Welcome to the Children's Book Podcast. I'm Matthew.

I am a teacher, a librarian, and a fan of kids. And, honestly? I'm angry.

I'm angry about guns and about gun violence and I'm angry most of all that so many of these incidents involve young people, kids. And specifically, young Black kids and other kids of color.

These incidents can be prevented. They can be stopped. And yet we see them on the rise in America, happening more and more, year after year.

Today, and for the past several days, the name on my mind and on my heart is Ralph Yarl from Kansas City, Missouri.

Maybe your grownups already talked to you about this incident. Maybe your friends at school were talking about it. Maybe you're hearing about it here for the first time. If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out to your grownup. They might not yet have the just-right words to say, but it's important they know that you're thinking about it.

I'd like to use our time together today to share an episode of A Kids Book About: The Podcast. This was the show I used to work on when I worked at A Kids Co. in 2021 and 2022. The episode I'd like to share is "Jelani Talks About Racism", because what happened to Ralph Yarl and what's been happening to young Black and brown kids is about gun violence, but it's also about racism. And I want to make sure that this is a word you know and understand.

The show is not currently producing episodes, but you can find the archive of over 50 episodes on a whole range of tough and relevant topics by searching for the show wherever you find podcasts.

So, from my voice to my voice, I hope you enjoy this episode. I hope the conversation connects with you. I hope this can serve you and the people in your life. And I hope that you, dear listener, can know that you are loved and you are beautiful and that your voice matters. It does.

Here we go. "Jelani Talks About Racism" on A Kids Book About: The Podcast.