Bringing up topics like intersectionality and everything that entails can with kids can be uncomfortable. Especially when you come from a fundie background where those kinds of things aren’t talked about at all. There’s no line for to follow for where the boundaries are. What’s appropriate and what’s not. Do I really show them this video that highlights sexism?
But we make the road by walking. So I just dove head first into this with my teens yesterday. We are starting our study of world empires, and I want to look at the intersectionalities as we go along, and have them be able to start noticing them, and training themselves, as Mari Matsuda (qtd in Crenshaw) says to ‘ask the other question’.
So here are the resources I used, focused on racism, classism, and sexism:
I highlighted parts of Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s article on intersectionality and had them read just those parts. It’s really long and I knew most of it would go over their heads, so I just had them read the parts about intersectionality, power, social constructs, and identity politics.
Then we watched videos for almost 2 hours and talked about them.
WTF is Intersectional Feminism???
Kimberle Williams Crenshaw: Intersectionality
The 1% – Stunning Facts about Wealth Inequality in America
Supermarket Blues- Classism in America
Color film was built for white people. Here’s what it did to dark skin.
10 Shockingly Offensive Messages Hidden In KIDS MOVIES You Love
Painfully Racist Disney Moments They Would Like To Forget
Sexist coverage steals the show at 2016 Olympics
70 Awful Displays Of Sexism On Fox News
What people miss about the gender wage gap – Huge opportunity to talk about intersectionality in this one! What’s the other question? This video does not mention race at all in the gender wage gap. That does get mentioned in the first video I have listed, so they will be aware of it.
Why Color Blindness Will NOT End Racism
5 Ethnic Stereotypes That Used to Be the Opposite
Yellowface is a bad look, Hollywood
The Oscars and The Bechdel Test
Intersectionality 101 – we finished up with this one to pull it all back together.
I have not gotten around to books specifically, and from looking, it looks like it will take some work to find kids books around these topics, but here are a few places to help you as you look:
Intersectional Feminist Children’s Books – Pinterest Board
Children’s Literature on Race, Racism, Equality and Diversity – Pinterest Board
How Do You Find Feminist Children’s Books? – lots of resources at the bottom of this one.
Books About Class for Children
Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books – this is a great idea to teach kids how to look for bias in what they read
and a good related post – Willy Wonka as Marie Antoinette: Classism in Children’s Classics
Deconstructing Penguins is a good book/guide that helps you deconstruct kid’s books with them – the techniques and guiding questions can be applicable to this whole topic, also.
11 Children’s Books That Help Kids Understand Sexism
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