Happy you're here. Let's get into it, shall we?
Over the past years, as we have been doing antiracist parenting work with our kids and also with families across the country, we've thought a lot about what we mean when we say Antiracist Parenting. In today's newsletter, we'll share with you our 6 Building Blocks of Antiracist Parenting.
1) Continuous Education
This one goes first because it's the beginning and it's also an ongoing process. As parents and caregivers, investing in our own unlearning and learning is a critical part of knowing what to teach our kids. We can only teach them within the limits of our own knowledge. Be it books, podcasts, newsletters like this one, articles, etc, being a continuous student of antiracism is imperative to our own growth.
2) Consistent Conversations
Our kids are growing more and more with each passing day. Their understandings, questions and processes change. Our 8-year-old son didn't understand the concept of racism when he was 2, but now he points it out to us (unfortunately, there is ample opportunity for him to do that) using language that is indicative of his curious mind. Conversations with our teenage nieces dive even deeper, as they are studying and understanding their own lived experiences. Keep the conversations going and keep coming back to this work over and over again, even when it gets hard (especially when it gets hard).
3) Reflective Media
Kids need to see media that reflects the multiracial world we live in. It deeply impacts the way they process and understand identity and the world around them (it's the reason we watch PBS Kids instead of Frozen, but that's an email for another day). For kids of color, reflective media can be affirming and can help build their own sense of belonging when they see characters like themselves in books, television shows and video games. It's equally important for white kids because they need to see a realistic portrayal of the world we live in.Â
4) Intentional Environment
Seek out community activities that center antiracism, whether it be IRL (in real life) or online. Being intentional about who surrounds your kids and the activities you do helps shape the world as they see it. Keep in mind that the people that surround your kids are not only their friends, but also includes your friends and family.Â
5) Parent/Caregiver Modeling
We know kids learn more from what they see us do than what we actually tell them to do. It's important to model antiracist behaviors, actions and practices for your kids. Be the change you seek. Steer clear of aiming for perfection, but do live by your values and develop your own antiracist practice.Â
6) Community Action
Don't do this work alone. Find community. Find organizations near your home and get involved in dismantling the systems that uphold racism. Get your kids involved with these orgs early on so they learn that we can lean on each other to birth the antiracist future we all dream of.Â
These six building blocks anchor our antiracist family practice. We come back to these over and over again. We also find that, if something isn't working, it's usually because we're not leaning into one of these building blocks enough.
Let us know how this is landing for you. What building blocks would you add to this list?Â
That's it from us for today. Take good care of yourself and hug your loved ones, okay?
xo
Tabitha and Adam
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