Our school’s mission and values call us to acknowledge injustice in the world, as a community rooted in empathy and kindness. We are sharing resources with you to help support these conversations, to help provide strategies for how to talk about race and racism with your children in our ongoing commitment to realize the ideal of Krishnamurti’s teachings.
Websites/Resources/Articles
Suggestions for Parents/Students
Please note that there are many primary and secondary level links in these resources and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of Oak Grove School.
How to speak to children about traumatic events
- Talking to children after racial incidents (Penn GSE)
- “George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?” (USA Today)
How to teach about racism and civil unrest
- Talking About Race (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
- Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice (Teaching Tolerance)
- Understanding Race and Privilege (National Association of School Psychologists)
How students can take action
Brooklyn Friends School (NY) will host a Zoom video call today, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the founding members of IRunWithMaud. Participants will hear from Ahmaud Arbery’s friends and family about their experience and will learn what they can do to seek justice and create change.
For parents and high school aged students
More
- Author Jason Reynolds helps young people understand what led to the protests we’ve seen over the past week and what children can do to build a less racist society.
- Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup
- Racism and Violence: Using Your Power as a Parent to Support Children Aged Two to Five
- National Museum of African American History and Culture – Talking about Race
- PENGSU – Talking to Children After Racial Incidents
- The Golden Rule – www.tolerance.org
- New York Times Articles
- Nice White Parents (Podcast)
From Serial and The New York Times: “Nice White Parents” looks at the 60-year relationship between white parents and the public school down the block.
Videos
How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time
Writer, activist, and comedian Baratunde Thurston breaks down news stories of white people who call the police on people of color, and how rewriting these news headlines can reframe the narrative.
“How to Talk to Kids About Race,” from The Atlantic
Author Jemar Tisby explains practical ways to talk to children about race and issues, using books, movies, and landmarks as an entry point.
Just Belonging: Finding the Courage to Interrupt Bias
A moment of racial tension presents a choice. Will we be silent about implicit and unconscious bias, or will we interrupt bias for ourselves and others? Justice, belonging, and community are at stake. Kori Carew is a community builder who generates awareness and understanding of critical human issues by creating the space and climate for open dialogue that is meaningful, enables people to expand their perspective and drive positive change.
Debunking The Most Common Myths White People Tell About Race
Robin DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility,” unpacks common excuses white people make about race–and how to address them.
The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History
David Ikard is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. By debunking the popular myths around Rosa Parks, and explaining what actually happened, he demonstrates the importance of learning the truth of the civil rights movement.
Screaming in the Silence: How to be an Ally, Not a Savior
Graciela Mohamedi, a teacher and activist, highlights the importance of centering voices of color during protests and activist events, while encouraging her audience to get comfortable with silence as a strategy.
So You Want to Talk About Race
Ijeoma Oluo is one of the most influential people in Seattle, according to Seattle Magazine. She’s also the Editor-At-Large at The Establishment – a media platform run and funded by women. In her new book “So you want to talk about race”, she demonstrates that her remarkable writing abilities by bringing clarity and insight to hyper-charged issues facing America.
She discusses why it’s so hard talk about race and why we must do it anyway.
