If you were raised to be "colorblind" (hello fellow millennials) you probably instinctively panic inside at any suggestion of racism. We were raised on a subconscious diet of "if you don't mention it, it doesn't exist" but now we KNOW better so we need to DO better.
There is lots of evidence that children develop and hold racist and discriminatory beliefs during their preschool years (Winkler, 2009). This doesn't make them "bad", this makes them human and therefore susceptible to the same racist messages, systems, and structures that impact all of us.
The research piece "Children's rights-based approaches: The challenges of listening to taboo/discriminatory issues and moving beyond participation" was written by Kristinia Konstantoni and published in the International Journal of Early Years Education in 2013.
Konstantoni's (2013) research suggests that teachers often ignore discrimination and racism in children's play. Despite recognizing the statements or play themes of children as 'concerning', teachers were reluctant to address the bias or racism they revealed. Konstantoni stated, "It is argued that while children's rights-based approaches and children's active participation were indeed valued, practitioners interpreted them too selectively in practice... The underlying discriminatory messages that were both explicit and implicit in children's storylines and attitudes were not, however, challenged or addressed" (2013).
Konstantoni (2013) argued that even when teachers do try and address racist and discriminatory actions speech by young children, they tend to lean hard on generic activities and conversations about "kindness" and "being kind" rather than addressing the issues directly. Teachers can be hesitant to address racism and discrimination head on. Konstantoni (2013) references research by Van Ausdale and Fagin (1996) expressing that educators often see children as 'too innocent' to be racist or 'simply mimicking' adults. But reflecting on the reasons for children's use of racist or discriminatory language and interactions does not excuse us from taking action in the classroom.
From A children's rights perspective, truly listening to children requires action when one child's right to expression limits another child's right to emotional safety.
We can't ignore our way out of racism and we cannot counter implicit bias if we aren't explicit about anti-racism. It's okay if you don't know what to say, but it's not okay not to figure it out. If you need a vote of confidence that you've got this then it's right here. Anti-racist work is non-negotiable. It's time to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
References:
Konstantoni, K. (2013). Children's rights-based approaches: The challenges of listening to taboo/discriminatory issues and moving beyond children's participation. International Journal of Early Years Education, 21(4), 362-374. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2013.867169
Winkler, E. (2009). Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race.
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