# data[].attributes.body
For discussions about identity, priveledge, and oppression

# data[].attributes.headline
Is Your Company Actually Fighting Racism, or Just Talking About It?

# data[].attributes.subject
Is Your Company Actually Fighting Racism, or Just Talking About It?

# data[].attributes.body
How to combat racism as opposed to just talking about it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The wave of uprisings across the nation have made it clear that police brutality disproportionately impacting Black Americans is out of hand. Many businesses have sought to distance themselves from such violence with statements and pledges.

But the same racialized violence that many are waking up to as unfair, unjust, and unacceptable, is happening within the walls of our businesses. The key difference between "police brutality" and "corporate brutality" is the means. The former is relatively, although not exclusively, more physical. The latter is more systemic and covert. But in either case the result is the same: People are injured, abused, damaged, and/or destroyed.

To adequately respond to the current uprisings, leaders must reckon with the Black experience inside their workplaces.

We have spent the past week listening to Black employees within several different companies. A common theme that emerged from these conversations was the disconnect between a company's statement or commitment of resources externally and the daily employee experience. This disconnect is not new, but the awareness of its depth is novel for some.

Several companies have publicly acknowledged this disconnect. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock Inc, stated, "As a firm committed to racial equality, we must also consider where racial disparity exists in our own organizations and not tolerate our shortcomings." Jason Kilar, the CEO of WarnerMedia, explicitly named racism as a problem in the company and committed to work towards change.

The current moment has the potential to be pivotal in addressing the disparity if corporate leaders have the wherewithal to identify the harm being done to Black employees and employees of color, to name company- and industry-specific actions they will take to remedy the harm, and to hold themselves accountable.

Identify the harm without being defensive.

Defensiveness is a common reaction when waking up to the realities that racism is operating on your watch. You might feel personally responsible for the harms that are outlined. You might be personally responsible in some cases. But disrupting the harmful patterns will require deep listening and learning, not defensiveness.

And it may be that you already have the information you need. One sentiment we consistently heard from Black employees was, "We've been here before." "We've had focus group after focus group." These responses suggest that in some companies identifying the harm is as simple as asking employees of color about their experiences or looking back at data already collected. The hard work for leaders is taking in the data and taking action as a result.

Get specific about internal and external actions.

Blanket and abstract statements that merely denounce police brutality sound more like a politician trying to get votes than an institution prepared to take action. It tells people what you are without having to commit to being anything. Perhaps now more than ever, talk is cheap, and you need to guard against this saying at your company: When all was said and done, there was a lot more said than done!

Employees are attuned to the differences between political statements and real commitments. Some notable examples of companies committing to specific action are Uber, which has announced no delivery fees when customers order from Black-owned businesses. Internally, they have tied senior executive pay to measurable progress on diversity goals. Activision has added additional resources and in-game reporting systems to identify and ban racist language in their online gaming environment. These are small steps that companies have made to mitigate harm in a matter of days.

Deal with the discomfort.

Another theme we heard from Black employees was that while top-level executives were making statements, their managers lacked the capacity to translate the message. At times they spoke awkwardly, fumbling over their words or side-stepping the issue completely. The way we are socialized around racism leaves white people unpracticed and uncomfortable talking about, let alone leading initiatives around race and racism.

To prevent this discomfort from being an obstacle to change, you might provide professional development opportunities that help managers reflect on and talk about race and racism - and not merely the race of others, but their personal racialized experience. For there to be sustainable change, all leadership, and white leadership, in particular, needs to tolerate their discomfort and push forward.

Be accountable.

If your organization takes a stand against racism, you must also articulate how progress will be tracked and communicated back company-wide. Otherwise, you look untrustworthy and disingenuous. There's no need for shame or guilt if your results are not glowing or swift. What has been given years to root will not be unearthed overnight.

Dig in and do the work as you would with a new account or a coveted growth opportunity. Consider the work it takes to commit to lifting weights and getting stronger. You would not walk into the gym, lift a heavy weight once, and declare you are strong. You would most likely seek expert guidance, and then you hold yourself accountable to lifting those weights consistently over time before you would expect to see results. You might avoid a workout, but doing so only makes the gains harder to come by in the long-term. Building the capacity to be anti-racist similarly takes commitment over time, involves hard work, and is not always pleasant. However, the results - a stronger company - are worth it.

One of the legacies of the Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects employees against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, was that it switched the focus from "intention" to "impact." That is, it exposed and refuted the idea that harm is only realized when one can document intentional hate in the hearts of key organizational agents.

Instead, it opened our eyes to the reality that harm is best detected via its impact on people. This impact is caused by racism as a system, a pattern of norms, and policies that inflict corporate violence, not merely individual discriminatory behavior.

Institutions who are leading the way at this moment are grappling with the reality that the racism we are collectively calling out has been going on for centuries. They are reflecting on why it took this long for them to take a clear stand. Some are reflecting on how taking a stand before sadly did not keep George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others from being killed. And they are reflecting deeply on how the racism that they are standing up against is replicated or facilitated inside their walls. That work calls for us to listen, to be innovative and specific, and to take action to create lasting change beyond this moment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is Your Company Actually Fighting Racism, or Just Talking About It?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The wave of uprisings across the nation have made it clear that police brutality disproportionately impacting Black Americans is out of hand. Many businesses have sought to distance themselves from such violence with statements and pledges. But the same racialized violence that many are waking up to as unfair, unjust, and unacceptable, is happening within the walls of our businesses.

# data[].attributes.headline
Levels of Racism: A Theoretic Framework and a Gardener’s Tale

# data[].attributes.subject
Levels of Racism: A Theoretic Framework and a Gardener’s Tale

# data[].attributes.body
Theoretic framework for understanding racism on 3 levels: institutionalized, personally mediated, and internalized. Helps raise hypotheses about the basis of race-associated differences in health outcomes, and designing effective interventions to eliminate those differences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Checking your browser before accessing pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

# data[].attributes.body
4 minute video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Museum of African American History and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On "Freedom's Eve," or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.

But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as " Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas.

The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify families, establish schools, run for political office, push radical legislation and even sue slaveholders for compensation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing. Not even a generation out of slavery, African Americans were inspired and empowered to transform their lives and their country.

Juneteenth marks our country's second independence day. Although it has long celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans.

The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. The National Museum of African American History and Cultureis a community space where this spirit of hope lives on. A place where historical events like Juneteenth are shared and new stories with equal urgency are told.

View Our Juneteenth Digital Toolkit

As you celebrate Juneteenth this year, the museum offers additional resources to help you embrace the rich history of Freedom Day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation's history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

# data[].attributes.body
The history of Juneteenth acknowledges hard history while also empowering students to be advocates for change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Each year around June 19, Black communities across the country unite for a family reunion of sorts. Juneteenth activities feature the sights and sounds of Blackness: People enjoying art, music and food that connect them to a shared ancestry and history. They celebrate being their authentic selves. They celebrate freedom in both solemn and festive ceremonies.

This celebration marks a day in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned they'd be free-two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War and two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Initially a uniquely Texan observance, Juneteenth has now been recognized in some form in every corner of the country.

There are many ways to teach students about this celebration. Lessons about Juneteenth need to recognize the challenges those who fight injustice have always faced, but they shouldn't be marked only by the tragedy of enslavement. Students, particularly Black students, can find empowerment in the jubilant celebrations of culture, activism and the humanity of a people.

Teaching Juneteenth: Culture as Resistance

Although the truth had been hidden from them-and they continued to face threats of continued oppression, violence and death-a year after they learned of their freedom, formerly enslaved people resiliently rallied around that date and made the celebration an annual ritual. Early Juneteenth observances included a search for lost family members and an opportunity to uplift each other as they moved through hostile environments.

With this knowledge, students can also identify ways the descendants of the enslaved recapture and honor the cultures, customs and practices lost through slavery.

Early celebrations involved readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, religious ceremonies, singing, games and enjoying foods that enslaved people ate. Today, it doesn't look that much different. People retell histories, have family reunions, eat foods reminiscent of early Juneteenth celebrations such as barbeque, attend religious services or choir performances and have elaborate displays such as fancy dress and parades.

Teaching Juneteenth: Understanding Emancipation

That's why Juneteenth is more than an observance of freedom. It's also a time to share the experiences of those who fought- literally and figuratively-to seek true freedom for future generations. It's important that we don't whitewash this history.

A common mistake among those who teach the history of American slavery is to center the U.S. government's role in granting freedom while also placing the onus to navigate through a racist society solely on the formerly enslaved.

Perhaps many center Lincoln in this history because we tend to think of the Emancipation Proclamation, instead of the 13th Amendment, as ending slavery. Our 2018 Teaching Hard History report found that 59 percent of high school students couldn't correctly identify the latter as the legal end to slavery in the United States.

But it's important for students to know that enslaved people didn't willfully accept enslavement or wait for others to free them. They resisted often and consistently. While rare, violent rebellions did occur. Some people successfully escaped enslavement. And everyday acts of resistance, such as breaking tools or pretending to be ill were other ways enslaved people asserted their humanity.

While it certainly encouraged enslaved people to liberate themselves (letting them know they wouldn't be re-enslaved if they escaped behind Union lines), the Emancipation Proclamation didn't end U.S. slavery because it didn't apply to Union states. January 31, 1865 marks the day the 13th Amendment-which officially abolished slavery in the United States-was passed in Congress. Students need to know that there were people enslaved in Delaware until December 6, 1865, the day the 13th Amendment was finally ratified.

Juneteenth offers an opportunity to talk to students about this complex history. When you do, you can also talk about the progress and opposing forces that continue to threaten all of these milestones, even though they're protected by the Constitution of the United States.

Teaching Juneteenth: Backlash to Freedom

American history has often been reduced to a simple story of continuous progress. In this context, the Emancipation Proclamation represents an important turning point-the country coming to its senses and setting the course for concrete steps toward true equality.

But it's important for students to know that the announcement-and the celebration afterward-was short-lived and riddled with setbacks, including violence. For example, some enslavers intentionally waited until the harvest before they announced that the enslaved were freed.

And some people taking advantage of their freedom were met with terror or even death. Newly freed people didn't have protection until September 1865 with the creation of the Freedmen's Bureau, and even those efforts were often thwarted during Reconstruction.

As TT Associate Editor Julia Delacroix points out, "Students tend to think of the fight for civil rights as though there has always been a set list of hurdles to be overcome-slavery, then racial terror, then segregation, then disenfranchisement, then mass incarceration."

But we know that "racism takes the shape of whatever will hold it." Barriers to freedom weren't predestined, but they do confirm that there has always been a force to maintain racial hierarchy by pushing back against change.

In other words, with each attempt to bring justice and equality to all people, there is often a quick and fierce response. With each victory, there is yet another dueling force to conquer. The announcement of emancipation was no exception, and Juneteenth is a perfect opening to invite students to think about the "story of America" they often hear.

Teaching Juneteenth: American Ideals

It's not too challenging to ask students to consider what Juneteenth tells us about our ideas about the United States. After all, another holiday-July Fourth-is in the shadow of Juneteenth. It's a time when Americans are encouraged to rejoice in its independence...and freedom.

Students might recognize a paradox with July Fourth celebrations. They might question how a country could have touted the idea of freedom and liberty for all while also oppressing and treating an entire group of people as property. Those celebrations of independence went on for 89 years before the United States abolished slavery.

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass acknowledged this as "inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony" during his July 5, 1852 speech in Rochester, New York.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

# data[].attributes.body
Various Resources for Parents, Families & Educators around Racism, Community Violence & Trauma

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School closures, teleworking, rising unemployment and an uncertain future have left families to cope with stay at home orders under heightened stress and anxiety. As we do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, families may encounter a situation where crisis services are needed to assist with a mental health issue, substance use disorder, abusive situation, or even support navigating digital safety issues.
This week we are highlighting several important safety topics that impact families each day, but even more during this pandemic, including: crisis services, mental health, suicide, substance use, abuse and digital safety.
Please save and share these valuable resources and stay safe.

Maryland's Crisis Hotline is available 24 hours days a week to provide support, guidance and assistance: Call 211, press 1

Emergency number: 9-1-1

National Suicide Prevention Hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (-8255)

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1

Maryland Crisis Online Chat: http://www.help4mdyouth.org/chat/ (available Mon.- Fri., 4pm - 9pm)

National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you're unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.

Crisis Services
Facts for Families: Crisis Services (Also available in Spanish) Facts for Families: When to Seek Help COVID-19 Victim Resources | Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services
Facts for Families: First Steps in Seeking Help (Also available in Spanish)

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line: Whether students are experiencing cyberbullying or are concerned about one or more students capable of self-harm or violence, The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is anonymous and accessible 24/7 by phone at 1-833-MD-B-SAFE (1-833-632-7233), online at safeschoolsmd.org, and by downloading the free app via the App Store or Google Play.
Facts for Families: Psychosis
Mental Health

Facts for Families: Self-Injurious Behavior (Also available in Spanish)

Maryland Coalition of Families: Provides online support groups for families caring for someone with mental health or substance use disorder, online meet-ups for young adults aged 18-26 who are struggling with their mental health, online Narcan and parenting trainings, as well as online book clubs, exercise groups, self-care workshops and cooking classes. See the list of online support groups here. See the list of events and trainings here.

OK2TALK: A community for support teens and young adults struggling with mental health problems by encouraging them to talk about what they're experiencing-sharing their personal stories of recovery, tragedy, struggle, and hope. Learn more.
Facts for Families: Suicide
Suicide

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call is routed to the nearest crisis center in the national network of more than 150 crisis centers. 1-800-273-TALK (8255) TTY: 1-800-799-4889 www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Implications of COVID-19 for LGBTQ Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention | The Trevor Project Suicide Prevention During the Pandemic: Staying Safe While Social Distancing | UNC Trauma Talk
COVID-19 Resources - Crisis Response | The National Center for School Mental Health: Offers multiple resources on suicide under the Crisis Response category.

Substance Use
Alcohol, Drug, Mental Health Treatment & Programs Directory | SAMHSA Mental Illness and Substance Use in Young Adults | SAMHSA
Facts for Families: Substance Use (Also available in Spanish)

Abuse
Signs of Child Abuse | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Baltimore Child Abuse Center Virtual Training - May 2020 Reporting Child Abuse During COVID-19 | Child Abuse Network The Coronavirus Could Cause a Child Abuse Epidemic | The New York Times
National Domestic Violence Hotline: For any victims and survivors who need support, we are here for you, 24/7. Call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you're unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
"Think Before You Send" video | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Internet Safety Tips and Activities | NetSmartzKids Staying Safe Online: Teens | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Staying Safe Online: Caregivers | Baltimore Child Abuse Center Cyberbullying | Understood Media & Technology - Screentime during COVID-19, Cyberbullying + more | Child Mind Institute
Digital Safety

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental Health Mondays - Children's Mental Health Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In an effort to support children during this unprecedented time of crisis, we are offering weekly resources and activities to help support children's mental health. Check back weekly, on Mondays for new resources! Be sure to visit our website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts or you can subscribe to receive emails directly to your inbox.

# data[].attributes.headline
Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five

# data[].attributes.subject
Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five

# data[].attributes.body
This resource provides thoughts and guidelines for talking about the complex issues of racism and equality in age-appropriate ways with children aged two to five years of age.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Television and radio news, social media and neighborhood conversations are sometimes dominated by violence and conflict stemming from racism. Many adults across our nation continue to try to make sense what is happening in our world today, and parents face the added struggle of thinking through how to talk about racism and violence with children. These stories, and adults' reactions to them, are being seen and felt by children, including babies and toddlers. While we hope that they don't know what's going on, even young babies pick up on and react to the emotions of those they depend on.

This resource provides thoughts and guidelines for talking about these complex issues of racism and equity in age-appropriate ways with children aged two to five years of age. These are difficult and uncomfortable discussions for which there is no recipe. You will know how to adapt these ideas in a way that reflects your unique situation and the individual needs of your child. You might also find it helpful to seek input from your family and trusted sources like religious and other community leaders.

Guidelines for Talking about Racism and Violence

1) Limit access to media images and discussions about frightening events. Young children are taking in everything they see and hear, and are working to understand what it all means. They are careful observers, closely attuned to and affected by the events happening around them. But, between ages two and five, children lack the reasoning skills to make sense of complex issues. Parents have an important role in helping young children understand, manage and process what they have seen and feel. By limiting your child's access to screens and keeping her away from adult conversations (including your own very natural worries about your child's safety), you can protect her from scary events that she has no way of understanding yet.

2) Stay calm when answering, as hard as that may be. This can lessen children's fear and help them to feel safe. There will naturally be times when you just can't be totally calm. If you are upset, you can explain in simple language why: "I'm crying because I see that man is hurt. I feel so sad for him and his family. I'm sad and that's why I'm crying."

Children are very sensitive and know when there are topics mommy or daddy don't want to discuss. Even babies as young as 3-5 months old can sense if you are upset or sad! So, as much as you can, try not to expose young children (even babies) to your anxiety.

3) Answer your child's questions using simple language that they understand. Let your child know that he can come to you with any questions he has and that you are not afraid of talking about difficult issues. This makes it more likely children will turn to you as a resource, and not struggle alone with their questions.

If children ask questions about events they have seen or heard adults talk about, parents can provide short answers responding to the child's specific question. For example, a child might ask: "Why is he hitting that man?" You can answer: "He is afraid of him and angry, and has lost control. He is hurting the man and that is not ok." Then pause and wait to see if your child has another question.

If your child stops asking questions, then stop providing details-even if you haven't fully explained the situation. Children decide what and how much they can take in at a given time.

Following your child's lead is a good strategy since it gives you information about what your child is thinking about, worried about, and what he is trying to understand.

4) Tailor how you talk with your child based on his age and stage of development. When young children witness events that involve people that "look like me", these events command great attention and are meaningful to young children. It is natural for them to have questions. Depending on what your child asks and her level of understanding, she may be ready to talk about differences, equality and racism in simple, age-appropriate ways. For example, between ages four and five, children understand the concept of fairness more than ever before. For preschoolers, this means that discussions about racism can be framed as unfair behavior because people see differences in skin color as better or worse. Explaining this word and idea to your child is a starting point. Sharing storybooks on the topic is a good idea as well.

Ideas for Answering Difficult Questions

Here are some ideas for how to approach challenging and complex topics about racism, safety, and police violence are below-although it's important to modify messages for your individual child's age and stage.

Are police officers good guys or bad guys?
The job of police officers is to protect people. Police officers are just people. And there are some people who are good and kind, and some people who are not. Some police officers are good, helpful men and women. And some are not. But I believe that most police officers want to keep us safe (if you do believe this).

Why are people being mean and hurting others?
These people don't like anyone who is different from them. They only like people who look like them. And they want everyone to think the same way they do. It can feel sad and scary to see them being so mean. I'm glad that so many kind and caring people are saying, "Hey, it's not ok to be mean and hurtful to others."
If your child has seen footage of people being injured and asks about it: Sometimes people get so stressed that they do things they should not do. It is never okay to hurt people because we disagree with them. The person who was hurt has gone to the doctor for help.

What is going to happen?
Many good people are really upset about this. I don't know what is going to happen, but we're together. I love you and I will keep you safe.

Is Daddy safe? Is Mommy safe?
Grown-ups can take care of themselves and keep themselves safe. You don't have to worry. Mommy/Daddy always try to be safe in everything we do. Remember how we always look both ways before we cross the street? That is one way we stay safe. And there are many other ways that grown-ups stay safe too.

Am I safe?
Mommy/Daddy will keep you safe. That is our job. Your job is to be a kid and have fun. We love you and we will keep you safe. There are many people-black people, white people, and kind police officers-who are also working to make sure you are safe.

Police Violence:
Some police officers see an African-American person and think they are going to make trouble because of their skin color. That is wrong and there are many people trying to change that. The job of a police officer is to keep all people safe, no matter what their skin color is.

[If your child is looking for additional information:] Sometimes people get so stressed that they do things they should not do. [Consider giving an example that your child might be able to relate to: Remember how I yelled when I lost my wallet?] That happens to police officers too and sometimes it means they act badly and are too rough and hurt people.

If you don't know the answer to your child's question, that's okay. These are complex issues. It builds your child's trust in you when you are open about not always knowing the answer.

Your child may be upset or confused following these challenging discussions. Watch for these signs and respond with extra support, hugs, and time together so that your child feels secure. Point out positive, supportive members of her community (family members, religious leaders, teachers, home visitors, physicians and others) who also care for and nurture your child. Let children know they have a network of people who are there for them.

How to Help Your Child Respond to Traumatic or Scary Experiences

If your young child is a witness to violence or has seen his/her caregiver in tense or frightening interactions with the police or others, watch for behaviors like:

Increased clinginess, crying, and whining

Greater fear of separation from parents or primary guardian

Increase in aggressive behavior

More withdrawn and harder to engage

Play that acts out scary events

Changes in sleeping and eating patterns

More easily frustrated and harder to comfort

A return to earlier behaviors, like frequent night-time wakings, toileting accidents, or thumb sucking

These are signs that a child is struggling with making sense of a scary or traumatic experience and needs additional support. Reach out to your child's health care provider or to a counselor with experience with young children to plan how to move forward.

What You Can Do

Create an environment of safety and consistency. Children who have been exposed to traumatic images or experiences benefit from an environment that is safe and predictable. Regular daily routines (like at mealtime, bath-time, hair-combing, and bed-time) help children trust and anticipate what will come next. Remember that these routines are as important to babies as they are for older children for feeling safe and secure. Maintaining a child's school or child care attendance is also helpful, since this is a familiar routine that offers a sense of consistency and normalcy. If you can, try to limit changes (like switching preschool/child care providers) during this time. For children having a hard time with transitions, offer a comfort object like a special blanket or stuffed animal, or even a favorite action figure to hold.

Harness the power of positive touch. If your child is having a hard time, offer extra cuddles or add a massage to your child's daily bedtime routine. Deep pressure touch can help some children feel more 'together' and regulated.

Build children up. Point out your child's strengths and abilities. Give him opportunities to experience successes and achievements. Celebrate these milestones together. A strong sense of self and family begins with your child's relationship with you.

Use the daily routine of combing hair to connect with your young child. As a parent you can make this routine a relaxed, predictable time to talk, touch, and listen to your child. Sitting on your lap or snugly between your legs allows your baby or young child to be physically connected to you as you carry out this routine. The soothing and repetitive gentle hair-brushing of a boy or girl communicates warmth, caring, and a sense of security. Allowing your child to participate in the task (choosing bows or the number of braids) also reinforces a sense of control.

Tell the story of your family. Use stories to communicate the strength, resilience, courage, humor, and intelligence of your family members. You can also highlight different themes like safety, courage, and adults providing protection. Storytelling is an ideal way to communicate your values, rich heritage, and traditions, and build a sense of family and cultural identity and pride.

Make time for laughter and fun. Let your child see you laugh out loud while telling a story or going about your daily routines. Laugh together as a family. At the same time, be honest with your emotions. If the current tragedies are triggering memories of your own losses, be mindful of your feelings and seek support for yourself.

Protecting Children While We Work for Social Justice

As our country grapples with the complex issues of race and violence, you have the ability to build a safe haven of love, joy, hope and protection within the relationship you develop with your child. Children dream, children play, and children have hope-because of all you do.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Television and radio news, social media and neighborhood conversations are sometimes dominated by violence and conflict stemming from racism. Many adults across our nation continue to try to make sense what is happening in our world today, and parents face the added struggle of thinking through how to talk about racism and violence with children.

# data[].attributes.headline
How To Be An Ally In The Fight Against Racial Injustice And For Better Mental Health For All

# data[].attributes.subject
How To Be An Ally In The Fight Against Racial Injustice And For Better Mental Health For All

# data[].attributes.body
Article with tips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recently, I've been thinking about how intertwined mental health advocacy is with other social justice issues, particularly those around race. As a white woman fighting for the mental health of all, I cannot say that I advocate for change to our mental health system without also fighting for racial justice. Hundreds of years of oppression have resulted in so much racial trauma for people of color. The blatant acts of violence against communities of color that get the media attention are not the only things that impact mental health, but also the daily microaggressions that leave a lasting impact. These experiences lead to trauma and the result in increased psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for people of color. We can't stand up and fight for those with mental illness, and mental health for all, without also taking time to address the racism in our world actively.

Over the past few days, I've started to ask myself, how can I be a better ally to people of color in the fight against oppression and racism? It's more than standing up when horrific acts of violence occur in our country. And it's not about sitting on the sidelines until things are so bad that we are forced into action. Instead, white people, including myself, must make it our mission to break down the systems of oppression that we have benefited from regularly.

As white people, we need to make this racial justice and broader social justice a part of our daily work and fight against white supremacy. Here are some steps we can take to be better white allies in the fight against racial injustice.
Do our work first
We cannot engage in the fight against racism and white supremacy without taking time to understand how systems of oppression have served to benefit our lives. It is not the job of people of color to educate white people on race and privilege issues. Instead, we must take time to do the work ourselves. Will it be easy? Absolutely not. These threads of oppression are so embedded into every system in our country that educating ourselves will require genuinely digging in and pulling back so many layers. It will also require us to remain open to what we are learning. A good starting point might include consuming media that helps open eyes to racism in daily life. Forbes shared a list of anti-racist resources for white people to use to educate themselves, including books for adults and children, podcasts, social media accounts, and movies. It's a good starting point for anyone wanting to lift up the oppressed.
Listen to the voices of people of color
For us to truly engage in the fight against racial injustice, we must ensure that we listen to the voices of people of color and help amplify them to the broader community. We cannot engage in the practice of allyship and serve as a white accomplice to the fight against racism if we, the white people, are doing all the talking. To be an ally, we must listen to the leadership within marginalized communities and share their messages with other white people in our space. It's not the job of people of color to continually shout their message in hopes of being heard. Instead, it's our job as white people to ensure that we are inviting people of color into every space and actually listening to them when it comes to racial injustices. Whether it's our work, our home, our government, or any other area, we must magnify the voices of the oppressed and marginalized. And then we, the white folks, must deeply listen.
Practice Humility
Let's face it. We love to get that pat on the back when we do something right, including when we are fighting for social justice issues. But that's not what this is all about. Engaging in the fight against racial injustice requires white people to practice humility because this isn't about us, and we aren't going to get it right every time. We must be willing to admit that we don't know it all and that we have a long way to go on this journey of allyship. Sometimes this practice of humility will look like shutting up and listening to people of color. It will require us to fight the urges to become defensive when we are called out for racism. Instead, we must work to understand why our words and actions are problematic. Other times it might require us to apologize for not getting things right. The bottom line is that if we want to truly be in solidarity with people of color, we must be willing to admit when we're wrong and recognize that we know very little, although we often believe we know it all.

Racial justice is a mental health issue. We, as white allies, must participate in change and recognize the emotional impact of oppression. If our goal is mental wellness and the emotional well-being of everyone, then we must be willing to do the necessary work for racial equity. We can't address one without the other. This isn't a one and done thing or something we commit to when a grave act of violence occurs. White allies must actively show up every day and fight racism in all the systems in which we exist and continue to do so even when it's not easy, or no one is watching. Our founder, Clifford Beers, dedicated his life to fighting mental illness in the open. When others told him he should remain quiet, he got louder and spoke out more. It is now our time to carry on his legacy and fight in the open for racial equity and mental wellness for all. Will you join us?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Be An Ally in The Fight Against Racial Injustice and For Better Mental Health For All

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recently, I've been thinking about how intertwined mental health advocacy is with other social justice issues, particularly those around race. As a white woman fighting for the mental health of all, I cannot say that I advocate for change to our mental health system without also fighting for racial justice.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why we need to Talk to Children about Race & Difference

# data[].attributes.subject
Why we need to Talk to Children about Race & Difference

# data[].attributes.body
Ted Talk: Biz Lindsay-Ryan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why we need to Talk to Children about Race & Difference | Biz Lindsay-Ryan | TEDxDePaulUniversity

# data[].attributes.headline
How to talk to kids about racism, protests and injustice

# data[].attributes.subject
How to talk to kids about racism, protests and injustice

# data[].attributes.body
Tips and videos from the Today Show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many parents, talking to their children about the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd may seem daunting. Racism, police brutality and civil disobedience are big topics that some parents might feel afraid to broach. Yet experts say it is essential to address them.

"Not talking about it sends a message that maybe what (children are) feeling isn't right," Dr. Jacqueline Dougé, a Maryland pediatrician and an author of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health, told TODAY Parents. "It also sends a message when it comes time to deal with hard conversations and hard issues ... that perception that child has is, 'I'm not going to be able to open up my (parents).'"

Sometimes parents shy away from a topic because they might not understand it well. But admitting to not knowing shows kids that parents are human - and are willing to look for an answer. Both the AAP and the American Psychological Association have talking points for parents to discuss race, for example.

"It is OK not to know how to talk about (a topic) and not exactly know what to say," Dougé said.

But being silent can give children unrealistic views.

"If we brush it under the carpet ... the message we are giving to our children is racism doesn't exist, races don't exist," Annette Nunez, a psychotherapist in private practice in Denver, told TODAY Parents. "Racism does exist ... it's really important to talk about it."

Dougé and Nunez shared ways to talk to children about the protests, Floyd's death and racism.

Research indicates that even infants notice racial differences, so kids are noticing it way before many parents even think about it. With younger children, books and toys can be good tools to help recognize and celebrate differences.

"Kids are starting to see what other people look like and what's normal. A white kid can ride a bike or black kids can ride a bike or Hispanic kids can ride a bike," Dougé said. "Kids need to be exposed to differences that are normal and celebrated."

To talk about racism and the protests with kids this age, Nunez suggests using the concept of fairness because little children understand this.

"Explain it in terms with experience that they've had. So maybe you talk about the time their brother got something and they didn't. Start explaining the concept of inequality and then to relating it to the protests," Nunez said.

When it comes to older children, parents can talk more specifically about what their children have heard or watched.

"Then parents can say, 'Let's talk a little bit more about your thoughts about that,'" Dougé said. "We've got to talk about it with them to validate their feelings."

It's important for parents to listen to their children and respond to what they say while still relating it to their children's experiences.

"They need to know they are being heard and have a safe area to process these feelings and ask a question," Nunez said.

As children get older the conversations will be more advanced, but it is still important for parents to keep an open mind. Parents should encourage middle school children to ask questions.

"See what they're feeling, then gauge your conversation based on that," Nunez said. "They need to know they have can a voice about it, they know they're being heard, they know they have a safe area to process these uncomfortable conversations."

Dougé says it's important for parents to watch media with their children or simply talk about what they're watching.

"Let them, perhaps, direct the conversation," she said. "There's also an opportunity if your son or daughter is telling you about this video they saw on YouTube to say, 'OK, I haven't seen that, can I see that?"

Again, it is important to ask questions to high school students, but parents should expect that teens are familiar with protests (and racial inequality).

"You've got to be honest with yourself that they know about it. This is everywhere," Dougé said.

But understanding what they know and adding context can help.

"It's really important to hear their voice, but then also use books to show them images of historic protests," Nunez said. "Really start showing the history of race and racism and protesting because it's not something that's new. It's something that has existed and it's a part of our history."

It can also be a time where parents talk to their teens about critical thinking and media literacy. Parents can say something like: "Oh, that's interesting. Where did you get that information?" Dougé suggested.

"These are opportunities when they're starting to become independent and parents are helping them develop those skills," Dougé said. "You're shepherding your kids so that they can become an adult that's a free thinker and can make the world a better place. I think that's what all parents want for their kids."

The authors of the book "All American Boys" joined TODAY to discuss how to talk about racism, protests and police violence with kids. Their book is about two boys, one black, one white, whose lives are forever linked and changed by an act of police violence. Here are Jason Reynolds' and Brendan Kiely recommend the following books for further reading by parents and kids:

"Ways to Make Sunshine," by Renée Watson

"Black Imagination: Black Voices on Black Futures," by Natasha Marin

"Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You," by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

"Let's Talk About Race," by Julius Lester and Karen Barbour (for very young readers)

"This Side of Home," by Renée Watson (for Middle Grade and YA readers)

"So You Want To Talk About Race," by Ijeoma Oluo (for adults)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to talk to kids about racism, protests: An age-by-age guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many parents, talking to their children about the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd may seem daunting. Racism, police brutality and civil disobedience are big topics that some parents might feel afraid to broach. Yet experts say it is essential to address them.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to talk to kids about race, privilege amid George Floyd protests

# data[].attributes.subject
How to talk to kids about race, privilege amid George Floyd protests

# data[].attributes.body
Tips and videos from GMA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sarah Smith, a mom of three black children in a predominantly white community in Connecticut, exemplifies what many black parents face, fear for her children, particularly her 12-year-old son.

"I'm scared for my son every single day that he leaves our house," Smith, a blogger, told " Good Morning America." "Because I don't know what could happen to him."

Smith said conversations about race with not only her son but also her two daughters are nothing new in their household.

"We have to have these conversations every single day because they are African-American, living in America right now," she said.

Laura Zimmermann is a white mom with two kids who live in Oak Park, an area of Chicago she and her husband chose to raise their kids in because of its diversity. Still, she said she and her husband are "grappling" with how much to tell their children, ages 8 and 2.

"The conversations that we're having in our home honestly have been a little bit strained," she told "GMA," adding, "I think this is the time in our history when white people need to step up and really engage. I think we have to start realizing that this isn't about us. It's actually about getting rid of this huge blind spot within our society that there is still systemic racism."

What the experts say

The most important thing for parents to do is to have honest conversations with their children and to be there to answer their questions, experts say.

"It is important to say conversation doesn't solve it by itself, but conversation, certainly with children, helps them make sense of the world," said Beverly Tatum, a psychologist and the author of "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race." "You can have these conversations in an age-appropriate way with 3-year-olds or 13-year-olds."

Tatum added that it's important for white parents especially to remember that the conversations brought on by the death of George Floyd -- who was pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer, an act that was caught on camera -- is "not new information for African-American families."

"It's just a reminder that we haven't come as far as we need to go in order to really ensure everyone's safety," she said. "Racism is real. It's still with us."

For white parents who may not feel confident speaking with their children about race, or who may not feel as if they have all the answers, that can be an opportunity to learn with your children, according to Margaret Hagerman, a sociologist and the author of "White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege in a Racially Divided America."

"In order to understand the present, we have to understand the past, and it might mean that you don't know all the answers and you don't feel confident even talking about this with your children. But that means that you could do some work to learn the answers to these questions," she said. "You can take the time to read up on this and this could be something even that you do with your children."

Dr. Janet Taylor, a psychiatrist and the mother of four black children, echoed Tatum and Hagerman. For parents at this moment in time, she said, "communication is key."

"Now is the time to talk to our children about the anxiety that we are feeling, which they are feeling as well, and teach them how to resolve that, how to soothe themselves," she told "GMA." "Because what we don't want is our children to associate their anxiety with the images that they're seeing on the TV."

Here are three tips from Taylor, in her own words, on talking to kids about racism and the protests currently underway.

1. Tell the truth. "You say their names -- George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, all black people. One was being arrested. One was jogging. The other one was killed by the police [in her home]. We use those words and say that the protests are happening because [people] want justice, they want change and there are peaceful ways to do that. It's an opportunity to teach, when you have conflict, how to speak up and do the right thing instead of inflicting more pain."

2. Celebrate the differences. "You can point out the differences in skin color, hair texture, things that our kids know anyway. . . . We need to celebrate differences and we also need to point out that we can come together and make a difference and it has to be that way. Black people cannot be the only ones teaching Americans about racism. It's a combined effort."

3. Set the example as parents. "Look at mommy-and-me get togethers. You look at playdates. People need to look around and think, How diverse are those playdates? As important as it is to talk about racism, our children are not born racists. That is something that develops based on what they hear, what they see. It's really important to teach our children as early as possible to be allies, to stand side by side with their classmates. Stand side by side by your playmates. Speak up when you see someone who is not involved or not invited to a birthday party and to support. We can teach that at birth by examples as parents."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to talk to kids about race, privilege amid George Floyd protests

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sarah Smith, a mom of three black children in a predominantly white community in Connecticut, exemplifies what many black parents face, fear for her children, particularly her 12-year-old son. "I'm scared for my son every single day that he leaves our house," Smith, a blogger, told " Good Morning America."

# data[].attributes.headline
Helping Your Child Cope with Media Coverage of Community Racial Trauma: Tips for Parents 

# data[].attributes.subject
Helping Your Child Cope with Media Coverage of Community Racial Trauma: Tips for Parents 

# data[].attributes.body
Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Disaster and Community Crisis Center, University of Missouri

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helping Your Child Cope with Media Coverage of Community Racial Trauma: Tips for Parents

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests

# data[].attributes.body
How to talk with toddlers to teenagers about racism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talking With Kids About Racism, Police Brutality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If we want to raise compassionate kids and responsible citizens in a democracy, we need to talk about these issues. Here’s an age by age guide for these talks.

# data[].attributes.headline
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?

# data[].attributes.subject
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?

# data[].attributes.body
How to talk to kids about racism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Should we tell the children? How?

Those are among the many questions parents are asking after the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Many white parents wonder whether to talk with their kids at all, while parents of color swallow their grief and fear to have "the talk" once again.

These deaths are part of a more complex story, one some parents have been telling for generations, and others have long felt they've had the luxury to ignore. Experts in child psychology and race-based stress say these conversations are essential for all parents to have, and they underscore that there are developmentally appropriate ways to talk to children of all ages about racism and police brutality.
George Floyd protests: How did we get here?
"Silence will not protect you or them," said Beverly Daniel Tatum, a psychologist and author of "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race." " Avoiding the topic is not a solution."

Racism persists, experts say, because many parents avoid difficult conversations.

"One of the most important things to remember is that you may not have all the answers, and that is OK," said Erlanger Turner, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University who studies mental health among racial communities.

USA TODAY spoke with Tatum andTurner about how to talk with children about racial violence:

Why is it important to talk with children about what happened to George Floyd and other incidents of police brutality or racism in the news?

Beverly Daniel Tatum: Even young children may see or hear about highly publicized incidents like the George Floyd case - perhaps overhearing the TV or the radio - and may ask questions. Or if parents are upset by the news, the child may perceive the parent's distress and ask why Mom or Dad is upset. In either case, an age-appropriate explanation is better than silence. Older children with Internet access may see online images on their own. Initiating an age-appropriate conversation can give children a helpful frame for understanding difficult realities. If parents are silent, children will draw their own often faulty conclusions about what is happening and why.

Erlanger Turner: Many adults are hurt and angered by these events, and their children may notice changes in their mood. It is helpful to have a healthy conversation around what happened and also talk about ways to cope when you witness social injustice.

Does COVID-19 warrant avoiding these conversations, given many children are already struggling with fear, anxiety and uncertainty?
'This report is ... a joke':House Democrats blast CDC over racial disparity data amid coronavirus
BDT: No. Not talking about upsetting events only fuels fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Being able to talk about something with a supportive adult can reduce fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Parents may avoid the conversation because they don't know what to say, but it is a mistake to think that their silence is helpful.

ET: I don't think that anxiety and fear about COVID-19 should stop a parent from talking about police brutality. This issue has been increasing in concern over the last few years as the number of black and brown people killed by police continue to rise. I think if you do talk with your child don't leave them in a high state of worry. Make sure to end the conversation by engaging in a pleasant activity after the difficult discussion so they won't stay worried or afraid.

How do parents start these conversations and how does that change depending on the age of their children?

ET: I think the first place to start a conversation around racism and police brutality is with honesty. Take ownership of your feelings and be comfortable sharing those feelings with your child. Then you can begin to allow them to share what they may already know about racial differences. I think that it is always good to allow children to share their opinion and understanding before you offer information.

For younger children conversations about racism should be limited to basic facts about how people are treated differently due to the color of their skin but also acknowledge that not everyone treats people differently based on race. For older teens, parents can consider exposure to news or social media posts as discussion points about this issue.

BDT: Regardless of the age of the child, it is important to balance acknowledging the reality of racism, or unfairness, with messages about the possibility of change, and the community of allies who are working together to make things better.

If a child of color asks if a police officer is going to kill them, what do you say?

BDT: The answer will depend on the age of the child. If it is a young child, a parent can be reassuring. "No, honey, you don't have to worry about that. Police officers don't want to hurt you."

In response to an older child, it can be reassuring to say something like: "I know that it is scary to think that something like that might happen, and I really don't want you to worry about anything like that. I know that most police officers want to help people, and most police officers never fire their guns. But sometimes they do get nervous and make mistakes. So it is important for you to know what to do if a police officer ever stops you..."

Black parents often refer to this as "the talk" they have to have with their adolescent sons to increase the odds they will survive an encounter with a police officer if and when they are stopped.

ET: That is a tough question. Depending on the age of the child, they may have some awareness of youth that have been killed by police. Obviously you don't want to respond in a way that is going to make children be more fearful for their safety. In my opinion, I think that you should let children know that most police officers work to protect them and their community.

If a child says they are afraid or angry, what do you say?

BDT: Acknowledge the child's feelings. The parent may have similar feelings. "I know it's upsetting to hear about and see these things happening. It upsets me too when bad things like this happen. Racism is very unfair. But it makes me feel better to know there are lots of people who want to change things." Being able to offer specific examples of community change agents would be useful. Being able to talk about what family members are doing to speak up against unfairness is especially useful. Actions always speak louder than words.

ET: If a child tells you that they are angry, that is appropriate. Don't force them to hide their emotional expression. However, be sure to help them identify ways to express their anger in a healthy manner which may include journaling or exercising to release the energy from their body.
Bear witness, record, de-escalate: How race may affect what bystanders are called to do in cases like George Floyd's
If a child is afraid for one of their friends, what do you say?

BDT: "I can see that you are worried about your friend. What do you think we could do that might help him or her?" Depending on the situation, this could be an opportunity to talk about what it means to be an ally, and how to stand in solidarity with another person.

ET: If a child is afraid for one of their friends, talk with them about those emotions. Allow the child to express why they may be afraid and help them identify how they can check on their friend's safety to ease their anxiety or fear. Part of what increases anxiety is the fear of the unknown. If you have a plan of action it will reduce some of those fears.

How can parents talk about law enforcement in a way that is honest but also doesn't discourage children from seeking help from law enforcement when appropriate?

BDT: Most police officers become police officers because they want to help people. And there are times when we would really want a police officer to help us - give some examples - if there's been a car accident, or if someone took something that belonged to us, etc. But sometimes a police officer does something bad, like today. When that happens, we might start to think that all police officers are like that. But it's important to remember that that is not true.

ET: I think that it is very important to talk with the children about law enforcement. For example, you can talk with them about how they protect rules in society such as making sure that people don't drive too fast so they won't harm themselves or others. Providing clear examples about the ways that law enforcement helps society will allow the child to better understand. You can also be honest about situations such as police brutality and let children know that some police officers break laws. If you have a trusted officer in your community it may be good to also allow the child to talk with them in person to reduce their fear.

Should these conversations be different depending on the race of the child?

BDT: Children of color are likely to experience racist encounters as they get older. They need to be helped to understand their own worth and feel affirmed in their identity as young people of color despite the negative messages they may get from others. Parents of color want to raise self-confident and empowered children who are not demoralized by other people's racism. This requires lots of conversation about racism and how to resist it in an ongoing way throughout their children's lives.

White children are often racially isolated as a consequence of segregated schools and neighborhoods, and consequently limited in their understanding of people different from themselves. White parents who want to interrupt the cycle of racism must learn to talk to their children about it and model their own anti-racist activity.
George Floyd video adds to trauma:'When is the last time you saw a white person killed online?'
ET: According to research, white parents often don't talk with their children about race or may emphasize "not seeing color." The concept of colorblindness or "not seeing color" is more harmful than helpful and does not honor an individual's identity. ... For white families, research suggests ... conversations should focus on raising anti-racist children and encouraging more friendships with children from others races.

Many of these deaths garner attention because footage of it goes viral. What should we say if our child asks to see it?

BDT: There are many adults who don't want to see such footage. I would not show it to a child at all. Once an image is in your head, it is very difficult to get it out. That said, it is reasonable to describe what happened and talk about why it was wrong. It is also likely that children with Internet access can view the footage without an adult's permission or assistance. Talking about it after the fact will help children process their feelings.

ET: You should not show your children these videos as it may increase the likelihood of them experiencing symptoms of trauma or having nightmares. What we know from research on witnessing disasters is that individuals may be at a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder even through indirect exposure to these events.

What do we say if, in the course of this conversation, a child says something racist?
George Floyd protests: Anger floods U.S. cities
BDT: Inquire about it with curiosity, not judgment. "I'm wondering why you said that ..." After hearing more about what the child is thinking, you can offer correction by providing new information. "You know, a lot of people might think that is true, but I don't because...."
You may also be interested in: Alia E. Dastagir is a recipient of a Rosalynn Carter fellowship for mental health journalism. Follow her on Twitter: @alia_e
ET: I think the first thing to do is to not get defensive. You want to foster open communication with your child. However, I think you should explore why they have that opinion, where did they learn it from, and tell them why what they said was wrong. It might be helpful for you as a parent to think about ways that you may have unconsciously expressed racist attitudes.

How can parents explain the uprisings in a way that doesn't condone violence but also doesn't minimize the sense of injustice fueling them?

BDT: Children understand the concept of unfairness as well as the experience of frustration. Years and years of unfairness - racism - results in intense anger and frustration. The conversation can then be about what we must do to fix the continuing unfairness.

ET: I think it is important for parents to be honest. Share your hurt, anger, or disappointment with your child. You should also talk about different ways to protest social injustice such as calling your local politicians office or even visit their office to talk with them about policy change to reduce injustice.

Resources for parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Should we tell the children? How? Those are among the many questions parents are asking after the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Many white parents wonder whether to talk with their kids at all, while parents of color swallow their grief and fear to have "the talk" once again.

# data[].attributes.body
A collection of teacher-recommended materials and teaching strategies are gathered in this collaborative online document (PreK-College)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers' Lounge, a blog where teachers can discuss the issues that affect them, is back from summer break. Our series starts the school year with a discussion of how to address Ferguson in the classroom by an educator who began an online conversation forum using the hashtag #FergusonSyllabus.
I watched the unrest in Ferguson unfold while preparing for the start of a new academic year and began to think about the various ways I could talk about the crisis with my students. That's how #FergusonSyllabus was born.

As I shared more resources, I found that educators from the early childhood level to those who work with adult learners were all searching for material to use to make a tragic moment more meaningful. As in any online conversation, detractors emerged to argue that it is too difficult, too controversial, or too hasty to talk about Ferguson with students. I remain firm that with some preparation and thoughtfulness, you can effectively help students answer their questions and address their fears associated with Ferguson. A collection of teacher-recommended materials and teaching strategies are gathered in this collaborative online document. Here are some tips:

Pre-K-Grade 4
For younger children who may or may not be aware of the scope of Ferguson, I recommend engaging them in identifying and being comfortable with emotions like anxiety, fear, anger and disappointment. The #FergusonSyllabus includes a number of children's books about sudden change and national events as well as conflict. Although parents may shield their small children from media, they still may sense that adults are uneasy or preoccupied around them. At this age, it is also important to reinforce the value of maintaining relationships across racial, ethnic and cultural differences.

Grades 5-8
For junior high students who may be more aware of the details involving Ferguson, more honest conversations about race are appropriate. These conversations can be framed in terms of America's racial history and can emphasize what has changed and what remains a challenge. The Ferguson crisis is also an excellent way of introducing students to the principles of governance, public servants and leadership challenges.

High school
High school students undoubtedly will have very strong feelings about Ferguson, and they are equipped to address broader philosophical questions about the nature of protest, the social contract and ethical leadership. Students may become distracted by debating right versus wrong or emphasizing sides in talking about Ferguson; in this instance, teachers could provide open forum spaces for students to share their own experiences of racism, discrimination and injustice. Using that conversation, teachers can then ask students to imagine how to be good citizens and leaders in their own community.

College and beyond
At this level, I recommend educators focus on the structural problems Ferguson brings to the forefront. The #FergusonSyllabus includes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work that can help students understand many dimensions and facets of Ferguson. Additionally, colleagues working across academic disciplines to incorporate Ferguson into their teaching can demonstrate how scholars can work together to address social issues.

Regardless of where and how you teach, I hope you consider accepting the challenge of helping students understand how to be better citizens and to better to each other.

Dr. Marcia Chatelain is Assistant Professor of History at Georgetown University, where she researches African-American history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers' Lounge, a blog where teachers can discuss the issues that affect them, is back from summer break. Our series starts the school year with a discussion of how to address Ferguson in the classroom by an educator who began an online conversation forum using the hashtag #FergusonSyllabus.

# data[].attributes.headline
Article: Ongoing violence against Black people is causing trauma.

# data[].attributes.subject
Article: Ongoing violence against Black people is causing trauma.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's been a tough week of news.

In the U.S., protests and riots were widespread after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who lost his life in the hands of police in Minneapolis.

On the same day, a Black bird watcher named Christian Cooper in New York City went viral after a white woman named Amy Cooper (no relation) called the police on him, addressing him as a threatening African-American. In the video, Christian Cooper remained calm and collected.

And at home, advocates are demanding accountability, after a Black woman in Toronto died after falling from a balcony following local police responding to a call in her home.

When you're Black, seeing images and videos of violence against other Black people over and over again, through social media feeds and screens, can be damaging to your mental health, says Renee Raymond, a registered psychotherapist based in Toronto.

"The Black community continues to face microaggressions and overt racism over the course of their lives," she told Global News.

"When you add what continues and has transpired recently in the United States, it's a harrowing reminder that class, education, even doing harmless activities like taking a walk or sleeping in your own bed cannot protect you from harm.

"It's draining, frustrating, traumatizing and infuriating to say the least."

Raymond says for those who fear being around members of the police or other communities themselves, it's important to share how you're feeling with those you trust.

"I would encourage members of the Black community to find someone they trust such as a friend or family member, to share their fears and feelings with," she said.

Minneapolis protesters clash with cops after black man died in police custody

"Having these conversations can remind us that they're not alone in this experience. Remind yourself through affirmations that your life has meaning, and take time to reflect on how this is true."

She adds understanding one's history and cultural journey is another way to also remind members of the Black community that their lives matter.

"They do not need to accept that the racism as something which is normal."

Ongoing racial trauma

Paul Bailey, president of the Black Health Alliance, a community-led charity focused on the well-being of Black Canadians, adds it's not just about videos coming up online from time to time. This past week only amplified what some Black people have always lived with.

"This is an everyday experience for people," he said.

"Academics and some people in community point to the concept of racial trauma and racial trauma being an ongoing factor."

Family of Regis Korchinski Paquet say they want answers following her death

Bailey says racial trauma occurs when people see the same images over and over again. Whether on phone screens or social media pages, Black people who experience this trauma can also develop stress and anxiety.

"(It's also the) fear that comes along with (it) ... you can be next or your friend can be next. It takes a toll emotionally; it's not just seeing the video."

Raymond says non-Black people also need to have honest conversations around this trauma when Black Canadians are speaking up about it. As allies, non-Black people should respond with compassion and action.

She says the riots and protests are a result of "expressing trauma."

"The Black community has had conversations, conferences, knelt, stood up, sang, rapped, silently protested at sporting events, rioted, protested, and cried out to their mothers and fathers to express their trauma," she said.

"Instead of politicizing and making qualifiers for people to express their trauma, space needs to be made to listen with compassion and actions to address the trauma (in the public space) need to follow."

Past studies have shown police killings and brutality can have a huge impact on a Black person's mental health. A 2018 study published in the AMA Network Open found exposure to police violence was linked to an increased chance of mental health issues like psychological distress and suicidal thoughts.

And for anyone who is having a hard time in the last few weeks processing this news, Raymond says there's a fine line between needing to be informed and taking a break from it.

"It is important to set aside some time to get caught up with what's happening, but also ensure that you're creating equal time to take care of yourself and disengage," she said.

"Engaging in discussion can take place offline in formats such as town halls and with smaller community groups as well."

How do non-Black Canadians support the community?

Raymond says at a time like this, non-Black Canadians may not know how to support their Black friends, family members or colleagues.

Living with these experiences and seeing these experiences are two completely different things, she said.

"We can only understand someone's story so much, and that includes understanding the hurt and trauma that the Black community is facing," she said.

"If you're speaking to your Black colleagues, friends, and spouses, listen to what they're saying rather than qualifying their experience based on your own."

Non-Black Canadians are integral allies in the fight against racism," she said.

"As anti-racist activist, Jane Elliott asked, 'Would you be happy to receive the same treatment that our Black citizens do in this society?' If your answer is no, then it may be time to reflect on whether you are helping/ not helping to change that."
- With reporting files from Olivia Bowden If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help. Crisis Services Canada Kids Help Phone The toll-free Trans Lifeline For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. operates a toll-free peer support hotline for trans and questioning people at 1-877-330-6366. Hope for Wellness helpline provides 24-7 support for Indigenous Peoples at 1-855-242-3310. Online chat services are also available. operates a toll-free helpline at 1-800-668-6868 with 24-7 support for young people as well as the Crisis Text Line, which can be reached by texting HOME to 686868. 's toll-free helpline provides 24-7 support at 1-833-456-4566.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ongoing violence against Black people is causing trauma: 'It's draining'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's been a tough week of news. In the U.S., protests and riots were widespread after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who lost his life in the hands of police in Minneapolis.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Pandemic Of Black Trauma Will Never End

# data[].attributes.subject
The Pandemic Of Black Trauma Will Never End

# data[].attributes.body
The Anti-Black Racism Pandemic Cannot Be "The New Normal"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rodney King. That was the first name of a Black man victimized by police I learned - at least, it's the first one I can remember. I was three when he was violently beaten.

From then on, the threat of being murdered because of my race was something we discussed in my house often. The Talk was delivered to me and my big brothers as intently as warnings to wash our hands and eat our vegetables. A beating from a police officer felt like something we could prevent, with good behavior (putting our hands on a dashboard) and the right clothes (not too baggy, never hoodies), like staving off a cold with hot tea.

We now know that behavior doesn't matter. Clothes don't matter. And depending on who you ask, Black lives don't matter. In the middle of a global pandemic, when almost everything about our way of life has changed, one thing has prevailed: Black trauma. Turns out you can't put on a mask to prevent the spread of white supremacy!

For Black people in the U.S. and in Canada, our trauma is its own pandemic. Just look at the past week. On Monday, a white woman named Amy Cooper went viral for threatening the life of a Black man, Christian Cooper (no relation), who was just trying to bird watch in Central Park in peace. By Tuesday, a video out of Minnesota depicting George Floyd gasping for air, pleading "I can't breathe" while a white cop suffocated him with unrelenting cruelty was flooding the news cycle, showing us in real time what Amy Cooper wanted to happen to Christian. On Wednesday night, #JusticeForRegis was trending, referring to Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman who fell 24 floors to her death after police were called to her home in Toronto. Her family says she was pushed by the police, and revealed in a statement to ByBlacks that her last words were, "Mom, help." By Thursday, the exhaustion of witnessing these brutal acts towards Black people - people who look like me, who could be me - felt like too much to bear.

In the middle of a global pandemic, when almost everything about our way of life has changed, one thing has prevailed: Black trauma.

In the past 48 hours, while it was nearly impossible to be as extremely online as I am without seeing images of Floyd's head on the ground while his neck was crushed under the knee of his murderer, I've been thinking a lot about normalcy, because we're being told over and over that These Times are anything but normal.

In passing conversations with white people, the words "I can't wait to get back to normal" come up a lot. "The New Normal" is the goal and the headline-dominating catchphrase of the moment. #WhenThisIsAllOver was trending on Twitter earlier this month, with people sharing things they couldn't wait to do when the coronavirus crisis ends, like get married, travel to dream destinations, and go for dinner at fancy restaurants. I understand that it's easier to pretend things will go back to the way they were than accept that your reality is changed forever. Believing that this collective grief we're all facing will pass is a way for people to cope with their pain. I get that.

But for Black people, painful realities beyond our control are what we deal with on the daily. Sure, we get married, travel, eat out at nice spots too, and experience joy in the face of oppression every day, but coping with discomfort and grief is as familiar to us as the ache in your gut longing for a hug from an old friend.

There is no "post-pandemic" for the racist foundation our systems are built on. We cannot postpone our trauma until 2021.

Black trauma is normal. Inadvertently scrolling past the public lynching of a Black man is typical. A Black woman's death turning into a hashtag is standard. In a 2016 essay called " How Many Black People Can You Mourn In One Week," Hannah Giorgis wrote, "To be Black in America is to exist in haunting, mundane proximity to death at all moments. There is no reprieve, no block, no unfollow that can loosen us from its shadow." There is no "post-pandemic" for the racist foundation our systems are built on. We cannot postpone our trauma until 2021.

The past two months have shown us a series of examples that the "normal" white people are so desperate to get back to will still include the murder of Black people like Ahmaud Arbery, a man gunned down by strangers while jogging in Glynn County, Georgia; D'Andre Campbell, a Brampton, ON, man struggling with mental health issues who was shot and killed by cops when he called them for help; and Breonna Taylor, a Louisville woman senselessly murdered in her own home by police. But racism doesn't always come at the hands of violent white men with badges. The engrained bigotry of Karens is just as dangerous.

Refusing to acknowledge complicity in systems and social policies that benefit you and oppress others is willfully allowing Black people to die.

What Amy Cooper (aka Central Park Karen) did is also normal - yes, even in Canada. When I found out Cooper was Canadian, I just nodded in recognition. I know Amy " I'm not a racist" Coopers deeply. Amy Coopers weaponize their white privilege. As The Cut put it, "[Cooper] could be your boss or your neighbor or your teacher, if disturbed on the wrong day." These are the racists who boast about having Black friends. They are the ones who touch your hair and rap the N-Word with no remorse until they get caught. They are the ones who say, "We don't see color in Canada." Those may seem like little things - like excusable things - but they all lead to the same place: Refusing to acknowledge complicity in systems and social policies that benefit you and oppress others is willfully allowing Black people to die. White people: Do not click away from Black suffering. If we do not have that luxury, neither should you.

During a global crisis that is supposed to be the " great equalizer," the inequalities between Black people and everyone else have become even more vast. A deadly disease is killing our elders and shattering our communities. That's true for everyone around the world. But for Black people in the U.S. and Canada, the emotional toll of this virus is compounded by the pandemic of racism. Numerous studies show that repeatedly witnessing Black death has devastating effects on our mental health. The trauma from decades of oppression lives in our bodies. The tax on our mental wellbeing cannot be quantified. Black trauma festers and spreads. It infects and kills. It is exhausting beyond comprehension. And yet, we get out of bed and go to work. We take our bonnets off and hop on Zoom. Even when we are not okay, we have to be. We take to social media to plead for our lives with white people. We appeal to allies to be better, to do more. We mourn together. We express our anger. We cry. We fight. We hold each other up, with joy and laughter and our unbeatable culture. We know we're not alone. But we also know this will never end. And that hopelessness we feel? It's normal.

Like all parents, Black parents are teaching their kids to sneeze into their elbows and stay six feet away from people. They're also still having The Talk. Black kids are learning George Floyd's name. And Ahmaud Arbery's. And Breonna Taylor's. Those names will stay with them forever.

White people, if you want to be a true ally, treat anti-black racism like the pandemic it is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Pandemic Of Black Trauma Will Never End

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rodney King. That was the first name of a Black man victimized by police I learned - at least, it's the first one I can remember. I was three when he was violently beaten. From then on, the threat of being murdered because of my race was something we discussed in my house often.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Paradox of the Shameless White Liberal

# data[].attributes.subject
The Paradox of the Shameless White Liberal

# data[].attributes.body
Article that challenges us to consider how white anti-racism can contribute to racist behavior; consider how these behaviors may manifest in our schools and classrooms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amy Cooper was asked to put her pet on a leash, in accordance with city ordinance. Rather than simply complying with the rules, Ms. Cooper tried to sic the police on the person who pointed out her violation - feigning to be in imminent danger from an "African American man." Fortunately, the man accused of threatening Ms. Cooper recorded the incident. His sister later uploaded the video to social media, where it went viral; it has already been viewed tens of millions of times.

It is unclear what the appropriate consequences for something like this should be, given how dire the consequences of her actions could have been ( as recent events in Minneapolis sadly confirm). However, Ms. Cooper has already paid a high price for her transgression: She has been publicly shamed and terminated from her position as a VP and Head of Investment Solutions at Franklin Templeton Investments. She has surrendered custody of her dog (whom she dragged around by the neck for most of the confrontation). Some lawmakers have called for her to be charged with making a false report to police.

A lot of ink has been spilled over this incident and others like it. One thing that has been largely missing from these stories is the political orientation of the white people who behave in this manner. It may be tempting to view this question as a distraction from the "core" issue at hand - however, I will argue, this component may actually be essential for understanding how many of these stories play out.

Consider Ms. Cooper's threat against the person who told her to leash her dog: She was going to call the cops and "tell them there's an African American man threatening" her life. It seems taken as a given that the police are racially biased - that they will act with overwhelming force, and without regard to the actual facts of the case, to defend a white person who appears to be in danger from a black man. Even though she was the one breaking rules, she assumed the police would target him, precisely on the grounds that he was an "African American man."

This is not a set of assumptions that most conservatives would likely hold. They are generally skeptical of claims of racial bias in policing. While some acknowledge a few "bad apples," they assert that law enforcement officers typically discharge their duties in a restrained and fair manner, with their responses to situations dictated by the pertinent facts of the case.

In other words, Ms. Cooper's assumption that the cops would respond in a forceful manner against a black man without asking too many questions, strictly in virtue of his race as compared to hers - this is the kind of belief that liberals tend to hold about cops.

Indeed, based on her demographic characteristics - urban, white, female, highly-educated, of an upper-socio-economic status - it is statistically highly probable that Ms. Cooper voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election.

The peculiar intersection of race, class, and ideology that Ms. Cooper embodies is hardly unusual for cases like these. Consider: in areas of concentrated poverty that are being gentrified or that lie adjacent to wealthier areas (as is often the case in urban settings), policing tends to be much more frequent and aggressive - even for small crimes. Those calling the cops on people of color for things like taking shelter from the rain, failing to wave at a white passerby while leaving their AirBnB, sitting in their car waiting for yoga class to start, accidentally brushing up against a white person in a store, etcetera - the people regularly seeking out law enforcement for things like loud music, loitering, "suspected" criminal activity, or domestic disturbances - these are often relatively well-off, highly-educated, liberal, white denizens eager to "clean up" or "protect" the neighborhoods they choose to live in.

Moreover, it is liberals who go out of their way to embed themselves in communities of color - especially young and highly-educated professionals or artists. Granted, rents tend to be cheaper in these areas. However, many are also drawn to such neighborhoods, quite explicitly, because they are "historic," "cultured" and "diverse." In so doing, they put themselves in situations where they more frequently come into contact with minorities. If misunderstandings or conflicts arise (as they inevitably will in multi-cultural and gentrifying urban neighborhoods), many reflexively look to local authorities to resolve these disputes on their behalf. Like Ms. Cooper, this is often done in confidence that the police will align themselves with the white person making the call. In practice, then, they are attempting to use police to punish people of color who are insufficiently deferent to their own demands or preferences. However, it is extremely difficult for most white liberals to understand their actions in this way due to a phenomenon social scientists call "moral credentialing."

Research in the cognitive and behavioral sciences suggests that when whites explicitly denounce racism or affirm their commitment to racial equality, they often - paradoxically - grow more likely to act in ways that favor other whites; simultaneously, they grow more confident that their actions were not racially-motivated.

A similar effect holds when they observe others from their "in-group" making gestures towards antiracism: it convinces them not only that their peers are egalitarians but that their own actions and interactions are non-biased as well. Conversely, blaming or criticizing "others" for a particular moral failing reduces one's own sense of guilt for that same moral failing.

Consequently, for whites who inhabit social circles where people go around denouncing racism to one another constantly - painting themselves as staunch advocates for social justice - it would become almost impossible for these people to see the role that they play in perpetuating systemic inequality.

Under the sway of moral credentialing, people can take actions that they would recognize in others as "racist" without understanding themselves to be racist when performing those same actions. These dynamics are quite clear in Ms. Cooper's apology: She acknowledged how someone might perceive her actions to be racist but she insisted nonetheless that her behaviors were not racially motivated and that she never meant to harm anyone.

Put another way, it is not merely the case that liberals and leftists are capable of being dangerously entitled around people of color, they are probably more likely to engage in these sorts of behaviors than non-leftists. Precisely because they view themselves as "allies" to members of historically marginalized and disadvantaged groups, they often feel justified in taking liberties they would deny to other whites - confident that their actions are not racist, that they are merely giving an appropriate response to the situation at hand.

Indeed, Ms. Cooper herself may well have been outraged had she witnessed some other white woman calling the cops on a black man for telling her to leash her dog. She may have even joined the chorus against " BBQ Becky," " Permit Patty " et al. during previous viral incidents.

However, these exercises in ritual purification do precious little to help people from historically marginalized or disadvantaged groups. They don't even meaningfully raise awareness, as they circulate primarily among those who are already the most " aware." More than anything else, these campaigns are a form of catharsis for white elites. With each op-ed and retweet, they reassure themselves that they are "different" from those other whites, the ones who are ignorant, unenlightened, fearful of diversity. They are the good whites and they would never resort to such tactics were they to somehow find themselves in a dustup with a black person.

And perhaps they wouldn't. But there's a good chance they would.
Musa al-Gharbi is a Paul F. Lazarsfeld Fellow in Sociology at Columbia University. Readers can connect to his research and social media via his website, musaalgharbi.com.
Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to a piece in the Independent, a reputable British broadsheet that included now discredited information on political donations thought to have been made by Amy Cooper. We regret the error.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amy Cooper: The Paradox of the Shameless White Liberal - Public Seminar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amy Cooper was asked to put her pet on a leash, in accordance with city ordinance. Rather than simply complying with the rules, Ms. Cooper tried to sic the police on the person who pointed out her violation - feigning to be in imminent danger from an "African American man."

# data[].attributes.headline
Maintaining Professionalism in the Age of Black Death

# data[].attributes.subject
Maintaining Professionalism in the Age of Black Death

# data[].attributes.body
A reminder to be mindful that black employees are dealing with a lot.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I just witnessed the lynching of a black man, but don't worry Ted, I'll have those deliverables to you end of day.

Photo by Nicole Baster on Unsplash

Between Amy Cooper's Oscar worthy Central Park performance, Ahmaud Arbery shooting death in Georgia, Breonna Taylor's assassination inside her Louisville home, and the Minneapolis murder of George Floyd, black people in America are running on fumes.

We're tired, angry, confused and yet, thisspace is familiar to us. This place of torment and trauma has become a home of sorts. The cycle begins in the far corners of Twitter with rumblings of a killing. Then a recording of the victim's last moments pop up and shortly after, we finally learn the person's name.

A new name to add to a growing list no one wants to be part of.

Sparks of outrage, disgust and bewilderment soon follow. Maybe a protest happens, and in the case of Floyd, uprisings. Men and women ballooned with righteous anger take to the streets to make their presence known; to scorch earth and shout from the pits of their belly to the top of their lungs that their lives matter. Whether the powers that be hear or acknowledge their chants is one thing, but it's the community formed by the injustice of another black death that acts as a temporary solve.

And while some of us take to the streets, the rest of us have to hide these shared feelings behind professionalism.

I don't know who decided that being professional was loosely defined as being divorced of total humanity, but whoever did they've aided, unintentionally maybe, in a unique form of suffocation.

If I am to perform my duties for 40 hours a week, it's asinine to assume that the life I live outside of those 40 hours won't rear its head. Whether I'm a sleep deprived single mother of two or a struggling college student who really needs this internship to graduate, the belief that only the part of me that fattens your bottom line is allowed in the workplace, is stifling.

This is magnified for young black professionals who are recruited for their culture, but told, in so many words, that their blackness and the struggles that come with it are to be left at the door.

A black man went for a run only to be ambushed by two white men, shot and then killed. A black female essential worker was asleep inside her home when police serving a "no-knock" warrant shot her eight times. A white woman, enraged that a black man asked her to follow the park rules lied to cops about being threatened. And a black man died face down on the ground because a white cop suffocated him.

But yeah, I can totally have that presentation for you by end of day, Ted. No problem.

Your black employees are exhausted.

Your black employees are scared.

Your black employees are crying in between meetings.

Your black employees have mentally checked out.

Your black employees are putting on a performance.

Forgive us if our work isn't up to par, we just saw a lynching. Pardon us if we're quiet in the Zoom meetings, we're wondering if we'll be the next hashtag. Spare some grace if we're not at the company happy hour, because the hour of joy that most adults look forward to has been stolen from us due to the recent string of black death.

We're biting our tongues, swallowing our rage and fighting back tears to remain professional because expressing that hurt caused by witnessing black death is considered more unprofessional, than black men and women actually being killed.

So if you can, please, be mindful. Your black employees are dealing with a lot.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is....A Lot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I just witnessed the lynching of a black man, but don't worry Ted, I'll have those deliverables to you end of day. Between Amy Cooper's Oscar worthy Central Park performance, Ahmaud Arbery shooting death in Georgia, Breonna Taylor's assassination inside her Louisville home, and the Minneapolis murder of George Floyd, black people in America are running on fumes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dual Pathways to a Better America: Preventing Discrimination and Promoting Diversity

# data[].attributes.subject
Dual Pathways to a Better America: Preventing Discrimination and Promoting Diversity

# data[].attributes.body
APA Full Report

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking to Children and Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking to Children and Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators

# data[].attributes.body
Key reminders to help reestablish a sense of
normalcy and security for children after an act of violence occurs.

# data[].attributes.headline
Children and Trauma: Tips for Mental Health Professionals

# data[].attributes.subject
Children and Trauma: Tips for Mental Health Professionals

# data[].attributes.body
Information and response strategies for mental health professionals

# data[].attributes.headline
Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth: a guide for practitioners

# data[].attributes.subject
Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth: a guide for practitioners

# data[].attributes.body
APA Developed guide for psychologists to address mental health needs of racially diverse students

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources for School/Community Violence Crisis Response

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources for School/Community Violence Crisis Response

# data[].attributes.body
Resources for parents, teachers, and school counselors, webinars and publications

# data[].attributes.body
NASP has developed and/or identified resources to help schools and families engage in constructive dialogue about race, privilege, prejudice, and power and the ways that all of us can work together to shift the conversation from hate and violence toward understanding and respect.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Across the country, communities are coping with the consequences of social injustice: poverty, racism, inequity, violence, isolation, and economic segregation. These challenges undermine the capacity and well-being of our nation's most precious resource, our children. Indeed, there is no more important endeavor than helping our children and youth become positive, productive, valued citizens. We start by making their well-being and opportunity to grow an unequivocal priority no matter where they learn, play, and live. We must be advocates for the systems and services that lower barriers and create genuine, sustained equity and opportunity.

As parents, caregivers, and educators, we also have a critical responsibility to help children and youth see adults as keeping them safe, understand the challenges at hand within a problem-solving context, and see themselves as active participants in our collective national commitment to liberty and justice for all.

Front and center is the need to address in a meaningful way the issues of race, privilege, prejudice, and power. NASP has developed and/or identified these resources to help schools and families engage in constructive dialogue about these issues and the ways that all of us can work together to shift the conversation from hate and violence toward understanding and respect to ultimately bring about positive change and unity to our communities. We will be adding to these resources over time.

Social justice is both a process and a goal that requires action. School psychologists work to ensure the protection of the educational rights, opportunities, and well-being of all children, especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored. Social justice requires promoting non-discriminatory practices and the empowerment of families and communities. School psychologists enact social justice through culturally-responsive professional practice and advocacy to create schools, communities, and systems that ensure equity and fairness for all children and youth. - (Adopted by the NASP Board of Directors, April 2017).

Featured Resources

Lead and participate in group book discussions by purchasing Unequal City: Race, Schools, and Perceptions of Injustice by Dr. Carla Shedd. Our Guidance will help you successfully lead your own book group.

Social Justice and the NASP Practice Model

NASP recently created infographics to introduce key issues to stakeholders and advocate for the work of school psychologists. This infographic shows key points about social justice as it relates to children and youth, the role of school psychologists in changing these statistics, and the NASP Practice Model domains represented by this work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Across the country, communities are coping with the consequences of social injustice: poverty, racism, inequity, violence, isolation, and economic segregation. These challenges undermine the capacity and well-being of our nation's most precious resource, our children. Indeed, there is no more important endeavor than helping our children and youth become positive, productive, valued citizens.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents

# data[].attributes.body
Tips and related resources to help parents support their children.

# data[].attributes.headline
SPANISH: Supporting Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents

# data[].attributes.subject
SPANISH: Supporting Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents

# data[].attributes.body
Tips and related resources to help parents support students during trying times (in Spanish)

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting Marginalized Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Educators

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting Marginalized Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Educators

# data[].attributes.body
Tips and resources to help educators support students during trying times.

# data[].attributes.headline
Preparing to Discuss Michael Brown in the Classroom Discussion Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
Preparing to Discuss Michael Brown in the Classroom Discussion Guide

# data[].attributes.body
Developed by DCPS to provide suggestions for framing a conversation, resources teachers can use to build their own background knowledge or share with students to frame discussions, and protocol for engaging students in process of examining, understanding, and responding to complex issues related to diversity in schools

# data[].attributes.headline
George Floyd, Racism and Law Enforcement 

# data[].attributes.subject
George Floyd, Racism and Law Enforcement 

# data[].attributes.body
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Topic Summary
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American man, was killed while being arrested by the police. A bystander video recording of the incident showed that a white police officer pinned Floyd to the ground while he was handcuffed. The police officer's knee pressed into the back of Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, even after Floyd lost consciousness. On the video, Floyd was heard saying, "Please, I can't breathe. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. ... (I need) water or something. Please. Please. I can't breathe, officer. ... I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe."

A video taken by a bystander of the incident was shared widely on social media. This led to community and national outrage, an F.B.I. civil rights investigation and the firing of the officer, Derek Chauvin and three other officers who were also at the scene. On May 29, 2020 Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. On June 3, the charges against Chauvin were upgraded to second-degree murder and the three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Trial of Derek Chauvin

The murder trial of Derek Chauvin began on March 29 and concluded on April 19, 2021, when the defense and prosecution delivered their closing arguments. On April 20, 2021, the jury announced a verdict of guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin was denied bail and taken into custody; his sentencing is to take place in eight weeks. After the verdict was read, Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother said, "I was just praying they would find him guilty. As an African American, we usually never get justice."

Protests Across the Country

The murder of George Floyd spurred what has been called the largest protest movement in U.S. history; data suggest that up to 26 million people in the U.S. participated in demonstrations. There has also been widespread protest and activism around the world. Proposed legislation followed as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 was introduced in Congress. The bill's stated goal is to "to hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies."

There is a larger context and history of Black men and boys who were killed at the hands of the police, many of whom, like George Floyd, were unarmed. Since 2014, some high-profile deaths include Eric Garner (2014), Michael Brown (2014), Tamir Rice (2014), Laquan McDonald (2014), John Crawford (2014) Freddie Gray (2015), Walter Scott (2015), Alton Sterling (2016), Philando Castile (2016), Terence Crutcher (2016), Antwon Rose (2018) and others. Black women and girls are also targets of police violence, a reality that sparked the "Say Her Name" movement to highlight how this violence often goes unnoticed. Women who have died as a result of police interactions include Sandra Bland (2015), Deborah Danner (2016), and Atatiana Jefferson (2019) and Breonna Taylor (2020).

Despite having video recordings of many of these deaths, it is very rare for police officers to get arrested, prosecuted or convicted for excessive use of force. This perceived lack of accountability has led to a public outcry for justice.

Black Lives Matter is an activist movement which began as a hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) when in July 2013, white civilian George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager killed in Florida. The Black Lives Matter movement became more widely acknowledged and highlighted after two 2014 high-profile deaths of unarmed African American men (Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY and Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO). Neither of the police officers involved in their deaths were indicted (i.e., formally charge with a crime).

Systemic Racism

Racism is defined as: "the marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people." Racism shows up in all aspects of our lives and society: in interpersonal communication, through discriminatory policies and practices, in biased language, and in our laws and institutions (e.g., education, media, employment, government and the criminal justice system).

Many see Floyd's death as an example of systemic racism, referring to the way race disadvantages people of color in the criminal justice system. Black and Latinx men are disproportionately represented in all levels of the criminal justice system, from arrest to sentencing to death row. Moreover, research shows that African American people are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white people.

How Hate and Bias Escalate

On the same day that George Floyd was killed, another incident occurred in Central Park in New York City. Christian Cooper, a Black man, was birdwatching when he encountered an unleashed dog. He asked the dog's owner, Amy Cooper (no relation), to put the dog on a leash, as the park rules require. When she did not, he began to film her on his phone. In response, Amy Cooper said she would call the police, stating "I'm going to tell them there's an African American man threatening my life" while pulling out her cell phone and calling 911.

While these two events appear to be unrelated, they both demonstrate a very important concept: when left unchecked, hate and bias can escalate and lead to dangerous, and sometimes deadly, outcomes.

The Pyramid of Hate illustrates how the levels of biased attitudes and behaviors grow in complexity from the bottom to top. Like a pyramid, the upper levels are supported by the lower levels and it becomes increasingly difficult to challenge and dismantle as behaviors escalate. Bias at each level negatively impacts individuals, institutions and society. When bias goes unchecked, it becomes "normalized" and contributes to a pattern of accepting discrimination, hate and injustice in society.

Amy Cooper's anger and bias led her to threaten Christian Cooper with the bias she assumed the police would have when she described the man who was threatening her as African American. This is a situation that could have easily escalated if the police arrived on the scene and engaged in a confrontation, or worse, with Christian Cooper. All too quickly and pervasively, the escalation of bias and hate has led to violence and the deaths of George Floyd and many others.
Age
11 and up
Questions to Start the Conversation

What were your initial thoughts and feelings when you heard about what happened to George Floyd?

How do you feel about the guilty verdict on all three counts for Derek Chauvin?

Do you see people talking about this issue on the news, on social media or among your friends? What impact has that had on you?

Why do you think the movement to stop police violence against African American people is called Black Lives Matter? What does it mean to you? What kind of change are activists and others calling for?

In your own words, how would you describe the connection between the two incidents (the one in Central Park in NYC and the death of George Floyd)?

Questions to Dig Deeper
(See the Additional Information section for articles and information that address these questions.)

Why do you think it is rare for police officers to get arrested, prosecuted and convicted in these cases? What should be done about that?

What are your thoughts and ideas about how we can transform policing and public safety for all?

What can each of us do as individuals to stop the escalation of bias and hate? What can we do on a societal level?

What are other ways that racism (or other forms of injustice) show up in our institutions (education, government, business, media, etc.) and what can we do about that?

Take Action
Ask: What can we do to help? What actions might make a difference?

Talk with others about what happened to George Floyd and others and the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement by sharing information on social media, having individual conversations or organizing an educational event in the school or community.

Learn more about bias and talk together about how our biases may show up, especially on the lower levels of the Pyramid of Hate (i.e., biased attitudes, acts of bias).

Write a letter to your school or community newspaper about your thoughts and feelings about George Floyd and the racial disparities in the criminal justice system. In the letter, explain what you think should be done about it.

Get involved in local activism on these or other issues of injustice that are important to you.

Additional Resources Resumen del tema
El 25 de mayo de 2020, George Floyd, un hombre afroamericano, murió mientras era arrestado por la policía. La grabación en video del incidente por parte de un testigo muestra que un oficial de policía blanco inmovilizó a Floyd en el suelo mientras era esposado. La rodilla del policía presionó la nuca de Floyd durante más de nueve minutos, incluso después de que Floyd perdiera el conocimiento. En el video, se escucha a Floyd diciendo: "Por favor, no puedo respirar. Me duele el estómago. Me duele el cuello. Me duele todo. ... (Necesito) agua o algo. Por favor. Por favor. No puedo respirar, oficial. ... No puedo respirar. No puedo respirar".

El incidente fue captado en video por una espectadora y ampliamente compartido en las redes sociales. Esto provocó la indignación de la comunidad y de la nación, una investigación de derechos civiles del FBI y el despido del oficial, Derek Chauvin y otros tres oficiales que también estaban en el lugar. El 29 de mayo, Chauvin fue detenido y acusado de asesinato en tercer grado y homicidio. El 3 de junio, los cargos contra Chauvin se elevaron a asesinato en segundo grado y los otros tres oficiales fueron acusados de colaboración y complicidad en el asesinato.

Juicio de Derek Chauvin

El juicio por asesinato de Derek Chauvin comenzó el 29 de marzo y concluyó el 19 de abril de 2021, cuando la defensa y la fiscalía presentaron sus argumentos finales. El 20 de abril de 2021, el jurado anunció un veredicto de culpable en los tres cargos del asesinato de George Floyd. A Chauvin se le negó la libertad bajo fianza y fue puesto bajo custodia; su sentencia tendrá lugar en ocho semanas. Después de que se leyó el veredicto, Philonise Floyd, el hermano de George Floyd, dijo: "Solo estaba rezando para que lo encontraran culpable. Como afroamericano, generalmente nunca recibimos justicia".

Protestas en todo el país

El asesinato de George Floyd desató lo que se ha llamado el mayor movimiento de protesta en la historia de Estados Unidos; Los datos sugieren que hasta 26 millones de personas en los EE. UU. participaron en manifestaciones. También ha habido protestas y activismo generalizados en todo el mundo. Después se presentó en el Congreso la propuesta de legislativa Ley de Justicia en la Policía de George Floyd de 2020. El objetivo de este proyecto de ley es "responsabilizar a las fuerzas del orden por mala conducta en los tribunales, mejorar la transparencia a través de la recopilación de datos y reformar la capacitación y las políticas policiales".

Existe un contexto más amplio de hombres y niños afroamericanos asesinados por la policía y muchos de ellos -como George Floyd- estaban desarmados. Desde 2014, algunas muertes muy conocidas incluyen a Eric Garner (2014), Michael Brown (2014), Tamir Rice (2014), Laquan McDonald (2014), John Crawford (2014) Freddie Gray (2015), Walter Scott (2015), Alton Sterling (2016), Philando Castile (2016), Terence Crutcher (2016) y Antwon Rose (2018) entre otros. Las mujeres y niñas negras también son blanco de la violencia policial, realidad que desencadenó el movimiento "Di su nombre" ("Say Her Name") para resaltar cómo esta violencia a menudo pasa desapercibida. Entre las mujeres que han muerto como resultado de interacciones con la policía se encuentran Sandra Bland (2015), Deborah Danner (2016), Atatiana Jefferson (2019) y Breonna Taylor (2020). A pesar de disponer de grabaciones en vídeo de muchas de estas muertes, es muy raro que los agentes de policía sean detenidos, procesados o condenados por el uso excesivo de la fuerza. Esta percepción de falta de responsabilidad ha provocado una protesta pública pidiendo justicia.

Black Lives Matter (Las vidas negras importan) es un movimiento activista que comenzó como un hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) cuando en julio de 2013, el civil blanco George Zimmerman fue absuelto por la muerte de Trayvon Martin, un adolescente afroamericano desarmado que fue asesinado en Florida. El movimiento Black Lives Matter logró mayor reconocimiento y visibilidad después de las notorias muertes en 2014 de dos hombres afroamericanos desarmados (Eric Garner en Staten Island, NY, y Michael Brown en Ferguson, MO). Ninguno de los policías implicados en sus muertes fue acusado formalmente.

Racismo sistémico

El racismo se define como: "la marginación y/u opresión de la gente de color basada en una jerarquía racial socialmente construida que privilegia a los blancos". El racismo se manifiesta en todos los aspectos de nuestras vidas y de la sociedad: en la comunicación interpersonal, a través de políticas y prácticas discriminatorias, en el lenguaje prejuiciado y en nuestras leyes e instituciones (por ejemplo, en la educación, los medios de comunicación, el empleo, el gobierno y el sistema de justicia criminal).

Muchos ven la muerte de Floyd como un ejemplo de racismo sistémico, refiriéndose a la forma en que la raza pone en desventaja a las personas de color en el sistema de justicia criminal. Los hombres afroamericanos y latinos están desproporcionadamente representados en todos los niveles del sistema de justicia penal, desde el arresto hasta la condena a muerte. Además, las investigaciones demuestran que los afroamericanos tienen 2.5 veces más probabilidades de ser asesinados por la policía que los blancos.

Cómo se incrementan el odio y el prejuicio

El mismo día en que George Floyd fue asesinado, ocurrió otro incidente en Central Park en Nueva York. Christian Cooper, un hombre afroamericano, estaba observando aves cuando se encontró con un perro que andaba sin correa. Le pidió a la dueña del perro, Amy Cooper (sin parentesco entre ellos), una mujer blanca, que le pusiera la correa al perro como lo exigen las reglas del parque. Cuando ella se negó, él comenzó a filmarla. En respuesta, Amy Cooper dijo que llamaría a la policía y, mientras sacaba su celular y llamaba al 911, afirmó: "Voy a decirles que un hombre afroamericano está amenazando mi vida".

Aunque estos dos acontecimientos parecen no estar relacionados, ambos ilustran un concepto muy importante: si no se controlan, el odio y los prejuicios pueden incrementarse y llevar a resultados nefastos.

La Pirámide del Odio ilustra la forma en que los niveles de actitudes y comportamientos prejuiciados se hacen más complejos de abajo hacia arriba. Como una pirámide, los niveles superiores se apoyan en los niveles inferiores y, a medida que los comportamientos se intensifican, se hace más difícil desafiarlos y desmantelarlos. El prejuicio en cada nivel afecta negativamente a los individuos, las instituciones y la sociedad. Cuando el prejuicio no se controla, se "normaliza" y contribuye a un patrón de aceptación de la discriminación, el odio y la injusticia en la sociedad.

La ira y prejuicio de Amy Cooper la llevaron a amenazar a Christian Cooper con el prejuicio que asumió la policía tendría cuando ella describiera como afroamericano al hombre que la amenazaba. Esta situación podría haber escalado fácilmente si la policía hubiera llegado a la escena y hubiera enfrentado a Christian Cooper. Con demasiada rapidez y de forma generalizada, la intensificación de los prejuicios y el odio ha llevado a la violencia y la muerte de George Floyd y muchos otros.
Edad
De 11 años en adelante.
Preguntas para iniciar la conversación

¿Has visto a la gente hablando de este tema en las noticias, en las redes sociales o entre tus amigos? ¿Qué impacto ha tenido eso en ti?

¿Por qué crees que el movimiento para combatir la violencia policial contra los afroamericanos se llama Black Lives Matter? ¿Qué significa para ti? ¿Qué cambios están pidiendo los activistas y otros?

En tus propias palabras, ¿cómo describirías la conexión entre los dos incidentes (el del Central Park en Nueva York y la muerte de George Floyd)?

Preguntas para profundizar aún más
(Consulte la sección "Más información" para ver información y artículos que abordan estas preguntas).

¿Por qué crees que es raro que los agentes de policía sean arrestados, procesados y condenados en estos casos? ¿Qué debería hacerse al respecto?

¿Cuáles son tus pensamientos e ideas sobre cómo podemos transformar la policía y la seguridad pública para todos?

¿Qué podemos hacer cada uno de nosotros como individuos para detener la intensificación de los prejuicios y el odio? ¿Qué podemos hacer a nivel de la sociedad?

¿En qué otras formas se manifiesta el racismo (u otras formas de injusticia) en nuestras instituciones (educación, gobierno, empresas, medios de comunicación, etc.) y qué podemos hacer al respecto?

Tomar medidas
Pregunte: ¿Qué podemos hacer para ayudar? ¿Qué acciones podrían marcar la diferencia?

Habla con otros sobre lo que le pasó a George Floyd y los objetivos del movimiento Black Lives Matter, compartiendo información en las redes sociales, sosteniendo conversaciones individuales u organizando un evento educativo en la escuela o la comunidad.

Aprende más sobre el prejuicio y discute la forma en que pueden manifestarse nuestros prejuicios, especialmente en los niveles inferiores de la Pirámide del Odio (es decir, actitudes prejuiciadas, actos prejuiciados).

Escribe una carta al periódico de la escuela o comunidad sobre tus pensamientos y sentimientos acerca de George Floyd y las desigualdades raciales en el sistema de justicia criminal. En la carta, explica lo que crees que se debe hacer al respecto.

Involúcrate en el activismo local sobre estos u otros temas de injusticia que sean importantes para ti.

Recursos adicionales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
George Floyd, Racism and Law Enforcement (in English and en Español)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Topic Summary On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American man, was killed while being arrested by the police. A bystander video recording of the incident showed that a white police officer pinned Floyd to the ground while he was handcuffed.

# data[].attributes.headline
Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to Movement Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.subject
Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to Movement Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.body
Lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about Black Lives Matter and the activists involved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Updated June 2, 2020

Black Lives Matter: An Activist Movement

Black Lives Matter is an activist movement which began as a hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American teenager killed in Florida in July 2013. The movement became more widely known and popularized after two high-profile deaths in 2014 of unarmed African-American men (Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY and Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO). Neither of the police officers involved in their deaths were indicted (i.e., formally charged with a crime).

Violence against African Americans

There is a larger context and history of African American men and boys who were killed at the hands of the police, many of whom, like George Floyd (2020), were unarmed. Since 2014, other high-profile deaths include Tamir Rice (2014), Laquan McDonald (2014), John Crawford (2014) Freddie Gray (2015), Walter Scott (2015), Alton Sterling (2016), Philando Castile (2016), Terence Crutcher (2016), Antwon Rose (2018) and others. Black women and girls are also targets of police violence, a reality that sparked the "Say Her Name" movement to highlight how this violence often goes unnoticed. Women who have died as a result of police interactions include Sandra Bland (2015), Deborah Danner (2016), Atatiana Jefferson (2019) and Breonna Taylor (2020).

From Protests to Policy Solutions

Ongoing local and national protests and other actions-often sparked by the deaths of other unarmed African Americans-have brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the public consciousness and conversation. Black Lives activists released "Campaign Zero," which includes ten policy solutions developed in conjunction with activists, protestors and researchers across the country, integrating community demands, input from research organizations and the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

On March 4, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the findings in two separate investigations related to Ferguson. One report found a pattern of civil rights violations on the part of the Ferguson Police Department. A second report determined that "the evidence examined in its independent, federal investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown does not support federal civil rights charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson." Two weeks later, on March 17, the Department and the city of Ferguson formally announced an agreement "aiming to remedy the unconstitutional law enforcement conduct that the Justice Department found during its civil pattern-or-practice investigation." The announcement resolved a pending federal lawsuit against Ferguson, and addressed a range of issues including bias-free police and court practices, protecting all individuals' First Amendment rights, and reorienting Ferguson's use of force policies.

Black Lives Matter continues to pursue policy solutions beyond the events of Ferguson.

About the Lesson Plan

This high school lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about Black Lives Matter and the activists involved, explore the controversy about using the term "All lives matter," and posit their point of view in writing to a person of their choice.
Learning Objectives:

Students will learn about the history of the Black Lives Matter movement and how it evolved.

Students will analyze the controversy around politicians and other people using the term "All lives matter" instead of or in addition to "Black lives matter."

Students will reflect on their perspective of Black Lives Matter and write a letter to a person of their choice which reflects their new knowledge and point of view.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Updated June 2, 2020 Black Lives Matter is an activist movement which began as a hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American teenager killed in Florida in July 2013.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching about Racism, Violence, Inequity and the Criminal Justice System

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching about Racism, Violence, Inequity and the Criminal Justice System

# data[].attributes.body
Curriculum Resources on Bias, Race and Injustice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching about Racism, Violence, Inequity and the Criminal Justice System

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anti-bias resources and strategies to help you discuss with your youth incidents of police officers involved in the deaths of African-American and Latino males and a biased justice system.

# data[].attributes.body
Resources for counselors in addressing issues of systemic and institutional racism with students

# data[].attributes.headline
Processing George Floyd’s Killing and Its Aftermath with Students Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
Processing George Floyd’s Killing and Its Aftermath with Students Guide

# data[].attributes.body
MCPS Social Studies Curriculum Office developed this guide to help students process George Floyd's killing

# data[].attributes.headline
MVMS‌ ‌Circle‌ ‌Script‌ ‌on‌ ‌Race‌ ‌Conversations‌ ‌for‌ STAFF

# data[].attributes.subject
MVMS‌ ‌Circle‌ ‌Script‌ ‌on‌ ‌Race‌ ‌Conversations‌ ‌for‌ STAFF

# data[].attributes.body
Community Circle to express our thoughts and feelings about the events that have been occurring in our country following the killing of George Floyd, Ahmed Aubrey, Breonna Taylor...

# data[].attributes.headline
MVMS‌ ‌Circle‌ ‌Script‌ ‌on‌ ‌Race‌ ‌Conversations‌ ‌for‌ ‌Students‌

# data[].attributes.subject
MVMS‌ ‌Circle‌ ‌Script‌ ‌on‌ ‌Race‌ ‌Conversations‌ ‌for‌ ‌Students‌

# data[].attributes.body
Sample Script for Community Circle for Students

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources for Engaging Students and Staff in Dialogue about Current Events

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources for Engaging Students and Staff in Dialogue about Current Events

# data[].attributes.body
Resources to use in classrooms and staff meetings to create the conditions for safe and productive
dialogue.

# data[].attributes.body
A series of short essays written by Montgomery County students and staff about their identity. These are great conversation starters to engage in conversations with your children and friends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Articles about Identity Written By MCPS Students, Parents, and Staff

# data[].attributes.body
Young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to raise a Black son in America | Clint Smith

# data[].attributes.body
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism

# data[].attributes.body
Tips to get the conversation started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's no question: talking about race can be sensitive, and yes, even a bit messy. And "choosing" whether or not to talk to your kids about race is an option many parents, specifically those of color, don't have; some children may inevitably learn about it by confronting racism in their everyday lives.

This can make the "conversation about race" even trickier, as what is discussed can change depending on a variety of factors, such as a family's make up, their socioeconomic class, or the community they live in. Therefore, the context will vary, depending on who is talking and what their personal experiences are with race and racism.

In short? There's no "one way" to dive into this topic. There's no such thing as "quick tips" or foolproof advice when it comes to discussing the complexities of race. But, there are better ways to go about it and each parent will have to decide for themselves what makes the most sense for them and their family. Above all, it's a conversation all parents need to have, no matter your background or experience. So, if you're curious how to get this conversation started, here's what the experts have to say.

For some families, talking about race is a regular part of daily life. For others, it's a subject that can be difficult to discuss. But for everyone, it's an incredibly important conversation and shouldn't be avoided. And, research backs that up. Dr. Margaret Hagerman, a sociologist and author of White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America, spent two years studying 30 affluent, white families in a Midwestern community, during which she found, "kids are learning and hearing about race regardless of whether parents are talking to them about it."

But how? Dr. Erin Winkler, an associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, says children notice skin color, just as they'd notice any other physical difference (i.e., glasses, long hair, or height). At the same time, "children are learning to categorize - shapes, colors, and people, too," Winkler explains.

So, what ends up happening? "Not talking about race causes children to come to a lot of harmful, problematic and factually inaccurate conclusions," Hagerman says. If we teach children that racism is simply a thing of the past, and that today we are all equal - and all equally capable of achieving the "American Dream" - children "may mistakenly assume that the unequal racial patterns they see are earned or justified," Winkler says. Like anything else, children begin filling in the information gaps themselves, and their data points may not always be coming from the most reliable sources.

Still, some parents don't talk about race because they don't want to raise their children to be aware of differences - insisting it enables children to see one another as more "equal." While the intentions may be inherently good, Parent Toolkit expert and Director of Social Engagement for iCivics, Amber Coleman-Mortley cautions parents from adopting a " colorblind " perspective of the world. "At our core, we are the same. We all want to feel safe, accepted and loved. But teaching kids to be colorblind sets them up for failure," Coleman-Mortley says. "Moreover, walking around acting like you don't see differences can actually do more harm."

But to be clear, this isn't a discussion reserved for white parents and their kids. While ensuring we raise children who are aware of other people's experiences is a facet of the overall conversation, parents with children of color need to talk to their kids, too. "Like it or not, due to historical practice and present biases, in some communities and schools children of color have a profoundly different experience than white children do," Parent Toolkit expert and author of How to Raise an Adult and Real American, a memoir on race, Julie Lythcott-Haims, explains. "Parents need to take stock of the community in which they are raising their kids, talk about the racial differences and how people are sometimes treated unfairly on the basis of race, and prepare their child to be self-aware, smart and safe out there."

So, where should parents begin? Parent Toolkit expert and founder of Cultures of Dignity Rosalind Wiseman, says in order to have thoughtful - and productive - conversations about race with children, parents need to be comfortable discussing it themselves.

What if you find yourself intimidated by the topic? Make a point to learn more. "It takes an active effort to consume information about people different than you," Lythcott-Haims explains. She says documentaries, such as 13TH, or books, such as Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race, are good places to start. "It's not about whose perspective is right or wrong, it's about acknowledging there are perspectives other than your own and making an effort to learn about them," Lythcott-Haims says.

While it's important to be informed, the best way to overcome stereotypes is by making sincere connections with a variety of individuals. Sometimes, whether by choice or by design, we aren't exposed to people who are different from us. Think: Does your network of friends look the same? Ask yourself why. "If you're encouraging your children to have a diverse network of friends, but everyone who enters your home looks the same, that will leave an impression on them," Winkler explains.

Lythcott-Haims encourages parents to give themselves access to other people's experiences. Just hearing a person's story can completely change the way we perceive the world. "When we break into small groups and say, 'I want to tell you about my life and hear more about yours,' then we see each other less as labels and more like human beings," Lythcott-Haims says. This doesn't just go for parents, but kids as well. "Adults can facilitate this by bringing kids together to share their stories with one another," Lythcott-Haims suggests. "Watch how commonality and bridge-building happens."

"From my research, what we say is only one piece of it," Winkler says. "Children don't buy, 'do as I say, not as I do.' They'll notice our patterns." So, if you want to raise socially aware children, keep the phrase "actions speak louder than words" in mind. After all, while conversations are crucial, our children will inevitably learn most from the examples we set for them.

As any parent knows, it's natural for children to ask questions. And as any parent who's ever sported a new haircut knows, children don't always ask questions as delicately as we'd hope. But we don't want to discourage our children from learning more, so what can we do?

"Teaching your kids how to be respectfully curious can be difficult," Coleman-Mortley says. But why does it seem especially hard when it comes to talking about race? Michele Chang, Director of Facilitation and Curriculum for Challenging Racism, explains, "Race used to be taboo topic of conversation. It was considered impolite to talk about." So, how does this affect kids? "Young children have natural curiosity about differences, but they don't put any value on what it means, until they pick it up from what their parent says, or what the media tells them," Chang says. "So, when a child asks their parent, 'Why does that person look like that?' and their parent shushes them, it shuts down the conversation and signals to the child there's something wrong."

Parents also need to be aware of what the child is actually asking about or noticing. "There's so much out there on how to talk to kids - we need to think more about how to listen to kids," Hagerman says. For example, if your young child says something that you think could potentially have racist undertones, Shari Benites, Challenging Racism Facilitator and Trainer, recommends taking a moment to stop and ask yourself: What are they saying? What are they noticing? Ask them, "What makes you think that?" Their observation may be completely different than what you initially assumed. And the only way to truly know what your child meant after saying a "questionable" statement is by asking them to clarify or explain further.

When children begin growing curious about the world around them, they usually look to their parents to explain. But, what if you honestly don't know what to say? Benites says, "Parents need to know it's okay not to know. It can be natural to want to have all the answers, but sometimes the best answer is, 'I'm not sure. But let's look into it and learn about it together.'" This way, you're not just showing your children the importance of admitting when you're uncertain about something, but also keeping the conversation moving forward in a positive direction. Additionally, it's okay to return to a question if you don't know what to say right away, Winkler says. There's always time to loop back; we've never "missed the moment."

Intention, interpretation, and impact are all worth addressing when a child asks a question. So, understand why the question is being asked. Is it coming from a place of judgment, or a sincere effort to know more? And where does the need to know more stem from? Then, break down how the question is being asked. "Prefacing it with, 'Hey that's really cool...' or 'I've never seen that before, can you tell me about it...' can show the other person you're genuinely curious," Coleman-Mortley says.

Although we want our children to ask questions, who they're asking matters. It's one thing to have a child confide in their parent, it's a completely other thing for them to blatantly ask someone they don't know. "One child's curiosity doesn't trump another child's privacy," Chang explains. Moreover, Chang emphasizes it's not a person of color's responsibility to "teach" people. "If your child is curious, you can read about it, find out more, and from there, have a sincere conversation about it," Chang says.

How many times have your kids whined about something being unfair? The concept of fairness matters to children - a lot. And because of this, unfairness is the perfect way to explain and conceptualize racism to young children, Winkler says.

Since children notice patterns, they may mistakenly assign their own meaning to understand why racism exists, Winkler explains. But, it's not exactly easy to break down structural or institutional racism to a child, either. So, Winkler came up with her own method, which she calls the "spider web activity."

In her piece, Here's How To Raise Race-Conscious Children, Winkler explains, "Give children balls of string and ask them to move around the room unraveling their balls of string to make a very tangled web. Once they are finished, ask them to untangle it. They will soon find that it is much more difficult to untangle the web than it was to create it in the first place. Then explain that working to make society fair is a lot like untangling this web."

Racism can be difficult to explain to children, no matter who you are. Some parents may worry that introducing the concept of racism could be damaging, or scary, especially if that child could be the target of racism, or if the parent has experienced racism themselves. But, instead of staying silent, it's crucial to empower children. "Parents cannot responsibly teach children about racism and then say, 'Well, sorry! That's the way it is,'" Winkler says. Instead, Winkler advises parents to explain, "Even though there is unfairness, there have always been people working to change it, and we can be a part of it, too." This way, you are showing your child racism is possible to untangle, and they can be a part of that solution.

Try as we might, mistakes still happen. "If someone says something offensive, it's important to keep in mind their experience probably does not include your experience," Coleman-Mortley says. But, what should children actually say to someone who has offended them? Chang recommends equipping children with three words: "Tell me more." Open, honest communication begins with a willingness to talk and understand. "There's no better way to shut down a conversation than to call someone a racist," Chang says. "Saying, 'tell me more' gives the other person the opportunity to explain their point of view."

Of course, there are times when open, honest communication just doesn't suffice, and more needs to be said - or done. If your child comes to you upset about something they heard, Benites recommends saying, "It is not your job to educate your classmates about race, but with that in mind, what do you want to do about it?" The focus should be on figuring out what the child needs, and going from there.

What should we tell our children when they accidentally say the wrong thing? Explain to your kids, "The key is to listen before you react. Don't just rush to say, 'That's not what I meant,' before understanding why the other person is upset," Benites says. "We need to teach our children they are always obligated to listen to what people say and how they feel."

Once your child understands why the other person is offended, they can sincerely offer an apology. "The best thing you can say is, 'I am so sorry. I didn't mean to offend. What do I need to do to ensure I am not making that mistake again?'" Lythcott-Haims says. It's not about being perfect; it's about taking ownership when we've made a mistake, and using it as a learning opportunity to be more aware in the future.

Sometimes there's confusion over what is deemed "offensive." And the truth is, it isn't always clear. One thing to keep in mind? Historical context. Encourage your children to study the past so they can better understand the present. "In order to appreciate cultures, we also need to have respect for historical framework," Coleman-Mortley says. Hagerman echoes this citing her research that, "kids who understood history were the most aware."

Racism isn't always as explicit as someone using a slur or telling an offensive joke. In fact, whether we realize it or not, even those who consider themselves "not racist" may have deeply-held beliefs or narratives that wrongly stereotype an entire group of people. "We all have biases, but we can overcome them," Lythcott-Haims says. That starts with acknowledging to ourselves that we are having those thoughts, rather than ignoring them.

By actively taking note of an implicit bias beginning to surface, we're already starting to undo it, Lythcott-Haims says. But, it doesn't stop there. "Tell yourself, 'I'm going to try to treat this person as if they are my best friend.' By tricking the mind, now you can offer generosity and dignity to this person," she says.

When it comes to our own implicit biases, should we tell our children? Or will that set the wrong example for them? "Parents should be open and honest with their kids about their implicit biases. It doesn't make us bad people, it just makes us people," Wiseman says. "If we own it, we have more power over it." But, again, it's not just about addressing the bias. "We must also tell our children what we are doing to overcome the bias," Lythcott-Haims says.

No matter who you are, or where you come from, it's important to be an advocate for all people. "The focus is often on white America, but it should be about all cultures and how each of us can live in a way that is acceptable for everyone," Coleman-Mortley says. But what does "being an advocate" actually look like? "With advocacy, you want to allow people to speak for themselves," Coleman-Mortley says. That means passing the mic when it's someone else's turn to share their experience. "But, you're also supporting them when they need assistance."

When is it time to speak up, and when is it better to listen? If you have older children, and they're knowingly saying something racist, that's when it's time to be super concrete, Wiseman says. "I tell my children, 'Sometimes we joke, or sometimes Mom drops an F-bomb, but there is a very large difference between swearing because you stubbed your toe, and saying something to intentionally put someone down,'" Wiseman says. If you don't intervene, or say something in the moment, that will signal to your child that you're okay with that type of language or behavior.

What if the person saying something inappropriate isn't your child? "You are never neutral when someone is being disrespectful or using bigoted language," Wiseman says. If it's a friend or relative who is saying something racist, you can tell them directly, "I don't want that type of language around my children." Then, talk to your children after. "This will empower your kids to use their own voice in appropriate ways."

An important part of being an advocate is not just saying people are equal, but acting in a way that reflects that thinking. "It's not good enough to say, 'We are not racist.' You are not off the hook," Wiseman says. Instead, Lythcott-Haims says parents should pledge to be actively antiracist. But what does it actually mean to be antiracist?

Author Beverly Tatum explains the concept of racism versus "antiracism" in her book, Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race, by comparing it to a moving walkway in an airport. Those who are actively racist are walking fast on the conveyor belt, knowingly and willingly leveraging their privilege to get ahead at the expense of others. Those who are passively racist are standing still on the conveyor belt. Sure, they may not be exerting the same force as those who are actively racist, but they're still happily moving forward at the expense of others. Then there are those who see the inequality and make a point to turn around, but Tatum emphasizes, "Unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt - unless they are actively antiracist - they will find themselves carried along with the others."

"The world is not getting any less diverse. People will never stop marrying each other, engaging with each other," Coleman-Mortley says. The only way, she says, to really talk about race and racism, is by activating a growth mindset. Coleman-Mortley adds, "It's really important for parents at home to impress upon their kids that humanity has to come first. We have to be okay with being vulnerable, okay with being wrong, and okay with challenging the things we've learned." This is the path to continue moving forward - honestly talking about race and reckoning with our past - in the effort to one day overcome racism in the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to talk to kids about race and racism, according to experts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's no question: talking about race can be sensitive, and yes, even a bit messy. And "choosing" whether or not to talk to your kids about race is an option many parents, specifically those of color, don't have; some children may inevitably learn about it by confronting racism in their everyday lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Guidelines from APA to keep in mind when talking to children about diversity and discrimination

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Experts say diversity and discrimination are subjects that need to be addressed with children.

Cite This Article

American Psychological Association. (2016, March 9). Talking to kids about discrimination. https://www.apa.org/topics/racism-bias-discrimination/kids

Discussing discrimination can be hard enough for adults. Talking to kids about the subject can be especially daunting.

People can be discriminated against for any number of reasons, including age, gender, weight, religion, income level, disability, sexual orientation, and race or ethnicity. According to the 2015 APA Stress in America Survey, most Americans feel they have experienced discrimination. However, experiences of day-to-day discrimination are most likely to be reported by racial and ethnic minorities.

Unfortunately, many people are uncomfortable discussing racial differences. But when it comes to talking to children, experts say diversity and discrimination are subjects that shouldn't be ignored.

Children notice

Many people are hesitant to talk to their kids about differences because they don't want to draw attention to them. But whether you talk about those differences or not, kids notice when someone looks different than they do. They also notice when certain groups seem to be treated differently than others.

Studies show that even infants can distinguish skin tones. By early childhood, kids begin to have more favorable opinions of people they perceive as "the same" as they are-even if the similarities are meaningless. In one study, for instance, researchers randomly assigned 6-year-olds to either a green group or an orange group. Later, the kids were more likely to remember positive things about the kids in their own group, and negative things about kids in the other group. ¹

When parents avoid talking about differences and discrimination, experts say, children learn that the topic is taboo. Children might come to believe the differences they notice are more important than they really are. And they might be hesitant to ask questions, missing opportunities to challenge and correct stereotypes.

Discussing differences, on the other hand, can help kids appreciate diversity and better recognize discrimination when they see it. In one experiment with 8- to 11-year-olds, researchers read children storybooks that either downplayed racial differences (referred to as a "color-blind" approach) or talked about the value of diversity. Later, when listening to stories that featured examples of racial bias, the children who had read the "color-blind" books were less likely to recognize that bias. Kids who learned about diversity, on the other hand, were better at identifying examples of discrimination. ²

The stress of being discriminated against

All children can benefit from talking openly about diversity and bias. But for kids in groups more likely to be a target of discrimination, such conversations can be even more critical.

Perceived discrimination has been linked to physical and mental health problems including anxiety, depression, obesity, high blood pressure, and substance abuse. Many of these problems are believed to stem from the chronic stress associated with being a potential target of discrimination. ³

Discrimination-related stress can also affect how kids feel about themselves. It might prevent them from speaking up in class, or from participating in activities that are important to them.

But talking openly with children can prepare them for dealing with discrimination, and help them keep discrimination-related stress in check.

Discussing discrimination

How can you talk to your children about diversity and discrimination? Here are some guidelines to keep in mind.

Don't expect to have "the talk" about discrimination. It shouldn't be one conversation. Rather, let the discussion be open and ongoing.

Parents often avoid talking about hard subjects (including sex, underage drinking and discrimination) because they're personally uncomfortable. Keep talking anyway. The discussions get easier over time.

Use age-appropriate language children can understand, and don't give kids too much information at once. The conversation will get deeper and more nuanced as they get older.

Learn to respond to children's questions about differences and bias as they come up naturally. Help children feel that their questions are welcome, or they might come to believe that discussing differences is taboo.

Help children understand the value of diversity. A diverse set of experiences and viewpoints boosts creativity and helps kids (and adults) better understand the world around them. On the other hand, discrimination hurts everyone-not just the targets of discrimination. When people are discriminated against, we can miss an important opportunity to learn from them.

Take opportunities to raise discussions based on what you see around you-in real life, books, television shows and even video games. You might ask: "There aren't many female characters in this video game. What do you think of that?" or "Do you think that show accurately portrays LGBT characters, or does it rely on stereotypes?"

Help kids learn how to deal with being the potential target of discrimination. Plan ahead by developing healthy comebacks or responses to hurtful discriminatory statements. For example: "What an unkind thing to say." "Excuse me? Could you repeat that?" "I disagree with you, and here's why..."

If you hear children say something discriminatory, don't just hush them. Use the opportunity as a conversation starter to address their fears and correct their misperceptions.

Challenge your own assumptions and behavior. Do you laugh at racially insensitive jokes? Do you cross the street to avoid passing people of a different ethnic group? Children learn from your actions as well as your words.

Broaden their horizons. Think about the diversity of your own friendship and parenting networks and the places where you spend time. When kids are exposed to people from diverse backgrounds, they have more opportunities to learn about others and discover what they have in common.

Thanks to psychologists Diane Hughes, PhD, and Howard Stevenson, PhD, who assisted with this article.

References

¹ Dunham, Y., and Emory, J. (2014). Of affect and ambiguity: The emergence of preference for arbitrary groups. Journal of Social Issues, 70(1), 81-98. Doi: 10.1111/josi.12048

² Apfelbaum, E. P., Pauker, K., Sommers, S. R., & Ambady, N. (2010). In blind pursuit of racial equality? Psychological Science, 21(11), 1587-1592. doi: 10.1177/0956797610384741

³ Pascoe, E. A. & Richman, L. S. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin 135(4): 531-554. Doi: 10.1037/a0016059

Recommended Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Experts say diversity and discrimination are subjects that need to be addressed with children.

# data[].attributes.headline
"They're Not Too Young to Talk About Race" Graphic

# data[].attributes.subject
"They're Not Too Young to Talk About Race" Graphic

# data[].attributes.body
From stories of the authors' own activist experiences to how-to guides with tips on everything from organizing a rally to using social media to get the word out, these books offer a glimpse into the planning and passion that go into youthful activism.”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Common Sense Media editors help you choose Books to Inspire Young Activists. Stories and practical tips to help kids change the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race

# data[].attributes.subject
10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race

# data[].attributes.body
Tips to help parents of all backgrounds talk to and guide their children about race early and often by lifting up age-appropriate activities that can be incorporated easily into your daily life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
EmbraceRace is a multiracial community dedicated to sharing and developing best practices for raising and caring for kids, all kids, in the context of race. We partnered with MomsRising - a transformative multicultural organization of more than a million members working to increase family economic security and end discrimination against women and mothers - to create these tips for our communities.

They are designed to help parents of all backgrounds talk to and guide their children about race early and often by lifting up age-appropriate activities that can be incorporated easily into your daily life. We hope these tips provide some much needed support for families committed to building tolerance, racial equity, and a social culture where all kids and families can thrive!

1) Start early.

By 6 months of age babies are noticing racial differences; by age 4, children have begun to show signs of racial bias.

Let your child know that it's perfectly okay to notice skin color and talk about race. Start talking about what racial differences mean and don't mean.

2) Encourage your child.

Encourage your child to ask questions, share observations and experiences, and be respectfully curious about race.

Expose your child to different cultural opportunities - photographs, films, books, or cultural events, for example - and discuss the experience afterwards.

You don't have to be an expert on race to talk with our child. Be honest about what you don't know and work with your child to find accurate information.

3) Be mindful.

What kids hear from us is less important than what they see us do.

You are a role model to your child. What you say is important, but what you do - the diversity of your friendship circle, for example - is likely to have a bigger impact.

If your child doesn't attend a diverse school, consider enrolling her in aer-school or weekend activities such as sports leagues that are diverse if you're able. Choose books and toys that include persons of different races and ethnicities. Visit museums with exhibits about a range of cultures and religions.

4) Face and know your own bias.

Let your child see you acknowledge and face your own biases.

We're less likely to pass on the biases we identify and work to overcome.

Give your child an example of a bias, racial or otherwise, that you hold or have held. Share with your child things you do to confront and overcome that bias.

5) Know and love who you are.

Talk about the histories and experiences of the racial, ethnic, and cultural groups you and your family identify with. Talk about their contributions and acknowledge the less flattering parts of those histories as well.

Tell stories about the challenges your family (your child's parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents and great grandparents, others) has faced and overcome.

6) Develop racial cultural literacy.

Develop racial cultural literacy by learning about and respecting others.

Study and talk about the histories and experiences of groups we call African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and whites, among others.

Be sure your child understands that every racial and ethnic group includes people who believe different things and behave in different ways . There is as much diversity within racial groups as across them.

7) Be honest.

Be honest with your child, in age-appropriate ways, about bigotry and oppression.

Children are amazing at noticing patterns, including racial patterns (who lives in their neighborhood versus their friends' neighborhoods, for example). Help them make sense of those patterns, and recognize that bigotry and oppression are sometimes a big part of those explanations.

Be sure your child knows that the struggle for racial fairness is still happening and that your family can take part in that struggle.

8) Tell stories.

"Lift up the freedom fighters ": Tell stories of resistance and resilience.

Every big story of racial oppression is also a story about people fighting back and "speaking truth to power." Teach your child those parts of the story too.

Include women, children and young adults among the "freedom fighters" in the stories you tell. A story about racial struggle in which all the heroes are men wrongly leaves many people out.

9) Be active.

Be active - don't be a "bystander" on race.

Help your child understand what it means to be, and how to be, a change agent.

Whenever possible, connect the conversations you're having to the change you and your child want to see, and to ways to bring about that change .

10) Plan for a marathon, not a sprint.

It's okay to say, "I'm not sure" or "Let's come back to that later, okay?" But then do come back to it.

Make race talks with your child routine. Race is a topic you should plan to revisit again and again in many different ways overtime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These tips are designed to help parents of all backgrounds teach and talk to their children about race early and often by lifting up age-appropriate activities that can be incorporated easily into your daily life.

# data[].attributes.headline
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance

# data[].attributes.subject
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance

# data[].attributes.body
Reading list focuses on taking action; it highlights resistance, resilience and activism and seeks to empower youth to participate in the ongoing movement for racial justice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Parents and other caregivers are seeking resources to help them hold children through the current, terrible wave of racialized violence, which is exacerbated by the tensions and vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help engage the broad range of emotions and needs of diverse children in our multiracial society. In some cases, we've highlighted worthy, albeit lesser-known titles. Some are older books, some are newer, and a few will publish later this year but are available for pre-order now. This list skews heavily towards #ownvoices books and is arranged alphabetically by title.

Please use these books to help you do the work of making the world a safer, more equitable place for all children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace &...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help...

# data[].attributes.headline
Jason Reynolds Talks About Racism And The Protests

# data[].attributes.subject
Jason Reynolds Talks About Racism And The Protests

# data[].attributes.body
Podcast with tips and strategies for caregivers to engage in on-going discussions with their children about race.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In Washington, D.C. and other American cities, people are protesting police violence against people of color. The protesters, and many others too, are upset that black people in particular continue to die in encounters with police.

Best-selling YA author Jason Reynolds has grappled with racism personally and in his writing. The National Ambassador for Young People's Literature also recently co-authored a book for young people on fighting racism: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.

We've asked Jason Reynolds to join Kojo For Kids to help us understand what has led to the tensions we've seen over the last week, and to talk about why racism persists and what we can do to build a less racist society.
This show is part of the "Kojo For Kids" series, a Kojo Nnamdi Show segment featuring guests of special interest to young listeners. Though Kojo has been on WAMU 88.5 for 20 years, this is the first time he has had the opportunity to reach out to an audience of kids, most of whom until recently had been in school during our live broadcast. We're excited to hear from our youngest listeners! Join us! Produced by Lauren Markoe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kojo For Kids: Jason Reynolds Talks About Racism And The Protests - The Kojo Nnamdi Show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Let's talk about why people are angry and what can we do about racism.

# data[].attributes.body
Guide for teachers to begin conversations with their students about George Floyd’s death and the events that surround it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was suffocated by a police officer in Minneapolis, while three other officers looked on. George Floyd has joined a long list of black men, women, and children who have been killed in recent years by police officers. ( See many of their names here.) Protests have erupted across the United States-and even across the world-in response to these deaths.

This Teaching Idea is a guide for teachers to begin conversations with their students about George Floyd's death and the events that surround it. Such conversations are always difficult for teachers to facilitate, and distance learning presents added challenges to teaching sensitive material. Despite these challenges, it's critical to make space for students to process the difficult and deeply painful events of the past week.

1. Start with Yourself

Self-reflection is important preparation for facilitating sensitive conversations with our students. As educators, we have to process our own feelings and become aware of the way our own identities and experiences shape the perspectives we hold. Read the "Start with Yourself" section on page 2 of our Fostering Civil Discourse guide. Then reflect on the following questions:

What emotions do the recent events surrounding the death of George Floyd raise for you?

What perspectives will you bring to your reflection on these events with your students?

What can you do to ensure that students with a range of perspectives are supported in your reflection?

As this story develops, how will you continue to learn alongside your students?

2. Prepare for Teaching

A remote learning environment poses particular challenges for difficult conversations. These ideas will help you to plan a sensitive and effective conversation with your students:

Plan where and how you will hold this conversation. Will it be a live discussion on Zoom or another platform? Will you use a moderated discussion board or other asynchronous platform?

If you don't regularly meet with your students online, consider setting up office hours when students have the option to call or message you to discuss their thoughts or feelings about the killing of George Floyd and the protests that have followed.

Tell students ahead of time what to expect from your conversation about the events surrounding George Floyd's death, so that they can emotionally prepare. For example, let your students know if they will be assigned to break out rooms or other discussion forums. Consider giving students the opportunity to opt-out of talking during the conversation, in order to provide students who need it space to process what they are experiencing and learning.

Determine whether you might be able to refer students to school wellness staff for additional support if needed.

Consider communicating with parents and caregivers about the conversation you are planning to hold. How might you help to bridge and support connections between school conversations and those happenings in students' lives outside of school?

3. Create Space for Student Reflection

In the midst of traumatic and violent events, it can be beneficial to focus first on emotional processing, addressing the "heart" before the "head." Give yourself and your students space to reflect on your emotional responses to the event.

Let your students know that their learning environment is a safe space. Begin with a brief Contracting activity if you have not already forged that safe space in your distance learning environment. Invite your students to add to or modify the contract to support this conversation. Then follow with an acknowledgment of the event and its emotional impact.

Consider sharing a resource from a trusted news outlet to establish baseline knowledge of the events and dispel misinformation. You might choose to share an article from a local news source to focus on the impact of recent events in your area. (Many students may have watched the video of George Floyd's murder. We do not recommend showing this graphic video to your class, in part because it risks retraumatizing students.)

Give your students an opportunity to reflect individually in their journals. Students should have the option to keep their journal reflections private. Potential journal prompts include:

How is the news of the past week, including the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests, affecting you?

What would you like others to know about what you are thinking, feeling, and experiencing?

What do you need from others to understand, cope, process, and be safe as this story continues to unfold?

What can you offer to others to support them in how this story is impacting them?

Invite students to share any reflections they wish to, but also give students the option to keep their reflections private. Possible ways to share include:

One-on-one or small group office hours with teacher

Small group discussions among students on a video or chat platform

Voice recordings (sent directly to the teacher or shared in a student forum)

Excerpts from journal entries, chosen by students (sent directly to the teacher or shared in a student forum)

4. Go Deeper: Learn about The History of Police Violence toward Black Americans

The following resources can help your students better understand the historical roots of police violence towards black Americans:

You might have students synthesize what they have learned from one or both of these resources by having them create an iceberg diagram. At the top of the diagram, students can write "the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer." Next to the bottom part of the diagram (under the water), students should write their answers to these questions: What are the historical roots of police violence toward black Americans? How does this history impact policing today?

Finally, ask students to share their diagrams. (If students drew their own diagrams, they can take a photo to share.)

5. Go Deeper: Reflect on Protests Today

Play Trevor Noah's video George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper for your students. ( Note: In the first few minutes of the video, Trevor Noah focuses on the video of Amy Cooper taken in Central Park last week. You may choose to play the video from the beginning or start the video at 5:40, when Trevor Noah begins discussing the death of George Floyd.)

Then, reflect with students:

How is Trevor Noah making sense of the news from the past two weeks? Why does he believe that the pandemic and the series of high profile incidents of racism and racist violence are connected?

How does Trevor Noah define a social contract? How does he use the idea of a broken social contract to explain the protests and unrest we have seen across the United States?

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech The Other America, he talks about how "a riot is the language of the unheard." Play a video excerpt of his speech or share the transcript with your students.

Then, reflect with students:

What do you think Martin Luther King Jr. means when he says that "a riot is the language of the unheard?"

What examples does Martin Luther King Jr. give of problems he believes are going unaddressed during his life? What are examples of problems you believe are going unaddressed today?

6. Raise Students' Voices

Conclude your discussion by inviting students to step back and consider what is at stake in the aftermath of George Floyd's death and in the midst of widespread protests. Ask students to imagine that they have the chance to communicate directly to one or more of the key figures in this story, such as George Floyd's family, the chief of police in Minneapolis, the mayor of any city where protests are taking place, Joe Biden (the presumptive Democratic nominee for president), President Donald Trump, or another national leader. What questions would they want to ask? What perspectives would they want to share? If students would like to share reflections publicly, our partners at the New York Times' The Learning Network are inviting comments in their Student Opinion section: What Is Your Reaction to the Days of Protest That Have Followed the Death of George Floyd?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reflecting on George Floyd's Death and Police Violence Towards Black Americans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was suffocated by a police officer in Minneapolis, while three other officers looked on. George Floyd has joined a long list of black men, women, and children who have been killed in recent years by police officers. ( See many of their names here.)

# data[].attributes.headline
MCPS Sample Circle Scripts on Race Conversations with Students

# data[].attributes.subject
MCPS Sample Circle Scripts on Race Conversations with Students

# data[].attributes.body
Students Grade 3 through Grade 12

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking About Race and Privilege Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking About Race and Privilege Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.body
Lesson Plan for Middle and High School Students from NASP

# data[].attributes.body
Article from NASP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Across the nation, children of all backgrounds are experiencing a time in which discussions about race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and culture are at the forefront of their everyday lives. Many people avoid these discussions because they fear that conversations about race, bias, and racism lead to feelings of anger, guilt, discomfort, sadness, and at times disrespect. The current state of our Union, however, no longer allows for these tough conversations to be ignored. While uncomfortable for some, school psychologists are in a position to lead or at least participate in these conversations. By using their knowledge and expertise of systems-level change, school psychologists can facilitate the dialogue to bring about positive, productive outcomes.

This document is part of a series of resources developed by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) in response to recent acts of racial violence and the increasingly uncivil discourse occurring across our country. It is important for school psychologists and other educators to understand the historical and contemporary conditions that have resulted in many of these violent acts, as well as others' reactions (including violence) to these events. NASP seeks to help schools and families engage in constructive dialogue about privilege, prejudice, power, and the ways that all of us can work together to shift the conversation from hate and violence toward understanding and respect to ultimately bring about positive change and unity to our communities.

Background Information

In today's American society, each of us has an identity that shapes how we see ourselves and others. Not only do our social norms and cultural underpinnings influence our experiences, they also set the course for how we view the world. Differences in identity-and related struggles for place and power-are woven throughout our history and social and political culture. In fact, while diversity is a hallmark and strength of our nation, the path toward common ground, mutual respect, and equity has been rocky for nearly every religious, racial, and ethnic group that has become part of the American fabric along the way. The same is true for groups identified by specific experiences and characteristics, such as gender, sexual orientation, and disability. In many respects, though, the disconnect in identity and experience between White Americans and those of nonmajority backgrounds is deeply intertwined in our most difficult challenges, such as poverty, disenfranchisement, isolation, inequity, and violence, and it isn't fully possible to address these issues without also addressing this reality.

The Role of Privilege

For many members of the majority culture (i.e., those who identify as White) in the United States, being made aware of one's classification as linked to privilege is likely not a common or welcomed experience. Indeed, many people have never been asked or required to reflect on their own privileged status, and in regards to racial identity, doing so might feel uncomfortable or even discordant with the common narrative regarding social and political changes over the years. For example, White Americans may attach the concepts of progress toward equality or being "color blind" as mitigating privilege. As a result, many White Americans either may not be aware of or may avoid considering how simply being White confers special status or experiences, potentially to the detriment of others. While many Americans may not view themselves as privileged because of their economic or social status, the advantage of being in the majority racial group is real, even if often hidden.

Consider simple life activities such as shopping in a store without the fear of being followed or buying or renting a home in an area that you can afford without consideration of your race. This fundamental disconnect might both motivate and exacerbate the racial/cultural divide in the United States due to a lack of awareness of how privilege contributes to the realities of racism. Peggy McIntosh (1990), in her essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack", wrote, "I realized that I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but also had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, White privilege, which puts me at an advantage." Importantly, although privilege is often associated only with wealth and/or economic status, it applies far more broadly. Privilege can be assigned to populations within a group, such as athletes, individuals perceived as attractive, individuals who attain higher levels of education, or membership in certain religious groups. Loosely defined, privilege includes the following aspects.

Unearned advantages that are highly valued but restricted to certain groups. Unearned advantages are those that someone receives by identifying or being born into a specific group. It is important to note that the groups who have received these advantages have not earned them due to their own hard work but rather their affiliation (e.g., being born into a wealthy family provides privileges that others do not have, such as accessing education as well as mental health and medical services; White Americans are more likely to walk into a mall without the suspicion of stealing). Equally important to note is the reality that while some benefit from unearned advantages, others are victims of unearned disadvantage. Unearned entitlements are things of value that all people should have; however, they are often restricted to certain groups because of the values of the majority culture that influence political and social decisions. The example below illustrates this concept.
Example: John (a boy) is perceived to understand science better than Jane (a girl). Although John and Jane are both in the same science class and have the same grades on their assignments and exams, because he's a boy, John's perceived superior understanding of science can become advantageous if he (rather than Jane) is encouraged to join science clubs. Over time, John's participation in various science clubs may lead to receiving better grades in science and improve his chances of being accepted into more rigorous and competitive classes and programs in the future.
Privilege oppresses certain groups. As explained by Wildman and Davis (1995),
Members of the privileged group gain many benefits by their affiliation with the dominant side of the power system. Privileged advantage in societal relationships benefits the holder of privilege, who may receive deference, special knowledge, or a higher comfort level to guide societal interaction. Privilege is not visible to its holder; it is merely there, a part of the world, a way of life, simply the way things are. Others have a lack, an absence, a deficiency.

Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of group membership and not based on what a person or group has done or failed to do (Johnson, 2006). For those who routinely benefit from privilege, the challenge is to not quickly deny its existence. It is important to recognize that privilege is a part of the reality that helps some while it impedes others' experiences. For example, although being female or a person of color does not necessarily directly determine an outcome, these characteristics can easily and quickly make these individuals less likely to be hired, recognized, or rewarded in a variety of situations.

Privilege is problematic (a) when it skews our personal interactions and judgments and (b) when it contributes to or blinds us to systemic barriers for those who do not possess a certain privilege, thereby creating or perpetuating inequity. In American culture, certain groups have the privilege of operating within settings-through no effort on their part-that are more conducive for their success, while others-through no fault of their own-find themselves in settings that make success more difficult (Miranda, Boland, & Hemmeler, 2009). Again, this concept refers to any advantage that is unearned, exclusive, and socially conferred. For example, with White privilege, White people are generally assumed to be law abiding until they show that they are not. On the other hand, people of color, in particular African Americans and Latinos, are routinely assumed to be criminals or potential criminals until they show that they are not (Johnson, 2006).

The Effect of Privilege in Schools

In schools, privilege-based bias plays out in many ways but perhaps most acutely in discipline. Macintosh (2014) refers to the disproportionate disciplinary outcomes in schools and the importance of evaluating implicit bias in the context of vulnerable decision points that are highly susceptible to individuals' unconscious bias. Unconscious bias at its core speaks to lack of awareness of-or literally not thinking about-internal biases when engaging in disciplinary practice. Such unconscious bias is likely the result of individuals' past experiences, including lack of exposure to certain students (i.e., ethnic minorities). When adults who are working with young people make fast decisions, the data suggest an increase in the likelihood of disproportionate disciplinary practices that unfortunately continue to perpetuate the stigma of perceived criminal behavior from African American and Latino students.

As practitioners continue to develop and grow in their own self-awareness, the potential to change the current outcomes seen in disciplinary practices is promising. Lindsey, Robins, and Terrell (2009) suggest that culturally competent educational leaders should engage in the following:

Assess one's own culture

Value diversity

Manage the dynamics of difference

Adapt to diversity

Institutionalize cultural knowledge

These practices allow culturally competent educational leaders to recognize their own cultural values, norms, and expectations, while allowing them to collaborate with students, staff, and families from other cultures. These interactions support the management of conflicts that may arise as a result of cultural differences. Adapting to diversity suggests embedding equitable practices in classroom management, instructional practices, and social-emotional learning. Finally, institutionalizing cultural knowledge speaks to informing school policies that are equitable and supportive of all students.

Self-Reflection Questions

Wildman & Davis (1995) explain that "the lives we lead affect what we are able to see and hear in the world around us." As such, an important first step to understanding the concept of group-based privilege and how it can shape peoples' perspectives, experiences, and interactions is to examine our own experience. We can be the beneficiary of privilege without recognizing or consciously perpetuating it. Learning to see one's own privilege as well as that of groups and systems can create an important pathway to self-discovery. Some questions to consider are listed below.

1. When was the last time you had to think about your ethnicity, race, gender identity, ability level, religion, and/or sexual orientation? What provoked you to think about it or acknowledge it?

2. When watching TV or a movie, how likely are you to watch shows whose characters reflect your ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation?

3. When using social media, how diverse is your feed? How diverse are your friends and followers? How diverse are those that you follow?

4. How do you respond when others make negative statements towards individuals of a different ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity than yourself?

5. How often do you go to social settings where the majority of individuals are of a different ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity than yourself?

6. How diverse is the community in which you live?

7. How do you feel when you are in a community that is different than your neighborhood?

8. How would you make your neighborhood more inclusive and sensitive?

9. If you recognized your privilege, what did you do with this realization?

Suggestions for Talking to Others About Privilege

Engaging in thoughtful discussion with people of other backgrounds is essential to understanding privilege. Prior to the discussion, ask participants to read Peggy McIntosh's article, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," or "Waking Up White" by Debby Irving.
Start by discussing how privilege looks in our society and which groups have privilege and which do not.

The first discussion should be about privilege, in general, in America and the reasons some groups have privilege and others do not. This lays a foundation before personalizing the discussion and may help participants be less defensive.

Next, ask participants to discuss examples of how they are privileged and how they are not privileged. Listen to the ways in which a person legitimately does and does not have privilege and validate any frustrations that are expressed, especially before offering your opinion or perspective. The discussion about areas in which participants have not experienced privilege is where the most empathy may be found.

Be sure to listen twice as much as you speak.

Stress that privilege is relative to each individual's lived experience.

The degree to which individuals experience privilege must be framed within the context of their own race, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity coupled with the communities in which they live, work, and play as well as the persons with whom they interact.
Recognize that having privilege does not require feeling guilty for your privilege.

Because each of us likely has an element of privilege within our make-up (ethnicity, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity), individuals need not feel guilty for their privilege.

Rather, the focus should be to use our privileged positions to challenge the systems in which we live. Specifically, challenge yourself and others to refuse to live in a system of unchecked privilege. For example, challenging school staff members to walk the route their students take to school each day is a small but meaningful step toward helping them to identify and understand their privilege in relation to the students they serve.

Determine and offer ways to challenge systems of privilege and oppression in your own life.

If someone mentions an oppressive pattern that relates to privilege (e.g., "Men always dominate conversations and talk over women because they are taught that their voices are more valuable."), consider how you will not participate in this pattern. For example, you might say less or be aware of how often you are speaking and begin to listen more while others are speaking.

Conclusion

Understanding and engaging in self-reflection and discussions about privilege is an essential step to addressing individual and systemic inequities in our society. We must be aware of and honest about our personal perspectives and how these may or may not contribute to biases that in turn may contribute, even unintentionally, to prejudice, inequity, isolation, poverty, and violence. Schools present an ideal context for helping to guide conversations and learning opportunities for students. (See NASP's lesson plan for middle and high school students, "Talking About Race and Privilege" for additional specific guidance.)

Resources
Related NASP Resources
"NASP Statement Regarding Recent Acts of Violence": http://www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/media-room/press-releases/nasp-statement-regarding-recent-acts-of-violence

"Racism, prejudice, and discrimination," NASP position statement: http://www.nasponline.org/x26830.xml

"Talking about race and privilege: Lesson plan for middle and high school students," lesson plan: http://www.nasponline.org/resources/social-justice
Online
"10 children's books that help White kids understand what children of color are up against," Romper blog post: https://www.romper.com/p/10-childrens-books-that-help-white-kids-understand-what-children-of-color-are-up-against-15238

"Confronting White Privilege," Teaching Tolerance article, http://www.tolerance.org/magazine /number-42-fall-2012/feature/confronting-white-privilege

"For White teachers in the times of #Blacklivesmatter," Practical Theory blog post: http://practicaltheory.org/blog/2016/07/07/for-white-teachers-in-the-time-of-blacklivesmatter/

"Resources for discussing police violence, race, and racism with children," Education Week blog post: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2016/07/resources_for_discussing_police_violence_and_addressing_trauma_with_students.html?cmp=eml-contshr-shr

The Pathology of Privilege: Racism, White Denial & the Costs of Inequality, Media Education Foundation video: http://shop.mediaed.org/tim-wise-on-white-privilege-p137.aspx

"White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack," monograph by Peggy McIntosh: https://www.deanza.edu/faculty/lewisjulie/White Priviledge Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.pdf
Books
Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools, Second Edition by Glenn E. Singleton

Waking Up White by Debby Irving

"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And Other Questions About Race, 5th Anniversary Revised Edition by Beverly Daniel Tatum

References

Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Linsey, R. B., & Terrell, K. N. (2009). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Miranda, A., Boland, A., & Hemmler, M. (2009). Understanding privilege in America. In J. M. Jones (Ed.), The psychology of multiculturalism in the schools: A primer for practice, training, and research (pp. 67-82). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

McIntosh, K. (2016). How can we reduce racial disproportionality in school discipline? [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.pbis.org/Common/Cms/files/pbisresources /IB intro 45 min 2016-2-9h.pptx

Tomes, Y. I. (2013). Cross-cultural interactions and understanding. Poughkeepsie, NY: NOVA.

Wildman, S. M., & Davis, A. D. (1995). Language and silence: Making systems of privilege visible. Santa Clara Law Review, 35(3), 881-906. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu /lawreview/vol35/iss3/4/

© 2016, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270, www.nasponline.org

Please cite this document as:

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Understanding Race and Privilege [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Across the nation, children of all backgrounds are experiencing a time in which discussions about race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and culture are at the forefront of their...

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking to Children About Violence Article

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking to Children About Violence Article

# data[].attributes.body
Tips for Parents & Teachers from National Association of School Psychologists

# data[].attributes.body
These documentaries and fictional movies challenge the ways films depict black life, confront white Americans who like to think of themselves as “not racist" and question notions about whose stories are worth telling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist," Ibram X. Kendi writes in How to Be an Antiracist. "It is 'antiracist.'" Kendi goes on to argue that being antiracist involves, in part, understanding the problems in power and policies that prop up racial inequalities.

Understanding that power and those policies, though, can be a long process, especially for those who haven't suffered directly, or even have benefited, as a result of them. One way to begin is by watching great films. Images and the stories they tell shape our imaginations in powerful ways, and cinema can be a force for rewiring how viewers see the world off-screen, too.

These documentaries and fictional movies challenge the ways films depict black life. They confront white Americans who like to think of themselves as "not racist." They question notions about whose stories are worth telling. And they remind us about what parts of our history we might feel more comfortable sweeping under the rug. For those who want to understand where we are as a country, how we got here, and where we need to go next, these 11 films are a good a place to start.

Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? (2017)

Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? began as a "live documentary" about one white filmmaker's reckoning with his family's racist past. Travis Wilkerson's great-grandfather murdered a black man in 1946, and decades later, Wilkerson set out for Alabama to try and figure out what happened. Through interviews, photos, music, and searing personal confession, Wilkerson told the story while sitting on stage as clips and photos are projected onto the screen. (I saw a performance of it at the True/False Film Festival in 2017, and it's among the most gutting filmgoing experiences I've ever had.) Wilkerson's anger and brokenness are palpable as he reckons with a history of white supremacy that belongs to his family and to him, too - and that translates clearly to the recorded version that you can watch at home.

How to watch it: Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? is available to digitally rent or purchase on Amazon.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Spike Lee's 1989 classic is a comedy with an angry edge, one that demands a viewingmore than three decades later. On the hottest day of the summer in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, tensions start to rise, leading to an altercation. When the police arrive to break up the fight, they choke one of the participants - a black man named Raheem - and kill him, then flee the scene, leading to more violence. Lee dedicated the film to Eleanor Bumpurs, Michael Griffith, Arthur Miller Jr., Edmund Perry, Yvonne Smallwood, and Michael Stewart, six victims of racial violence and police brutality. When it came out, Do the Right Thing was criticized not for its depiction of police violence but because critics like New York magazine's Joe Klein and the New Yorker's David Denby said it could incite racial violence. Now, it's brutally clear how perfectly it diagnosed and depicted how black Americans are treated.

Get Out (2017)

Racism is sinister, frightening, and deadly. But isn't about the blatantly, obviously scary kinds of racism - burning crosses and lynchings and snarling hate. Instead, it's interested in skewering white liberal racism, the prejudice of those who fancy themselves enlightened. Racism that masks itself as aggressively harmless is just as horrifying as blatant prejudice, and in Get Out, director Jordan Peele works to make us feel that horror in a visceral, bodily way. In the tradition of the best classic social thrillers, Get Out takes a topic that is often approached cerebrally - casual racism - and turns it into something you feel in your gut. And it does it with a wicked sense of humor.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018)

As much a tonepoem as a documentary, RaMell Ross's Hale County This Morning, This Evening is best described as "lyrical." Ross carefully assembles hours of footage he shot while living in Hale County, Alabama - of water droplets on a baby's skin, of kids goofing off in a parking lot, of churchgoers singing during mass, of old houses, of insects, and more. Together, they act as brushstrokes to create a portrait of a community, capturing a way of life in a place burdened by history. Ross's goal was to redefine the cinematic "vocabulary" that's often used when black Americans are shown on screen, so he purposely chose to shoot and edit the film in ways that suspend judgment and resist the narratives that we as viewers often bring to films. And in the few instances where Ross uses text on screen, the sentences are as carefully, elegantly structured as the images, carrying narrative and emotional weight that's deeply affecting. Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a major work and a richly rewarding one.

The Hate U Give (2018)

Amandla Stenberg leads a truly outstanding cast in The Hate U Give, an adaptation of Angie Thomas's bestselling novel. Stenberg plays Starr, one of the few black students in her private high school, who witnesses the police shoot her friend in an incident that becomes a national flashpoint. The film has a great deal to say and no apologies to make about its outspoken message, even as it presents itself as a straightforward family drama. But The Hate U Give strikes a perfect balance between coming-of-age story and social drama. And in never sacrificing either of those two interests, it becomes a strong example of both.

I Am Not Your Negro (2017)

The stunning documentary I Am Not Your Negro was directed by Raoul Peck. But it was written by writer and social critic James Baldwin - who died 30 years prior, in 1987. This isn't a documentary about James Baldwin, though it certainly is about him. Instead, it gives new life and voice to Baldwin. All of the film's narration (by Samuel L. Jackson) was written by Baldwin, mostly drawn from letters and notes he made toward a novel called Remember This House that was never published as well as other of his books and essays. By pulling together Baldwin's own words with footage - both images of news clips and civil unrest that Baldwin would have known well and clips of the writer himself, talking with interviewers, politely tearing them to shreds - I Am Not Your Negro becomes a document of a country by way of a keen observer and unsparing thinker. It is a cinematic essay-memoir taking white America to task, and it's a vital, uncomfortable one.

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

For his follow-up to his 2017 Best Picture winner , director Barry Jenkins chose to adapt James Baldwin's 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk. Set in Harlem, the story centers on a young black couple (played by Stephan James and newcomer Kiki Layne) who grew up together and fell in love. But then conflict takes over - not originating from inside their relationship, but pressing in from the outside world. If Beale Street Could Talk is set in the 1970s, but thanks to the way it confronts how sexual assault allegations, policing, and racism can interlock for communities of color, it feels incredibly contemporary, too. It's hard not to fall under its beautiful, somber, lustrous spell, and as a story about black American life framed as a love story, its images are indelible.

Loving (2016)

, about the couple at the center of the landmark 1967 Supreme Court case that invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage, is not really a triumphant legal drama,it's more like a romance that happens to have a Supreme Court case in the mix. In making the political personal, the movie infuses an easily politicized story with complexity and quiet passion. Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star as Richard Loving, a white bricklayer, and his wife Mildred Jeter, a woman of African American and Native American descent, who drew the wrath of the law when they married. It's a quiet, slow film; the Lovings are reticent to seek the spotlight, and the movie is fully aware that while much in the law has changed, the sentiments haven't shifted as easily. Real freedom, Loving suggests, is still out there on the horizon.

How to watch it: Loving is available to digitally rent or purchase on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu. It's also available to stream on Hulu or Amazon with the HBO add-on.

Jonathan Olshefski's Quest, a portrait of a North Philadelphia family, was shot over a decade and finally released in 2017. The film is a cinéma vérité look at the Rainey family, who operate a recording studio. But life doesn't always go as planned, and when tragedy hits the family, the documentary takes an unexpected turn. It's essential viewing that somehow captures the hope and pain of the 2010s - including life in the city as well as the broader political and social situation in America - better than either the Raineys or Olshefski could have ever imagined.

How to watch it: Quest is available to digitally rent on iTunes.

Rat Film (2016)

Rat Film is about rats, yes - and rat poison experts and rat hunters and people who keep rats as pets. But it's also about the history of eugenics, dubious science, "redlining," and segregated housing in Baltimore. All these pieces come together to form one big essay about the ways that racism embeds itself in the fabric of a city and thus perpetuates itself. Rat Film accomplishes this by coming at it sideways, layering vignette on top of vignette so that the meaning of each only becomes clearer in light of the whole. It's a fast-paced, no-holds-barred exploration of a damning history, and it accrues meaning as the images, sounds, and text pile up.

David Oyelowo plays Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, which follows King at the height of his influence, beginning with his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize win and ending with his famous march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery the following year. Directed by Ava DuVernay, it's a stirring illumination of the difficulties that King and his associates faced in gaining the support even of those who publicly praised their work, as well as arguments about tactics and goals within the movement. The film also dramatizes the personal pressure on King from political leaders at the state and federal levels, and the myriad ways that pressure threatened his fight. Selma is inspiring, yes, but it's also rousing and confrontational. King's words are often trotted out in support of various people's agendas, particularly in times of racial strife. But his life demonstrates a steely, radical determination and an unwillingness to bend to anyone who might stand in the way of justice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist," Ibram X. Kendi writes in How to Be an Antiracist . "It is 'antiracist.'" Kendi goes on to argue that being antiracist involves, in part, understanding the problems in power and policies that prop up racial inequalities.

# data[].attributes.body
A toolkit from Chicago Public Schools to help foster productive conversations about race and civil disobedience

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Tolerance, a project by the Southern Poverty Law Center

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Tolerance, a project by the Southern Poverty Law Center

# data[].attributes.body
Package on teaching about race, racism, and police violence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching About Race, Racism and Police Violence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2014, the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New York City, Tamir Rice in Cleveland and too many others caused waves of nationwide protest and appeals for stronger protections against police brutality. These events—along with the lack of accountability for the police officers wh…

# data[].attributes.body
A curriculum for teachers of all grade levels including reading guides, activities, and other resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 1619 Project Curriculum in Lesson Plan Grouping - The 1619 Project, inaugurated with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation’s foundational date. Here you wil…

# data[].attributes.headline
New York Times Article with Student Input

# data[].attributes.subject
New York Times Article with Student Input

# data[].attributes.body
Article about the protests, along with discussion questions, and opened comments for students to share their opinion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The next day, the video was widely shared on social media and ultimately became a driving force for protests, first in Minneapolis and then in dozens of cities across the country, from New York and Los Angeles to Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Have you been following the news? Have you been discussing the events that have taken place in the past week with your family and friends?

We invite you to share your thoughts, emotions and reactions in a comment on this post.
Note: Our comment section is a space for students, and students only, to hold a civil dialogue. Adults can comment elsewhere on NYTimes.com.
In a May 30 article, " Appeals for Calm as Sprawling Protests Threaten to Spiral Out of Control," The Times reports:

The nation was rocked again on Saturday as demonstrators clashed with police from outside the White House gates to the streets of more than three dozen besieged cities, as outrage over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis traversed a razor's edge between protest and civic meltdown.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota activated thousands of National Guard troops - up to 13,200 - to control protesters in Minneapolis who turned out in droves for the fifth consecutive night on Saturday after burning buildings to the ground, firing guns near the police and overwhelming officers the night before. But he declined the Army's offer to deploy military police units.

Rallies, looting and unrest expanded far beyond Minneapolis with protesters destroying police vehicles in Atlanta and New York, and blocking major streets in Detroit and San Jose, Calif. Crowds in Milwaukee chanted, "I can't breathe," and demonstrators in Portland, Ore., lit a fire inside the Multnomah County Justice Center.

On Saturday, demonstrators amassed outside City Hall in San Francisco, shut down highway traffic in Miami and attempted to topple a statue in Philadelphia. Curfews were imposed in some of America's largest cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

The chaos and rage on such a broad scale evoked the Black Lives Matter demonstrations of recent years; the Los Angeles riots that followed the 1992 acquittal of four police officers charged in connection with the beating of Rodney King the year before; and even the racial strife of the 1960s, when the fury and despair of inner-city African-Americans over racism and poverty erupted in scores of cities, reaching a climax in 1967 and 1968, two years that saw more than 150 riots.

This moment has not produced anything close to the violence of that era. But it is playing out under dystopian circumstances, with a pandemic that has kept much of the nation at home for months, Depression-era job losses and the public bitterly divided on politics and culture.

As governors and mayors urged restraint, President Trump on Saturday urged officials in Minnesota to "get tougher" on the protesters and offered greater military support, a move that would represent a significant escalation in the government's response to the tensions.

There was a sense of a nation on the brink. "What are you changing by tearing up a city?" Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta asked protesters there. "You've lost all credibility now. This is not how we change America. This is not how we change the world."

The protests continued with new ferocity even after Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was shown on a cellphone video kneeling on Mr. Floyd's neck as he lost consciousness, was charged with third-degree murder on Friday.

Mr. Walz said that the authorities had been overwhelmed by the demonstrations Friday night, which he said had devolved into "absolute chaos."

The roots of the unrest and division are long and deep.

But the immediate trigger is a protest movement, ignited by the death of Mr. Floyd, that reflects the street uprisings of the Black Lives Matter movement that came to prominence six years ago.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

Have you been following the news? What is your reaction to the events that have taken place this past week - Mr. Floyd's death while in police custody; the protests that have erupted in at least 75 cities across the United States; reactions by politicians and the media; use of force at the protests by the police; or any other aspect of this news, which continues to break?

George Floyd died in Minneapolis. Why do you think protests have spread to so many other cities?

Have you participated in any of the protests? Do you know anyone who has? Do you live in one of the cities where these protests are occurring? How do these protests, and the movement to protest police violence, connect to your life and community?

The authors describe how this moment is playing out under "dystopian circumstances, with a pandemic that has kept much of the nation at home for months, Depression-era job losses and the public bitterly divided on politics and culture." What role do you think these three factors - the coronavirus, the unemployment rate, and the nation's political divisions - are playing in the protests and violence?

The authors write, "The escalating violence and destruction felt like a warning that this moment could be spinning out of control both because of the limitations of a largely spontaneous, leaderless movement and because, protesters and officials warned, there were indications it was also being undermined by agitators trying to sabotage it." Do you agree? Why or why not?

In a separate article, The Times reports on President Trump's response to the protests:

"As several cities erupted in street protests after the killing of George Floyd, some of them resulting in clashes with the police, Mr. Trump made no appeal for calm. Instead in a series of tweets and comments to reporters on Saturday, he blamed the unrest on Democrats, called on "Liberal Governors and Mayors" to get "MUCH tougher" on the crowds, threatened to intervene with "the unlimited power of our Military" and even suggested his own supporters mount a counterdemonstration."

What role do you think the president should play when the country is facing a crisis like the current one. What do you think of President Trump's response?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Your Reaction to the Days of Protest That Have Followed the Death of George Floyd? (Published 2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After an African-American man died in policy custody in Minneapolis, thousands have taken to the streets across the country to express their grief, frustration and anger about police violence. Students, we want to hear your thoughts about what is going on.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lesson Plan for Grades 6-12 about the death of George Floyd

# data[].attributes.subject
Lesson Plan for Grades 6-12 about the death of George Floyd

# data[].attributes.body
The plan includes a news video (that omits the footage of Floyd's death) and discussion questions about the protests, police brutality, and media literacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Daily Video
DOWNLOAD VIDEO Directions: Read the news summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions. The video has been edited for length and to remove footage of the police officer and George Floyd. To watch the video in its entirety or read the transcript, click here .
Summary: On May 25, George Floyd died while in police custody following arrest. The incident, captured on video, raises questions about the conduct of the specific police officers involved, as well as the department's broader relationship with citizens of color.

Floyd's death has set off widespread protest across the city of Minneapolis, including conflict between protesters and police and destruction of property.

Significant protests have also begun in cities as far away as Los Angeles.

Minneapolis councilwoman Andrea Jenkins describes the killing of George Floyd as symbolic of inequality of legal, environmental and health outcomes. Jenkins calls the incident a sign of the "knee on the neck of black America."

Discussion questions:

1. Essential question : What sparked the protests after the killing of George Floyd and why have they spread to other cities?

2. Floyd's death was captured on video. The widely shared video shows images of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck. How do you think the reaction to Floyd's death would be different if the incident hadn't been captured on video?

3. Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins describes the killing of Floyd as symbolic of deeper societal problems. She makes a connection between his death and disproportionate health outcomes due to loosening of environmental regulations as well as the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on communities of color. What is your response?

4. Stories of violence and police brutality can be upsetting. If you are upset by this story, who is a trusted adult you can speak with? If you are not sure, ask your teacher.

5. Media literacy : The footage of Floyd with a knee on his neck may be difficult for viewers to watch and has been excluded from this video clip. Why do you think that decision was made? Do you think it's important to show viewers violent footage like this? Why or why not?

Extension activity
Watch or read the transcript of this interview from March 2019 featuring Tetrina Blalock discussing the police shooting of her cousin, her own experience with police in her community and her other experiences with racism. In the interview, Blalock says, "You're either going to give me my respect, or I'm going to get my respect." Have students reflect on the experiences Blalock describes and her expectations for respect in her community. What does she mean by respect? For a short NewsHour EXTRA lesson using this video, this video click here.

For monthly updates containing teacher resources on Election 2020, click . Sign up for short education highlights from the PBS NewsHour .

If you are making plans for distance learning, take a look at our list of PBS resources that covers a variety of subjects for middle and high school students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Death of George Floyd sets off massive protests | PBS NewsHour Extra

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DOWNLOAD VIDEO Directions: Read the news summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions. The video has been edited for length and to remove footage of the police officer and George Floyd. To watch the video in its entirety or read the transcript, click here .

# data[].attributes.body
Online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Museum of African American History and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. We are here to provide tools and guidance to empower your journey and inspire conversation.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Traumatic Impact of Racism and Discrimination on Young People and How to Talk About It

# data[].attributes.subject
The Traumatic Impact of Racism and Discrimination on Young People and How to Talk About It

# data[].attributes.body
Chapter from Reaching Teens, 2nd Edition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Traumatic Impact of Racism on Young People.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Creative Counseling Interventions for Addressing Racial Trauma in Schools

# data[].attributes.subject
Creative Counseling Interventions for Addressing Racial Trauma in Schools

# data[].attributes.body
Presentation from NASP Annual Convention 2020

# data[].attributes.headline
Special MCPS EquityMatters! Newsletter: Educators Guide to this Movement

# data[].attributes.subject
Special MCPS EquityMatters! Newsletter: Educators Guide to this Movement

# data[].attributes.body
Resources to Educate Yourself, Lead with an Anti-Racist Mindset, Tools for Educators to Engage Students and Resources for Parents to Talk with Their Children About Racism.