Social science research has shown us for decades that young children notice racial differences at very young ages and learn societal rules about race throughout childhood. Margaret Hagerman reviews some of the research into children’s understandings of race and shares her own observations from conversations with children across racial and class groups. Although their attitudes about race and racism varied, they were aware of the role race plays in contemporary debates related to such issues as police shootings, immigration, and the election of Donald Trump.
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