Kimberly Narain Writes a Book to Explain Structural Racism to Children

Key Points:

• Kimberly Narain, MPH ’11, has written a self-published book called The Cycle of a Dream: A Kid’s Introduction to Structural Racism in America.
• The book aims to explain America’s history of structural racism and its impact on Black communities.
• Narain wanted to create a resource to help parents have conversations about race and social justice with their children.
• She highlights the agency of Black people and the connection between past policies and current outcomes.
• Narain received an overwhelming amount of support for the book, including from non-Black parents who wished they had a similar resource as children.
• Her career in health systems research and public policy led her to write the book.
• Narain holds an MPH from Harvard Chan School and currently works as an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hot Take:

Kimberly Narain’s book is a much-needed resource for parents trying to navigate conversations about race and social justice with their children. By addressing the history of structural racism and its impact on Black communities, she encourages empathy and a desire for a more just society. Her career in public health and policy informs her approach, and her book fills a gap in children’s literature. It’s never too early to start teaching kids about the importance of equality and dismantling racial hierarchies.

Original article:https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/kimberly-narain-childrens-book-racism/