Slavery is the institution that made racism a part of our nation’s foundation. The legacy of slavery is present in many current systems that disproportionately affect Black children and families — from mass incarceration and police violence against Black people to poverty and poor educational opportunities for people of color.
If we are to build a more positive future together, learning about the history of slavery in the United States is essential for healing and reconciliation as well as for justice and equity. Discussing the history of slavery in age-appropriate ways can help children understand how that history influences life today.
This learning journey offers recommendations for how to talk with children about the history of slavery and race in the United States and provides age-appropriate information to emphasize in conversations. For older children and teens, topics and details can be expanded.
We recommend Exploring Identity and Commonalities and Celebrating African and Indigenous Cultures to complement this learning journey.
We are continuously reminded of the values of democracy – including freedom, equity and justice – by generation after generation of Black people who struggled and continue to struggle to make those values a reality for this country. That movement defines our nation and renews our democracy, and it includes countless people through the centuries: those who held on to a memory of freedom, who sought escape, who revolted and resisted, who lived and loved, who wrote and advocated for the abolition of slavery, who fought for freedom, who protested for civil rights, and who continue to fight for justice and equity. The Black freedom struggle threads the ideals of democracy throughout U.S. history.
Our children deserve a truthful, age-appropriate account of our past. Together, we can nurture children and cultivate democratic values to resist hate and shape our shared future.