Our Favorite Social Justice Books

Here are a few of our favorite books about social justice issues, movements, and heroes. 

Capitalizing Race

Momentous Institute has decided to capitalize all references to race including Black and White. Read more...

Lessons in Diversifying our School Library

Momentous School librarian Jennifer Grauberger shares her experiences in diversifying the school library to more accurately reflect the student population. 

How to Talk to White Children about Race

White parents must talk to their children about race in order to create a world where these conversations are no longer necessary. Here are a few suggestions on how to explain what is happening in today's headlines. 

How to Help Children Celebrate the Differences

Parents understand it is important for children to celebrate the differences of others. Here are a few strategies that can help children value their unique friendships.

Dear White Teachers

Dear White Teachers, Are you like me, a white teacher in a classroom with mostly students of color? Do you feel secretly uncomfortable at the idea of talking about race in the classroom? Keep reading...

Equity: Why Talk About It with Children

Every child deserves the opportunity to be successful based on his or her unique gifts and talents, but not every child has equitable opportunities.

Prioritizing Students' Cultural Identity

This post comes from former Momentous School teacher, Jorgelina Marin, on helping students' develop a strong sense of self. 

Working with Undocumented Families

As adults, one of our first instincts is to protect and comfort children who are afraid. But that instinct can be challenging when a child’s fear is real, and there’s nothing we can do to protect them from it. One big area where we see this fear is around the topic of immigration. Keep reading...

Why Mindfulness is Essential for Racial Healing

"With great external work in society comes great work within ourselves, too. As we are confronted with emotions that seem too large to hold, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and to let rage drive us." Read more...

What About Reverse Racism?

Have you heard the term “reverse racism”? Let’s break it down.

Make Space for Race

"Many educators, including myself, have failed to make the children we work with feel seen—because for many years, we have not acknowledged race as a fundamental element of identity.  We need to make space for race.  But how?" Read more...

Talking to Teens about Race

Parents have the opportunity to help teens explore these racial differences. It may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep reading...

On Raising Bi-Racial Children

Minerva Holmes asked her mixed-race family members to weigh in on what it's like growing up bi-racial. Here's what they had to say...

Authentic Diversity

Read our four considerations for creating meaningful diversity opportunities for children.

Language Matters

We make many assumptions about the race and ethnicity of others. Let's talk about some commonly misused and misunderstood identifiers. Keep reading...

When Kids Make Racist Comments

There’s nothing quite as upsetting or challenging as a child making a racist comment. How do we respond? Read more. 

Talking about Race and Ethnicity in the Classroom

Misconceptions and misinformation can quickly become the norm if educators do not address differences within a classroom. Here are some tips for how teachers can be proactive in the process of talking about race and ethnicity in the classroom. 

How (and Why) to Talk to Kids About Race

Race is a topic that many parents shy away from. However, parents must realize that when nothing is said about race, a lot is actually being communicated.  Read more...

"Where are you From?" - An Introduction to Microaggressions

If you’ve been in any conversations about race, you’ve likely heard the term “microaggressions”. You may be wondering two things – what are they, and what is the big deal? Keep reading...

Why Stereotypes are Harmful

We all have stereotypes. But the reality is, they can be very harmful. Read on.

If Not Colorblindness... Then What?

We’ve talked about how the “colorblindness” approach is not the most helpful way to interact with people of different races and cultures. Now you may be wondering… but what is the best approach? 

I Don't Think of You as Black

A published letter from Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African president Desmond Tutu, further explains why her friend's comment, “I don’t think of you as Black” was offensive to her. Read the excerpt and reflect.

"I Don't See Color"

One pervasive approach to working in communities of color is the so-called “colorblind” approach. We’ve all heard the line, “I don’t see color.” 

But there’s a fatal flaw in this approach. 

What is White Privilege?

The term “white privilege” has entered the common vocabulary when discussing issues related to race. We hear it all the time, but today we want to take a minute to really explore the topic. What is “white privilege” and what can we do about it? 

Think about the Kids

In the coming weeks, we will share strategies about how to have these difficult conversations with kids. But before any conversations take place, let’s do some reflecting about race and the children in our lives.

It Starts Here

Before we go any further on discussions about race, we have to talk about the starting line. 

Let's Talk About Race

Like with all things, silence speaks loudly. When we don’t talk about subjects that matter, we’re explicitly making a choice to be silent.

So, let’s talk about race.