The Worst Thing You Can Do When Talking to Your Kids About Race
by Jenna Phipps
Oct 26, 2018
In one episode of the animated YouTube series Home School, Jemar Tisby gives parents practical advice for discussing race with their children. He says that talking about race with children "needs to happen early, often, and honestly." Children begin categorizing people by their appearance when they are as young as three, which allows parents to begin the conversation early.
Tisby explains that children's books, such as Dr. Seuss, and animated movies can be simple gateways to discussing race. Another important method of talking about race is experiential learning. Tisby uses historical markers, such as the hotel in which Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, as an example.
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Discussing race with your children can prepare them to combat racism and make them comfortable with the topic in the future. Click here to watch Tisby's practical recommendations for these conversations.
Jenna Phipps
Jenna Phipps is a writer, editor, and dancer based in Nashville, Tennessee. She enjoys working with other people to improve their writing, taking long road trips, experimenting with choreography, and reading many novels.
