I remember sitting in the audience to hear Ibram X Kendi talk about his book, How To Be An Anti-Racist, and loving every single moment... and then dropping my jaw when he said these words (which I wrote down immediately so I would never forget them):
“The principal teachers of racist ideas in society are parents. And therefore parents can be the principal teachers of anti-racist ideas.”
The thing is, I KNEW this to be true, and I had been practicing anti-racism as a parent to the best of my ability (which grows over time, and more than anything, through my relationships).
But I just had never heard anyone state this truth so simply. And to hear this man speak of his life’s work as something that grew out of and through his relationship with his father, really moved me. And his work is moving enough without knowing a single other thing about him! But here he was letting us in on a part of his life, and a universal truth:
Racism, AND anti-racism, begin at home.
This week we will talk about ways to practice anti-racism in the family. I will share many of the ways I practice this with children at different ages, and would love to hear your stories. We will also learn why doing this will shape your child’s brain in ways that affect other children, especially those who are marginalized or oppressed.
What’s one way you’re learning to practice anti-racism?
#antiracism #antiracistfamilies #optimalbraingrowth #growingbrains #connection #findrhythmbuildconnection #youarenotalone #imhereforyou