February 7, 2023

Discussing the History of Slavery
A Black father and daughter speaking to each other on a porch.

Talking to Children About the History of Slavery in the United States: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers are children’s first teachers and play a powerful role in determining what children learn about history and in shaping children’s perspectives and our shared future. Discussing the history of slavery in age-appropriate ways can help children understand how that history influences life today. 

To connect with the arrival of The 1619 Project series on Hulu this Black History Month, this new Learning for Justice article compiles a list of recommendations for talking about slavery and race with children. The guide also provides age-appropriate information to emphasize in conversations, as well as related LFJ resources.
An illustration that combines the American flag with figures in chains.

Key Concept Videos to Support Discussing the History of Slavery 

In these short, classroom-ready films (which you can stream here), historians and scholars explore the under-taught history of African and Indigenous enslavement, sharing recovered narratives that can help viewers better understand the devastating individual and collective impact of hundreds of years of American slavery.
A large group of protesters crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Have You Listened to Our Teaching Hard History Podcast Yet?

What we don’t know about American history hurts us all. The Teaching Hard History podcast spans four comprehensive seasons hosted by Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., covering the long and brutal legacy of chattel slavery, the hard-won victories of (and violent backlash to) the civil rights movement, and the work that continues to this day.
An illustration of various historical figures related to the history of American slavery.

A Framework to Support Teaching the Hard History of American Slavery

For educators, the LFJ framework Teaching Hard History: American Slavery provides teaching tools to address this critical topic at all grade levels.

Resource Spotlight
Poster with an illustration of Toni Morrison and the quote, "If you are free, you need to free somebody else."

"If you are free, you need to free somebody else." —Toni Morrison

Download this One World poster for display at home, in the classroom or in other communal spaces.

Check Out What We’re Reading

“I think to be racist is to support policies that are leading to inequality or injustice. And there are two ways to support policies that are leading to inequity or injustice: by your actions, or inaction.” —Time

“The 1619 Project, named for the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, asked readers to reconsider American history by placing the legacy of slavery and contributions of Black Americans ‘at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are as a country.’” —The Washington Post

“As English learners increasingly drive public school enrollment, more districts will need to create welcoming, supportive learning environments like those here [in Russellville, Alabama]—even if sufficient funding for resources including staffing isn’t always a guarantee.” —Education Week
Learning for Justice, Issue 3 | Fall 2022. New fall issue—out now!
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