If you’re a practical person who wants to introduce children to activism, you’re going to need this book!
“If You’re Going to a March,” written by Martha Freeman and illustrated by Violet Kim, is a step-by-step guidebook for children to understand and prepare for rallies, protests, and marches. It focuses less on the substantive topics within social justice than on the realities of how to dress and what to pack.
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This book, published by Sterling Children’s Books, is sure to be a classic for any mini feminist.
Raising little activists
My child has attended about 4-5 marches and rallies in her three years on Earth, all different sizes, locations, and time of year.
She’s one of those kids who stops everything she’s doing to study a new person who walks by, so you can imagine the scope of her people-watching at a rally.
And each one is a little different. One of her earliest activism moments, after Parkland, involved an actual march from a park to the town center during the cold winter months, assisted thankfully by her stroller. But the rally we attended for Families Belong Together occurred on one of the most sweltering days of the summer, with people banging on the bongos. And everything in between!
After hearing me speak at a Women’s Equality Day rally, she now uses one of my badges and a megaphone at home to pretend she’s the rally speaker. My heart bursts a little each time.
Let’s be honest with our kids about inequity
I’ve talked to several people over the last year who said they weren’t really into politics or activism until recently, when some of the inequities became glaringly clearer in their eyes.
As we discuss in our tips for raising feminist children and confident girls, understanding the “isms” in our world is important. It’s arguably even MORE important for children to feel that they can take action to make tangible progress in their world, whether locally or globally.
Related:
Social justice activities for kids
How to talk to kids about race: 4 books to start the conversation
What birth order taught me about gender stereotypes
You don’t want to raise a child who grows up to throw their hands up in the air and refuse to vote because they don’t think it makes an impact. I know you’d prefer a generation of children who feel empowered to dismantle the oppression and injustices we observe daily.
So let’s talk strategies for kids’ activism!
Marches can be intimidating for lots of people. You or your child may find large crowds overwhelming. You might have anxiety about where to park, and where you’ll pee. Perhaps you don’t feel like you really belong? Or that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Maybe your child has difficulty trying new things.
If you have any of those concerns, check out “If You’re Going to a March.”
It’s chock full of practical tips about how to make signs (have you ever considered an old pizza box?), how to pack and dress, and transportation options.
Even if you’ve been to a hundred marches, you might forget to prepare your kids for how to interact with reporters, or some of the common chants. Or some of the more challenging elements, like bystanders who disagree with you.
It covers the “WHY” behind marches – “they are showing they care about their country and want to make things better.” The book even understands the limits of little humans – “Still, it’s possible this part [the speeches] will get boring.”
I do wonder how parents will feel about telling their children that police officers are there to keep people safe, in light of police brutality experienced by communities of color. See more resources here for educators to teach students about Black Lives Matter. This is not an easy question, but one we must grapple with when we introduce children to activism.
Overall, I strongly recommend “If You’re Going to a March” to parents of mini feminists and mini activists, especially if you’re a practical person like me. I love that it focuses on the unity of activism and the warmth in your heart that comes from uniting with your community.
Okay, now let’s hand these kids the megaphones!
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