Family Connections
AUgust: Supporting Anti-Racism, Tolerance and Diversity
Let's have the conversation!
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” - Nelson Mandela
As adults, we often do not think that children understand or know what is going on in the world, but the fact is that they often know and understand more than we give them credit for. With all that is going on right now it is so important to communicate with our children and talk to them about it. However, talking about subjects like racism can be hard. It is our hope that the information in this month’s newsletter can help make this conversation a little easier.
"To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives." - National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Family Connection Activity
Complete one of these family activities to help your child(ren) learn more about Tolerance.
1. Read Books with Characters of Color: “While people of color are still underrepresented in books for kids and teens, we've found lots of great reads with diverse main or supporting characters in all sorts of genres, including mystery, fantasy, romance, adventure, sci-fi, graphic novels, historical fiction, novels in verse -- you name it! In fact, we've gathered well over 100 books to recommend for readers of all ages. These fantastic books promote diversity and inclusion and teach readers about different cultures. And on top of that, they offer tons of positive roles models, especially for kids of color. For more great reads, check out our Books About Racism and Social Justice and Latino Books.” - Common Sense Media
Read one of the suggested books from the lists compiled by Common Sense Media or click on one of the following read aloud books from YouTube. 1. Say Something by Peter Reynolds 2.The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson 3. Princess Hair by Sharee Miller 4. I Am Enough by Grace Byers 5. Why We Stay Home by Scott and Rodis Harris
2. Learn about children that are the future and working on ways to improve it. Proof that children not only understand what is going on but that they often have unique ideas and solutions for today’s problems; here is a link about “5 Young Activists to Inspire Kids” (and maybe adults too). (https://www.rebekahgienapp.com/5-young-activists-will-inspire-kids/) The link takes you to stories about 5 children who are young activists, they are doing something to help encourage change. Review and discuss one of the following advocates with your family. Here is a little bit about 3 of them:
- Marley Dias, Diverse Books Activist. Marley was tired of reading books at school that showed “white boys and their dogs.” She would read books at home about Black girls, but was unable to find books like that at school. She launched her #1000blackgirlbooks campaign to change that. From this she was able to create a searchable Black Girls Book database. Here is a YouTube Video of her being interviewed by The Nightly Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fZK6kkb1O0&feature=youtu.be&disable_polymer=true
- Sophia Cruz, Young Activist for Immigrant Rights and winner of the Define American Award. As a first grader, she has inspired many people with her bilingual speech at the Womens’ March. When she was younger (yes younger than in first grade) she wrote to the Pope, in crayon about her fears surrounding her parents possible deportation. Last year she even spoke at the Supreme Court about immigrant children’s rights. Watch her speaking at the Women’s March in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPa464CEbuE&feature=youtu.be&disable_polymer=true
- Ziad Ahmed, Teen Activist Defying Stereotypes and co-founder of Redefy, an “organization by teenagers, for teenagers to empower schools and communities with resources and information to be more inclusive”. They work to fight stereotypes about race, religion, gender, and age. Here is a video of Ziad explaining challenges teens face in defying stereotypes and discrimiation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3c66GFN6qA&feature=youtu.be