9 Things Non-Black Parents Can Do In The Wake Of Police Brutality
It’s 2020, and more Americans are finally facing the reality that police violence against the Black community is a major problem in this country.
Black parents have been forced to raise their kids to face systemic racism for generations, but many other parents, particularly those who are white, are wondering only right now how to turn their outrage and empathy into meaningful action. Parents should address race with kids from their earliest years. Often the default, even among moms and dads who consider themselves allies, is silence, which allows harmful societal messages of white supremacy to take hold in the young. But it’s never too late to start doing the work to combat what kids absorb from the world.
HuffPost spoke to experts, activists and allies to identify steps that non-Black parents can take during this time (and always) to raise children who will stand against anti-Black racism. Read on for their guidance.
Resist the urge to shield your kids from what’s happening.
It’s natural for parents to want to protect their children from the upsetting realities of the world, but staying silent about racism and police brutality does kids a disservice. It’s also important to recognize that Black parents don’t have the luxury of avoiding these topics, as they directly impact their communities and families on a regular basis.
“Failing to educate our kids about racism forces them to make sense of it themselves,” said author and diversity consultant Tiffany Jana. “There is no dodging racism in America, so it’s best to share our own values with our children. If we don’t raise them to be part of the solution, they will become part of the problem.”
Jana noted that children tend to pick up on current events, like the protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, from glimpses of the news, social media, overheard conversations between adults and interactions with other kids. If adults don’t help them understand what they’ve seen and...
