40 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JULY 2020
FAMILY & EDUCATION
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT RACISM
Because children absorb racial bias
like a sponge, it is especially crucial for
parents of white and non-black children
to step in and be active participants in
their child’s nonblack learning. As the
esteemed activist and scholar Angela
Davis stated, “In a racist society, it is
not enough to be nonracist, we must be
anti-racist.”
ASSESS YOUR STRESS
According to the American Psychological
Association (APA), it is important to
check in with yourself first and get in
the right frame of mind before speaking
with your children. There is no perfect
formula for what that looks like nor is
there a perfect antidote to your own
stress; just be sure to take time for
yourself and reflect on your feelings:
Talk to your partner, parent, friend or
therapist.
TALK IT OUT
Check in with your child and have
age-appropriate conversations about
what they know and what they are
feeling.
For all children, these are teachable
moments in which to acknowledge that
people of color are often treated differently
because of the color of their skin,
and also to provide an outlet in which
feelings can be expressed and validated
from a place of love. Even if your
child expresses internalized racial
bias, approach them first with understanding,
and then ask questions that
provide perspective. Whether or not
you have all the answers, encourage
conversations so children can navigate
their feelings with the support of
a caring adult.
MEDIA AS A TOOL
According to the American Academy
of Pediatrics, children learn racial bias
like they learn a language, meaning
they start to recognize race-based
differences as early as 6 months, internalize
racial bias as early as age 2,
and become set in their ways by age 12.
That’s why it is critical to provide your
child with age-appropriate books and
media that represent the diversity in
the world, feature protagonists of color,
and address issues of racism. With
grade-schoolers, the AAP suggests
pointing out stereotypes and racial
bias in books and media, such as villains
or “bad guys” in movies. When
children of color see diversity and
positive representations of themselves
in books and on screen, it directly impacts
their self-esteem.
“When you tell black children, girls,
queer kids, ‘You are the prototype,’
it’s radical — because everything else
in society is telling them they don’t
count,” says writer and activist Jodie
Patterson.
Theconsciouskid.org is an excellent
online resource on parenting and education
through a critical race lens and
an online platform whose mission is
to reduce bias. For books that support
conversations on race, racism, and
resistance, check out this compiled
list from educator @wanderingbritt_.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU
PREACH
The American Academy of Pediatrics
also shares that in addition to the
necessary work of educating yourself
on the history and impacts of racism,
it is important to confront your own
bias and model how you want your
children to respond to others who may
look different than them.
The APA suggests we all cultivate a
wide and diverse social network, treat
people of all ethnicities with kindness
and tolerance, expose our children to
other cultures and ethnicities, be active
in our community, and take action
now, during these critical historical
moments. These suggestions might
seem obvious, but it is our everyday
actions and comments that speak
volumes.
continued from page 39
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