Almost daily, upsetting headlines point to racial inequality throughout the U.S. — from systemic poverty and mass incarceration, to shocking deaths at the hands of police and the war on terror. It’s true that some civil rights have been gained — but we’re a far cry from equality for all.
As the mother of a very young daughter, I wrestle with what type of information about racism is appropriate to share with her — and when; whether it’s better to wait until she asks or to initiate difficult topics myself. And I’m all too aware that this very dilemma points to my family’s economic and racial privilege.
I was struck by one writer’s observation on social media that “multiculturalism and diversity isn’t just about food, costumes, holidays, and having a few brown faces in a classroom to break up the whiteness.” I realized that even though this is how I learned about race as a child, it isn’t enough if I want my daughter to be actively anti-racist. And I do.
For several months now, one of my daughter’s favorite books has been “A is for Activist” by Innosanto Nagara — and it’s not your typical baby board book. At first, I worried that the content might be too mature — even too controversial — for a young child. Words like abolitionist and Zapatista were hard to explain.
But soon I was surprised by the way it fostered real conversations about topics like today’s “Black Lives Matter” movement.
My daughter may be too young to understand alarming activity by the Klan here in Vermont, or the fears parents have for their dark-skinned children. But even so, we’ve participated in anti-racism solidarity marches in Brattleboro over the last year. And as we march amidst a crowd of protesters, my daughter points out objects from her activist book, like banners and megaphones. She chants, “No justice! No peace!” with everyone else.
Today, we’ll listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and we’ll talk about current struggles for equal rights — because one small way I can work toward Dr. King’s dream, in which people “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” is by teaching my daughter that we aren’t there yet.
This is the beginning of showing her how to stand up for equality, what it means to be an ally, and why we fight alongside people of color for racial justice.
