As some of you know, I have committed to publishing one post a week dedicated to anti-racism. I want to thank my friend, Callan, for bringing my attention to this week’s resource when she shared it on Facebook. Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices is produced by Netflix. The series of short videos (most of them less than 10 minutes) features Black celebrities reading children’s books by Black authors. According to the site, the twelve books “featured in the series were chosen using a social justice education framework that focused on concepts of Identity, Respect, Justice, and Action.”
Marley Dias, a 15 year old young woman who founded #1000BlackGirlBooks, introduces each segment’s guest reader, and has her own episode reading We March by Shane Evans. Marley is an author, herself, having penned the book, Marley Dias Gets It Done, and So Can You, when she was just 13 years old.
As I watched Anti-Racist Baby being read aloud by Kendrick Sampson and The Day You Begin narrated by Jacqueline Woodson (who is also the author of the book), I felt a sense of peace and inspiration. Instead of the anger I have been feeling about recent injustices, I felt motivated to find more ways to make change through kindness and understanding. At the end of her narration, Woodson asks, “What makes you so fabulously different from everyone else you meet?” and it was as though she had gently wrapped a warm blanket around my heart.
Along with the videos on the site, you can find book recommendations for different age groups, as well as suggestions for activities and other resources.
Here are my previous anti-racism posts in case you have missed them:
- Anti-Racist Resource Guide
- Systemic Racism Explained
- Stamped Digital Readers Notebook
- Brainpop: Black Lives Matter Protests
- 21-Day Challenge
- When Your “President” Says “Kung Flu”
- Bias
- Texts for Talking About Race
- I Don’t See Color
Also, for more amazing anti-racism resources, check out the Live Binder curated by Joy Kirr.
