is what we do with our society...Because nothing raises an antiracist child more effectively than an antiracist society."
I read this entire book in 24 hours, and while reading I was texting fellow parents about it. It is one that would benefit all caregivers to children. He mixes research, his childhood, and the birth story of his daughter who was born prematurely to expand on the principles outlined in [b:Antiracist Baby|52535437|Antiracist Baby|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575323604l/52535437._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73663092]. He touches on colorism, eugenics, ableism, neo-Nazi recruitment. Through it all he highlights racial equality and that what makes us equal is our shared humanity.
Kendi expands on four prominent forms of racial socialization throughout the book: Promotion of mistrust, cultural socialization, preparation for bias/racism, and color blindness (Note: the first and last are racist/harmful). Essentially, explaining racism to children in moments of recognition is far better than leaving children to explain it to themselves. Having books, toys, and games that reflect our child's complexion and culture as well as the rest of our multicultural world is necessary, though we also need conversations about how people aren't good or bad; people can do good or bad things (shared humanity).
"For many privileged caregivers, if the child excels, then it's due to the natural talent she inherited, not the unnatural privileges she inherited. For many deprived parents, if she falters, then she is to blame, not the unnatural deprivations she inherited. If privileged and deprived parents believe that their kids are better or worse by nature, then they are bound to impart these ideas to those same kids. That makes those kids vulnerable to racist ideas of inherent superiority.
My mindset is irreversibly changed since reading [b:How To Be an Antiracist|43459818|How To Be an Antiracist|Ibram X. Kendi|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62549152], and I appreciate this supplemental book along with his other works.
Thank you to One World (an imprint of Random House), NetGalley, and especially Dr. Kendi for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review before its release June 14, 2022.
I read this entire book in 24 hours, and while reading I was texting fellow parents about it. It is one that would benefit all caregivers to children. He mixes research, his childhood, and the birth story of his daughter who was born prematurely to expand on the principles outlined in [b:Antiracist Baby|52535437|Antiracist Baby|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575323604l/52535437._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73663092]. He touches on colorism, eugenics, ableism, neo-Nazi recruitment. Through it all he highlights racial equality and that what makes us equal is our shared humanity.
Kendi expands on four prominent forms of racial socialization throughout the book: Promotion of mistrust, cultural socialization, preparation for bias/racism, and color blindness (Note: the first and last are racist/harmful). Essentially, explaining racism to children in moments of recognition is far better than leaving children to explain it to themselves. Having books, toys, and games that reflect our child's complexion and culture as well as the rest of our multicultural world is necessary, though we also need conversations about how people aren't good or bad; people can do good or bad things (shared humanity).
"For many privileged caregivers, if the child excels, then it's due to the natural talent she inherited, not the unnatural privileges she inherited. For many deprived parents, if she falters, then she is to blame, not the unnatural deprivations she inherited. If privileged and deprived parents believe that their kids are better or worse by nature, then they are bound to impart these ideas to those same kids. That makes those kids vulnerable to racist ideas of inherent superiority.
My mindset is irreversibly changed since reading [b:How To Be an Antiracist|43459818|How To Be an Antiracist|Ibram X. Kendi|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62549152], and I appreciate this supplemental book along with his other works.
Thank you to One World (an imprint of Random House), NetGalley, and especially Dr. Kendi for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review before its release June 14, 2022.
lesserjoke's review
4.0
A thoughtful guide on modeling conversations about race and racism for young kids, in recognition of the fact that they will be exposed to a lot of prejudiced situations and ideas that can be internalized if not actively confronted. This book definitely builds on author Ibram X. Kendi's previous works like Stamped from the Beginning or especially How to Be an Antiracist, suggesting a framework in which individual actions either uphold or oppose bigotry -- with neutrality always defaulting to the former in a bigoted society like ours -- but I think it would still succeed for readers entering the curriculum here. (My advice for parents/caregivers might even be to start with this title, and only backtrack to those others if you find yourself resisting or confused by the writer's definitions and assertions.)
Some of the material can be a bit off-topic. The medical racism experienced by Kendi's wife during her first pregnancy, for instance, although harrowing and illustrative of a widespread problem driving Black maternal mortality rates, doesn't have much to do with raising children in an antiracist mindset. And there are a lot of passages that might be better suited for memoir, given how they reflect on moments in the author's childhood when adults did not push back on racism that he was encountering then. But generally speaking, this is a valuable text for prompting proactive household discussions, featuring plenty of real-life examples to draw on and illustrating why a so-called "colorblind" approach of ignoring race and other human differences tends to reinforce bias rather than diminish it.
[Content warning for gun violence, lynching, and racial slurs.]
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Some of the material can be a bit off-topic. The medical racism experienced by Kendi's wife during her first pregnancy, for instance, although harrowing and illustrative of a widespread problem driving Black maternal mortality rates, doesn't have much to do with raising children in an antiracist mindset. And there are a lot of passages that might be better suited for memoir, given how they reflect on moments in the author's childhood when adults did not push back on racism that he was encountering then. But generally speaking, this is a valuable text for prompting proactive household discussions, featuring plenty of real-life examples to draw on and illustrating why a so-called "colorblind" approach of ignoring race and other human differences tends to reinforce bias rather than diminish it.
[Content warning for gun violence, lynching, and racial slurs.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
hallehamilton's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This was a great read. It was engaging, informative, and clearly demonstrates how racism impacts a child’s development.
jazzysreads's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Truly an eye-opening book into racism and how it connects with development in children. It shows how adults tend to underestimate children's awareness and intelligence when it comes to race. Whether intentional or unintentional and the effects it has on a child's development. I like the integration of personal experiences and the segway into the research. The chapter I found most interesting was chapter 7. I learned so much from this book.