It’s never too early to teach kids about race and racial justice. Here’s how to do it—with a little help from Elmo

For children to develop healthy and complete identities, the adults in their lives must provide them with a positive understanding of their race, ethnicity, and culture.

Psychological science—with an assist from some Muppets—is helping parents and caregivers feel equipped and comfortable talking about race with even very young kids.

“Many people assume that children are not emotionally prepared or ready to handle the complexities of conversations around race, but the fact is that it’s never too early to engage kids in discussions about race and ethnicity,” said Maysa Akbar, PhD, ABPP, APA’s chief diversity officer and interim chief of psychology in the public interest, during a webinar hosted by APA and its partner, Sesame Street in Communitiesopens in new window (SSIC). The speakers discussed the science around the importance of talking to children about race and ethnicity, and shared resources that encourage healthy conversations between kids and their caregivers about racism.

Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Generalopens in new window in 2021 found that U.S. adults believe children should be almost 5 years old before talking with them about race, even though some infants are aware of race and preschoolers may have already developed racist beliefs. Delays in these important conversations could make it more difficult to change children’s misperceptions or racist beliefs later in life.

Psychological science also shows that babies notice physical differences such as skin coloropens in new window as early as 6 months old, and children as young as 4 can exhibit signs of racial biasopens in new window. Research led by psychologist Howard Stevenson, PhD, director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborativeopens in new window, has also shown that increasing racial literacy—the ability to read, recast, and resolve racially stressful social interactions—among children can reduce racial stress and improve well-beingopens in new window.

“Side-stepping these hard conversations is just not an option,” Akbar told attendees. “Without parental intervention, racism and its effects creep into the spaces where children live, learn, play, and grow. We can start conversations in a developmentally appropriate way that prepares our children to face racism and deal with it constructively, using simple language and terms that children will understand.”

APA and Sesame Street launched their partnership in 2020 with an initial focus on addressing racism and racial trauma affecting young children and their families. APA provided SSIC with a series of experts to review materials SSIC put together for children, caregivers, and health care providers to help foster discussions around race and address issues of racism with young kids.

“Our two organizations bring together a powerful combination of the psychological science behind children’s mental health and the storytelling mastery that has brought iconic characters like Elmo, Big Bird, and more into the homes, hearts, and minds of millions around the world,” Akbar said.

Amid the ongoing youth mental health crisis, over the next few years APA and Sesame Street will be working together to develop accessible, science-based content and resources that empower parents and caregivers of young children with information about children’s mental health.

SSIC’s free bilingual platformopens in new window includes racial literacy resources designed to give children and their caregivers additional tools to cope with racism and navigate difficult situations as a family, said Antonio Freitas, MS, director of educational experiences for the U.S. social impact team at Sesame Workshop.

“We want kids to know that racism is wrong and that all skin colors, eye shapes, and hair textures are beautiful and are to be celebrated,” Freitas told webinar attendees. Thanks to feedback from experts over the last several years, SSIC determined that they needed to more explicitly teach why racism is wrong.

“While diversity and inclusivity and representation are critical, it’s not sufficient,” he said. “To tackle racism … you have to name it. We’re working to define and repeat it so that kids can understand it, recognize when it happens, and most of all, take action.”

The panelists also reminded participants that talking about racism and raising antiracist children is the responsibility of all.

“Parents of color don’t have the privilege of pretending racism doesn’t exist,” Akbar said. Instead, she added, they are confronted very early on with the need to talk to their children often about racism, not only to prepare them for any racial adversity they may face but to instill pride in their heritage and in themselves.

Teaching kids to appreciate their racial and ethnic differences in the classroom and at home must be something that adults who work with children make a conscious effort to do, she concluded.

“Parents must make an intentional decision to be antiracist in their parenting; children are not going to do this on their own, especially if you don’t give them the tools,” Akbar said. “Racism is not a problem just for people of color, it is a harmful and destructive force that hurts all people.”