Recognizing Race: Considerations for Children

Abstract

Within the last decade, discussions of race and confrontations of racial hierarchies have come to the forefront of politics, media, and everyday life. With the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate, histories of injustice are highlighted, and a future of racial equity is demanded. While the past cannot be undone, identifying, and describing racist attitudes is a major step in dismantling racism at all levels, whether it be individual or institutional. Children are the future of these systems. Exploring when children conceptualize race may aid in understanding how racism perpetuates through generations.