We are excited to share a guest post from Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith, East Bay mother of three and a child psychologist who specializes in trauma and issues of race. We’re also excited to learn that she discovered her family’s new favorite beach, Mori Point, by reading our site. It takes a village!
Be sure to check out the details on Dr. Briscoe-Smith’s class beginning in October, 2020: Parenting in Uncertain Times.
How to talk about race right now?
I’m a child psychologist who specializes in exactly this question. The urgency and frequency of the requests I’m getting from parents to address this question are unparalleled in my career. From “How can I be anti-racist?” to “How do I explain what’s going on to my child?” the questions are important and daunting.
Perhaps more important than my role as a child psychologist is my role as a mother of three Black, mixed-race children. I, too, am seeking the very same answers. The good news is that there are many wonderful resources. Tons of ways of learning, engaging and getting help. But- I think we are all suffering from resource overload as well. I know if I get another giant spreadsheet with distance learning resources I may pull my hair out.
In community with other parents I’ve assembled a short list of places to go to get support on this central question of how to talk about race with our children. The first I’d point you to is Embrace Race. They have well curated resources, webinars, tip sheets, and links. Embrace Race’s work centers parents of color, specifically, and has lots more available for all families, in general.
For specific guidance on anti-racist parenting, I’d direct you to Britt Hawthorne. She is an educator, focusing on early child development and montessori methods. She’s a Black mom and has a lot of concrete resources to help start the conversation and has recently provided a class on anti-racist parenting with another amazing educator and author, Tiffany Jewell, and is sure to do it again. There are also three accounts that I follow on Instagram that offer short, easily digestible support for both parenting in the context of race and parenting littles in general: @latinxparenting, @curious.parenting and also @raisinggoodhumanspodcast.
So, while this time can be overwhelming, it’s also an opportunity. There are no excuses- no lack of places to learn, to be in dialogue and to grow.
Summary of Resources to Talk about Race with Children
- Embrace Race, website packed with more resources centering parents of color with the goal of raising a generation of children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race.
- Britt Hawthorne, website with specific guidance on anti-racist parenting by a Black mom.
- @latinxparenting, Instagram account and latinxparenting.org website offers Latinx communities and allies family education that encompasses the cultural, socio-political and diverse needs of each family.
- @curious.parenting, Instagram account for all caregivers interested in raising resilient, liberated kids.
- Raising Good Humans with Dr. Aliza, podcast, and @raisinggoodhumanspodcast Instagram account by Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist and parent. I was on this podcast episode called How we talk about race, raising anti-racist kids and the science of hope.
I’d love to hear from you and find out what are you using. Hit me up at drbriscoesmith.com, or @allisonbriscoesmith on Instagram.
Thank you again for sharing Dr. Briscoe-Smith. Be sure to check out the details on Dr. Briscoe-Smith’s class beginning in October, 2020: Parenting in Uncertain Times.
2 thoughts on “Talking about Race with Kids Right Now”
SIP and bad AQI has exacerbated racial hostilities in Berkeley. White parents excluded my Arab, Persian, and Latina daughter Salima from their pod and forbade their nanny, my closest friend, from socializing with us. When another white friend passed on a playdate and got a hotel room to escape the hot, smoky air, she didn’t invite us to visit. This would never have happened in Lebanon, where our relatives and friends are starving due to the fatal port blast and nobody in Berkeley seems to care. Their Arab Lives Don’t Matter.
Nicole, That is a lot all at once.