Educating on Racism

June 2, 2020

Today, I ran in honor of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the many, many others who have lost their lives as a result of racism in our country. My white privilege grants me the freedom to run through our streets, to breathe fresh air, without fear of harm as a result of the color of my skin. My hope is that beyond the words and blackness, we take bold, collective actions to better the lives of all.

Today, I write as an educator of young children and a parent. I vow to speak out. As such, it is part of my role and my responsibility to engage in difficult dialogue about race with the young children I teach because I have formed the deep and trusting relationships that will guide me in being able to do so. For those who don’t hold such relationships with our young children, it is your responsibility to support those who do.

What does this look like in our white family who knows great privilege?

At 7 years old, I took my son along on a work visit to a preschool located in Brightmoor, a neighborhood in Detroit. This was very intentional. I didn’t provide too much information on the drive to the school, other than relaying our purpose (delivering school garden supplies). I allowed him the space to take it in, to be the one to spark the conversation, so that I could meet him where he was in terms of his understanding and ability to grasp what he was experiencing. Upon leaving he asked, “Mom, why do so many people with brown faces live here?” I provided the learning context; he created the teachable moment by asking a very observant question.

He is not a stranger to diversity. He was born abroad, accustomed to travel and life in urban settings. Yet at 7 years old, he could see the clear divide that exists in this country, the segregation between the mostly Black community we had visited to the mostly white, suburban neighborhood in which we now live. A 20-minute conversation about racism ensued on our drive back to the farm in which I worked at the time. Today he remains curious and interested in learning more about the system of racism that exists in our country.

All children are curious about differences. We, as parents, caregivers, and educators, can guide them in remaining curious, in being open to holding these difficult conversations, to find the joys that diversity brings to the world that surrounds us; to create not a state of fear and apathy, but to guide them in feeling empowered to take positive actions to confront racism.

What are we studying at home during this time of crisis schooling? Weather, plants and pollinators, multiplication and fractions, and racism. Some of these topics are a part of his school’s curriculum and some our based on our own interests. Earlier this year, we studied (at home) the underground railroad based on something that sparked his interest during Black History Month and carried on past the month of February, as such learning should. Now we are reading the Little House on the Prairie series… with a very critical eye. My son is aware Laura Ingalls Wilder was stripped of her literary award due to the racism that is threaded throughout her writings. For example, on Monday evening while reading On the Banks of Plum Creek, we stumbled across the statement, “For pity’s sake, Laura,” said Mary, “keep your sunbonnet on! You’ll be brown as an Indian, and what will the town girls think of us?” (1971, p. 143). We could avoid these books, yet they provide us with an opportunity to learn how to critically engage with a text, to adopt different perspectives, and to develop empathy, if we are prepared and willing to stop and hold dialogue on modern-day issues related to both race and gender.

What else are we reading together? The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson (I am a HUGE fan of Kadir Nelson), Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson and David Shannon, and The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. As for me, I currently have How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Shaping Worlds on my nightstand.

We must all strive to educate ourselves about racism. How are you educating yourself and taking action to create change? How will you provide contexts to learn about racism and take actions to dismantle it with your children?

Resources for Families/Educators:

Reference:

Wilder, L.I. (1971). On the Banks of Plum Creek. 1st Harper Trophy ed. New York, NY: Harper Trophy.

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