These are difficult times with somber and pressing challenges for communities to support families, and we may be wondering how events intersect with the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is underrepresented health equity issue in support of families, although the health inequities around breastfeeding continue to compromise the optimal growth and development of children and their families.
Many across our nation are feeling the pain of continued racism and living with threats targeted against African Americans and other people of color. Tragically, over recent days and weeks, we have witnessed the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, and George Floyd. As a community we are appalled at the tragic disregard for Black lives and commit to continue to fight the systemic racism that makes it so. That racism is made more stark by the disproportionate effect COVID is having on Black and Latinx communities. As you struggle with how to talk to children about issues like these, the Center for Racial Justice in Education recommends a list of resources that you may find helpful at this time. We must know that evil will continue to exist and each of us can fight that evil by being kind, wise and engaged.
Dave Michelman
Head of a school here in Durham
Maybe if we all work together to help babies be healthier and happier, then all these amazing healthy, happy babies will grow up to be healthy, happy adults. Then just maybe, we can make a healthier happier world!
The link from the Center for Racial Justice keeps timing out. I think their system is overwhelmed. Here is the list of resources. Be patient. I think there are a huge number of people trying to view these links all over the country.
This list below was compiled by the Center for Racial Justice in Education.
Interviews/Advice from Experts:
- Talking to Children after Racial Incidents from the Penn GSE Newsroom
- Supporting Kids Of Color In Wake Of Racialized Violence from EmbraceRace
- Tips for Parents on Media Coverage from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Talking to Children about the Shooting from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- An Activity Book For African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis from the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books For Racism and Sexism, Council
on Interracial Books for Children - Talking to kids about discrimination, American Psychological Association
- What White Children Need to Know About Race, Ali Michael and Eleonora Bartoli
- Talking to Kids about Racial Stereotypes – Tip Sheet, Media Smarts
Resource Lists:
- Resources for Discussing Police Violence, Race, and Racism With Students by Evie Blad
- Teaching About Race, Racism and Police Violence from Teaching Tolerance
- 100 Race-Conscious Things you can Say to your Child to Advance Racial Justice from Raising Race Conscious Children
- Talking to Kids About Racism and Justice: a list for parents, caregivers & educators from the Oakland Public Library
- Resources for Educators Focusing on Anti-Racist Learning and Teaching from the Early Childhood Education Assembly
- A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice, Jennifer Gonzalez.
- 60+ Resources for Talking to Kids About Racism, Lorien Van Ness
- Talking About Racism And Bias: Resources For Parents And Caregivers, Children’s Alliance
- Racial Justice Resources for Families, Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ
- Talking to Children About Race and Ethnicity, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences
Articles:
- How should New York City teachers guide conversations about race and police violence? by Alex Zimmerman, Patrick Wall and Annie Ma
- Talking to Kids about Racial Violence, by Haig Chahinian
- The Conversation We Must Have with Our White Children by Courtney E. Martin
- How To Talk To Your Kids About The Dallas Shooting, Because It Shouldn’t Be Ignored by Alana Romain
- What Kids Need to Know about Race and Violence- but many Schools won’t Touch by Valerie Strauss
- Little Pitchers Have Big Ears: Helping Children Deal with Tragedies by Cabinet of Curiosities LLC
- Talking to Kids about Current Events and Conflicts from Lee & Low Books
- How should teachers and parents talk to kids about police violence? by Emma Brown
- 4 Things We Should All Teach Kids About Racism Right Now by Mia McKenzie
- Philando Castile Shooting: How Do Parents Talk To Children About Police Brutality? by Julia Glum
- In the Turmoil Over Race and Policing, Children Pay a Steep Emotional Price by Yamiche Alcindor
- too great a burden to bear by Sabrina Joy Stevens
- What White Children Need to Know about Race by Ali Michael and Eleonora Bartoli
- Teaching Tolerance: How white parents should talk to their young kids about race by Melinda Wenner Moyer
- 5 Tips for Talking About Racism With Kids by Sasha Emmons
- Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism by Anti-Defamation League
- Honestly, Sometimes I’m Uncomfortable With My Children Making White Friends by Margaret e Jacobsen
- Here’s How To Raise Race-Conscious Children by Erin Winkler
- Your 5-year-old is already racially biased. Here’s what you can do about it by Andrew Grant-Thomas
- Kids Are Quoting Trump To Bully Their Classmates And Teachers Don’t Know What To Do About It by Albert Samaha (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Mike Hayes (BuzzFeed News Reporter) Talal Ansari (BuzzFeed News Reporter)
- Talking to Children About Race, Policing and Violence by New York Times
- Why I teach my 2-year-old about race by Michelle Acker Perez
- It’s Never Too Early to Talk About Race by Sarah Butler
- Black Parents in Baton Rouge on How They’re Talking to Kids about Police Brutality by Taryn Finley
- 7 Tips for White Parents to Talk to their Kids about Police Murders of Black People by Katie Tastrom
- Talking with Kids about Racism is an Act of Kindness and and Act of Freedom by Emma Redden