Over the past two weeks, as I’ve watched the biggest civil rights movement in decades take hold of America, I’ve wanted to bring my 4-year-old daughter into the conversation about racial justice. The problem is, every time I try to talk to her about it I stumble. Recently, she’s been asking questions about the protesters who gather in our neighborhood with hand-drawn Black Lives Matter signs. But I don’t know how to start talking about the fight for racial justice without addressing police brutality or slavery.

Like parents across the country, I’ve turned to storybooks and toys that will help me talk to her about race and racism. Since Memorial Day, when George Floyd was killed by the police, there’s been a spike in sales of products that help educate children about racial issues. Subscriptions to kids book clubs from Conscious Kid, an organization devoted to reducing bias, and Little Feminist, which focuses on race and gender, have seen an increase. Something Happened In Our Town, a book that helps preschoolers learn about police killings, has been out of stock for weeks. And many Black dolls at brands like Harper Iman and Manhattan Toy Company have also sold out.

But as I watch Ella snuggle with her dark-skinned babydoll and use her new multicultural crayons to represent the range of skin tones in our family, I’ve wondered whether these products are actually helping her process race and racism. I talked to three experts who have studied this question over the course of their careers. They said that while diverse books and toys can be crucial tools for helping raise anti-racist kids, parents need to be on hand to answer their questions and provide important context. Here’s how.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.