We need to have conversations with children about race

Caribu will extend the Free and Unlimited use of our platform this summer to provide children and their families with anti-racist children’s books to spark courageous conversations in an interactive video-call.

Racial prejudice is something we learn. We are not born with it.

At Caribu, we use stories to teach children life lessons, open up their world to new places, and teach them about their culture and the cultures of others. Sadly, recent incidents of violence against the Black community are nothing new. Still, we may sometimes struggle to find the words to have the difficult, but necessary, conversations with children about the treatment of Black Americans. Now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to actively do the work.

The work starts with the stories and discussions we share with children. Caribu stands in solidarity with the Black community. This week's events sound an urgent call to expand our library to include more anti-racist books and texts authored by people of color. We can do better. We commit to adding new books authored by people of color and adding more anti-racist stories that teach children and their families how to take action. We will continue to feature underrepresented voices and stories and seek out authors that are committed to these goals as well.

We’ve intentionally chosen to use the term “anti-racist”. As Angela Davis said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” We should not shy away from conversations about race. With children especially, we should use appropriate resources to help them explore, learn, and ask questions. 

Because we need to have these courageous conversations, because our cities are literally and figuratively burning, and because children need access to high-quality anti-racist content to spark conversations while their public libraries are closed, Caribu is extending the free and unlimited use of our interactive video-calling platform and in-app library for the summer.

On June 8, we’ll be kicking off #CampCaribu, the world’s first summer reading program that you can experience together in a video-call. It will include 100 days of activities, featured books, and weekly themed reading categories with challenges and prizes. It’s 100 days of summer reading in your pocket. 

We’ve chosen to kick off the reading camp with ‘Courageous Conversations: Anti-Racism’ as the first weekly theme. We will feature books from our library that offer stories to help families start meaningful conversations about what it means to be anti-racist. We will continue to add more anti-racist books to the category as we source and license them this summer. 

To receive the free #CampCaribu weekly activities and challenges, go to caribu.com/summer to download the app (iOS and Android), create an account, and then enjoy your free access. Anyone you invite to your family’s account will also have free access. Our in-app library includes 1000+ books, games, activities, and coloring sheets, in eight languages, for kids to immediately use in a Caribu Call with a friend or family member. 

This is a tough time for everyone to be apart. With COVID still raging, we believe our interactive platform is an essential option for children to be able to read critical content and have courageous conversations with a trusted adult no matter how physically far apart they are. You can learn more about Caribu on our website and Facebook Page.

PLEASE share this resource with your friends, families, and networks. We welcome your feedback, your advice, your book recommendations, and hope we can be a small part of the courageous conversations happening with children about race in America, and across the globe. 

Sincerely,

Max Tuchman

CEO + Co-Founder