De-segregation is not enough: Why building strong, integrated schools matters

De-segregation is not enough: Why building strong, integrated schools matters

by Sahba Rohani At Community Roots Charter School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where I work as the director of community development, we have ten years of experience running a purposefully integrated school. That’s been possible for a few reasons. Home…

Paul Kivel's Suggestions for White Racial Justice Parenting

Paul Kivel’s Suggestions for White Racial Justice Parenting

by guest blogger Paul Kivel Do you talk about racism where you live? Talking about racism is not easy for most of us to do. Few of us grew up in homes where racism or other difficult and emotional issues…

Race conscious talk as a daily practice: A day with my 11-month old

Race conscious talk as a daily practice: A day with my 11-month old

by Sachi Feris This is an account of the daily opportunities I have to be race conscious versus “color blind” with my children. My 11-month-old baby loves ducks. So when he woke up fussy from a two-hour morning nap (on…

A Bed Time Routine for Black Lives Matter

A Bed Time Routine for Black Lives Matter

by guest blogger Chris Crass With my heart breaking throughout the day, learning more and more about #‎KorrynGaines‬, the latest Black women, the 9th this year, murdered by the police, I began preparing for my kids’ bed time routines. I sat…

#FreedomNow with my four-year-old niece

#FreedomNow with my four-year-old niece

by Danielle Morgan Feris To introduce myself: Sachi Feris of Raising Race Conscious Children is my sister. I love her children, my four-year-old niece and ten-month-old nephew, more than anything. I am grateful that I get to help raise my niece…

The Value of Black Bodies: talking with my Black son about race based violence

The Value of Black Bodies: talking with my Black son about race based violence

by Lori Taliaferro Riddick This past weekend my family watched the start of NBA free agency, when NBA players choose their teams and as players moved to new cities, we watched fans display their indignation by burning jerseys. We have…

Telling my White four-year-old about Alton Sterling and Philando Castile

Telling my White four-year-old about Alton Sterling and Philando Castile

by Sachi Feris The past 24-hours have been wrought with power struggles between me and my four-year-old, leading to emotions running high for both of us. In response to this, we have been brainstorming strategies for dealing with emotions of…

Dissent is patriotic: July 4th and my four-year-old

Dissent is patriotic: July 4th and my four-year-old

by Sachi Feris In planning a special sleepover night in which my four-year-old would stay up late at my mom’s to watch Macy’s fireworks, I asked my daughter: “Do you know want to know what this July 4th fireworks celebration is…

My daughter’s rainbow dress: “In support of all queer and gay people”

My daughter’s rainbow dress: “In support of all queer and gay people”

by Sachi Feris My daughter was two-and-a-half in the fall of 2014 when Michael Brown and Eric Garner and Black Lives Matter were all over the news. During those months, I wrote a post entitled, “How I would talk to…

A letter to my 16-year-old son about his privilege

A letter to my 16-year-old son about his privilege

by guest blogger Jen Cort Dear Son, When you were younger, you came home from school upset because a teacher had said: “All of the Quakers were dead.” Being Quaker, you described feeling unseen and wanted me to correct the…