Do Right By Me
“Part history lesson, part intimate narrative and part practical guide, Do Right By Me is a well-drafted roadmap for raising healthy Black children.”
-Ibram X. Kendi
"Essential reading for those who parent or nurture Black children or anyone who wants to better understand race in America."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Nominated for NAACP Image Award
Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional
A book written by
Valerie I. Harrison & Kathryn Peach D'Angelo
published by Temple Press
available on Amazon and Bookshop
Doing right by a Black child means learning what challenges they will face because of race, where the disadvantages come from, what effect they have, and how people have been managing them. It’s a lesson that many people could benefit from learning. That’s where this book comes in.
Want to know more before you buy a copy?
Article for the National Association of Independent Schools: Creating Environments Where Black Students Can Thrive
Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane
Listen to an interview with the authors available now in podcast
Free Library of Philadelphia Author Events
Listen to an interview with Tracey Matisak
Review in the Journal of Black Studies
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante published April 2021
Review in Ethnic & Racial Studies
published March 2021
The Parenting Cipher podcast with Genie Dawkins
Listen to a conversation with the authors on learning to raise Black kids in white spaces
The Infant Adoption Guide podcast with Tim Elder
Listen to an interview & link to resources
KYW Flashpoint with Cherri Gregg
Listen to an interview with the authors
What to expect...
Essential to the task of doing right by me is an understanding of racism, how systems continue to perpetuate privileges and disadvantages that children of color navigate in ways that white parents never had to, and why few are working to dismantle those systems. This understanding may lead parents to see the world and their children’s place in it differently.
"Learning how to do right by Black children is nonnegotiable for adults of any racial background who have Black children in their lives, not only parents; it is the work of teachers, coaches, family friends, Sunday school teachers, crossing guards, restaurant servers, flight attendants, and all others who spend time in the life of a Black child. Val and Katie demonstrate—through their stories, their research, and their friendship—both the incredible power of cross-racial relationships and multiracial family, as well as the openness, humility, learning, and work required to access it. Their lives and relationship are proof that it’s possible and worth it."—Ali Michael, Ph.D., codirector of the Race Institute for K-12 Educators and coeditor of The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys
Starred reviews from Kirkus Review and Publishers Weekly