Report Publish Date: August 24, 2021

This journal article looks at how Black children are impacted by racism and how anti-racist policies could support their wellbeing throughout childhood and into adulthood. 

Primary Takeaways

The authors find that Black children…

• are more likely than other children to live in economic insecurity. Poor children are more likely than wealthier children to have low quality educational resources and poor nutrition and live in higher stress environments. The majority of Black parents work, however, lower wages compared to people of other races make it more difficult for them to get resources that benefit their children’s development.
• have unequal access to health resources and are more likely than other children to be born too soon and too small.
• are unlikely to have access to high quality early childhood education.

They recommend a wide range of policies such as home visiting for expectant mothers, pay parity for Black teachers, African-American-centered curriculum, anti-racist education for early childhood educators, family leave, housing choice vouchers, and childcare subsidies.

Overview and Objectives

The authors describe how racism affects young Black children in every aspect of their lives and what can be done to combat anti-Black racism and White supremacy and promote the early development of Black children.  

Hypothesis or Approach 

The authors use the Integrative Model for the Study of Development Competencies for Minority Children and Critical Race Theory Frameworks. 

How This Influences Change

“Policies that preserve Black children’s cultural heritage, protect them and their families from harm, and promote their health and economic stability and mobility are necessary,” the authors write.