The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism

by Joe R. Feagin

This study looks into how children learn about the 'first R'—race—and challenges the current assumptions with case-study examples from three child-care centers.

Parents and teachers will find this remarkable study reveals that the answer to how children learn about race might be more startling than could be imagined.

Genres: Race, Nonfiction, Parenting, Social Justice, Anti Racist, Education, Psychology

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 2000

About the author

Joe R. Feagin is a U.S. sociologist and social theorist who has conducted extensive research on racial and gender issues, especially in regard to the United States. He is currently the Ella C. McFadden and Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University. Feagin has taught at the University of Massachusetts (Boston), University of California (Riverside), University of Texas (Austin), University of Florida, and Texas A&M University.

Feagin has done much research work on race and ethnic relations and has served as the scholar in residence at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He has written over 60 books, one of which (Ghetto Revolts) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He is the 2006 recipient of a Harvard Alumni Association achievement award and was the 1999-2000 president of the American Sociological Association.

Reviews

[Christy Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We aren't born racist, but by age two children of all colors are judging the White doll the good/smart/pretty one, and the Black doll the bad/stupid/ugly one. When this famous experiment from the late 70s was repeated in the early 90s, the results were worse, even though Whites insist racism is largely of the past and that they are "color-blind". How does this happen? Ausdale and Feagin conduct ethnographic research with children as young as three that shows how quickly we're socialized by society to have quite complicated but specific views about race and race differences, including explicit racist beliefs. This socialization was apparent regardless of whether the children had parents who insisted they were anti-racist or not.

Learning that Race Matters, as Cornell West argued twenty years ago Ausdale and Feagan (my first teacher of race and ethinic relations) is meticulously dredged from interviews with children who have learned so early on. As a White anti-racist activist, I learned early on, too, that asking a roomful of White teachers in Northern New England to share stories of race and racism in schools and their communities often got few responses. That changed to almost all White teachers having a story to share when a Black activist taught me to ask the question this way: When do you remember learning that race matters? Yes, a loaded question that assumes it does, but most of the teachers that would rather talk about how they weren't raised racist, that the one or two students of color in their schools were accepted without racist incident, suddenly have a story. They remember how they were taught that race doesn't matter, but recall the twittering when the first family of color moved on their block ("if race didn't matter, why was it an issue?") and the often extremely strong reactions of White relatives against dating Blacks, or even bringing home a friend of color.

It's not about sex or gender or class or language or looks but only about race do I tell students the Margaret Mead line about culture (and racism as part of culture and and the "high brow" such of civilization) that like the fish doesn't notice the water enveloping it, neither do we know our enculturation (as anthropologists call it) or cultural socialization (as mere sociologists may say.) I came to figure that, as far as learning goes, "if you don't start with race" you don't get to race in so-called "duh-versity" training, focusing blithely on "valuing differences" instead of explicit White on Black racism, which was usually the cause for the required training in an organization. However, a Black woman who I worked with decades ago who ran the HR/diversity side of IBM in Burlington VT, said she went from starting cross-cultural training with race to gender. She said "if you can get people to really look at gender, they'll be able to look at race." Maybe she was right. I'm still unsure about that.

[Doni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a valuable ethnography depicting how a preschool classroom constructs race and racism. It is valuable because it contradicts the standard view that preschool children are ignorant or simply mimic the adults around them. However, once the reader understands that message, I felt like the book offered little beyond descriptions of the children the author was observing. She had an approach called "least-adult" where she did as little as possible to intervene in the children's interactions so that she could observe their interactions with each other without the presence of a sanctioning adult. I understand the strategy behind this approach. Unfortunately, I felt like the book continued with this approach. I would have liked to have seen more prescriptive suggestions. Recognizing that children can be racist at a young age (and it still didn't really address the source of this), what is the take away? What are we supposed to do as practitioners and parents? It was obvious that the usual multicultural agenda of increasing awareness and provide of diversity falls short of the mark. But this book also fell short of the mark in offering helpful alternatives.

I have changed my mind. Initially, I rated this a 2, but now I'm rating it at a 4. I was looking at what the book does not offer rather than what it does. The research it provides (though certainly a qualitative rather than a quantitative one) offers a valuable offset to much of what is traditionally thought about young children's racial understanding. Until reading this book, I felt like children largely mimicked adults and culture, were unaware of the construct of race, and it shouldn't be held accountable for their actions beyond teaching them to be nicer. This book changed my mind.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young children can understand and process racial matters and self-identity as early as 3/4 years old. Teachers commit many micro-aggressions, stay silent, and let colorism, bias, and prejudice occur in the classroom. Simply because they do not know it is happening. Anti-bias needs to be supported more in our classrooms. This book shed a lot of light on such matters. The studies were redundant, but the message was clear. Our young children are able to perceive more than adults believe.

[Stacey Avis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for class. Each chapter gave several examples of children displaying racism. Teachers had no idea…. Made me as a teacher open my eyes and be more mindful in my own class.

[Corrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always say to never underestimate a child. They know so much more than adults ever give them credit for. They soak up amd are always observing the world around them. Then they use play and social interactions to make sense of the world. So adults you need to be the change you want to see. You need to ask a child why they feel a certain way and encourage them to value differences, accept differences, and be self-confident enough to stand up for themselves and with others being targeted.

[Mazie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thesis of this book was basically that children as young as 3 are able to learn race, “do race,” and are capable of racism. The whole book is basically spent trying to prove this point. I already knew/believed this to be true, so I found the book to be repetitive. As a mom of a 3 year old, I was hoping for more practical wisdom on how to teach my son about issues of race. The book is, after all, called “HOW” children learn race and racism. I found it never really dove into the “how” - only the what and when (that children are aware of race & can practice racism at preschool age).

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

By half way through, I was convinced that little children (ages 3-5) really are wickedly astute about social matters, and that race is one of the biggies they clue into. Also, confirmation that they are experimenting with each other just beyond the watchful eye of adult supervision. The book has had a huge influence on what and how I talk about race with my kids. Honestly, in general it has impacted what and how I talk about everything I previously considered "adult" as it is clear to me I (and our culture at large) has been underestimating what kids see and understand.

I highly recommend this to everyone - parent or not - for a clearer view into race and its politics in our country.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this book. I learned that kids become conscious of race in different ways at a very young age, and that's about it. The material is redundant. Although the authors are derogatory of how the classroom teachers handled race-related situations, no suggestions are offered on how such situations should be handled or why. In several instances, it seemed that the researchers reflexively reached conclusions that supported their hypotheses - either they didn't consider alternatives, or they didn't both to explain why they'd rejected said alternatives.

[Tolani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done. A must-read for every parent who isn't a race/ethnic minority. You will be shocked. But if you care enough, you can help lay the groundwork for change. This book demonstrates that very young children, contrary to being endowed with great acceptance and innocence when it comes to race, are alert and assimilating sophisticated ideas about race and racism.

[Angela Ciacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book's premise is research that directly involves the subjects--children! As pointed out several times by the authors, not enough research is carried out observing children while in an unobstructed "play" setting. Kids know not to answer interviewers certain ways and they are experts at adjusting their behavior when they feel that adults are watching. The authors also break down why teachers enforcing tolerance and celebrating diversity isn't enough of an effort to handle race in the classroom and provide additional information about how teachers can make more of an effort. But, most importantly, the authors emphasize that children do not only learn how to engage with race from the immediate adults in their life. Children as young as three are sophisticated and observant enough to understand race as it operates in the larger society around them. There are millions of cues that guide their ideas-- who they see working what jobs when they are out running errands with parents, television shows, movies, etc. Children have to be held accountable for the inappropriate ways that they may use their knowledge of race, which can only happen once adults stop treating children as mere naive receptacles and instead active and competent participants in the social world. They are not color blind nor incapable of understanding race, as proven by the research discussed throughout the book. Play time is more than cute and fun, it is complex and requires practiced social skills, and this makes the time a rich resource to learn more about children and how they process and express their understandings about society. When a child makes an inappropriate comment, for example uses a racial epithet, it can't be dismissed as inconsequential. That child, even if they are three years old, probably DOES know better. Adults cannot become defensive and argue that the child didn't learn that from neither here nor there. The blame falls on the society as a whole which operates according to strict racial lines at all levels of society.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already read 'Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria', this book spent most of its time laying out arguments and evidence for a premise I already believed: Children aren't race blind and acting like their beliefs, actions, and attitudes are 'just so cute' and not worth engaging with is not an apolitical/neutral approach.
I'd recommend the book if someone who's believe that children are persons with their own understanding of the world but is unsure if that understanding includes race unless an adult directly 'introduces' it to them.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being in higher education, I did not know some of the developmental theories addressed here. They were interesting as were the behaviors in children as young as three- years- old. I think this is an important read for educators of all levels in addition to parents.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably good when it was released, but pretty basic and outdated now.

[Natalie]

White Fragility rec.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent study of how preschoolers learn racism. I just wish the last chapter entitled 'What Can Be Done' had more specific examples for teachers. Very eye-opening!

[Melanie Labaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book! Shocking!

[Peace Teachpeacenow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a research study carried out in a racially diverse day care center among 3- to 5-year-olds, this book demonstrates how children learn to discriminate based on skin color and point out that racism is learned as part of growing up in American society and is hard to root out.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. I respect the consequences of qualitative research, but I think some of the results come from a created environment, rather than a natural environment. The teachers do special race related exercises with the children and the researchers gather their information from that to draw conclusions about how kids behave concerning race. I work in a school (a diverse school) and never have I witnessed a teacher on any grade level specifically conduct exercises that concern race. The book is okay, but I don't think it's very credible in its findings.

[Stephen CM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a class, as part of a group book report. There are some interesting insights here about how children pick up and perform racism from the adults around them. That said, it's fairly repetitive, as an academic exercise, and there is no strong accounting for how/why racism has come to be (no class analysis) and how we can create new forms of socialization to end racism (and all forms of oppression).

[Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot! Great read, the first few chapters are all on theory, (kind of dry), but then it gets very interesting.

[Kirsten Dyck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and well-planned monograph on how preschool children use (and abuse) the concept of race.

[Beth]

This was a pretty long slog for the payoff--may have felt longer because the book's a bit dated now. Still, the payoff's a good one--white people, talk to your kids about race.

[Bernie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Relevant as long as racism is rampant.

[Melanie Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind-blowing and powerful!!!