“It’s normal to notice what makes us different because what makes us different is what makes each of us so special,” begins Inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman in her original poem titled Talking Gets Us There. The piece is a part of the PBS KIDS Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism initiative, a resource to help parents and kids navigate ongoing conversations within their families.
“There’s beauty in every type of face and in every type of freckle. From the curl of your hair to the color of your skin, no one is exactly the same, not even twins.
But across time and place, people have been treated unfairly just because of their race. So heroes get into good trouble. They have to struggle for a long while, but when they win, it’s worth every mile.”
“People of color still experience racism today. So, it’s up to all of us to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ To speak out with all our hearts, and that starts at home, starts with asking questions about race when we’re taught about it.
Together, I know we can tackle racism. But first, we have to talk about it.”
Related resource for Black History Month and all year long at PBS Parents: Celebrating Black Leaders.
Plus, watch these related videos on TKSST:
• ‘The Hill We Climb’ by Amanda Gorman
• A Kids Book About Racism and Belonging
• What is systemic racism?
• Being 10 in 2020, a kid-driven episode of Self-Evident: A PBS American Portrait Miniseries
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