My two-year-old's passion for consciousness-raising

My two-year-old’s passion for consciousness-raising

by Sachi Feris In a conversation about stereotypes and children’s books, a colleague (at the school where I teach Spanish to kindergarten and first-grade) mentioned that the song “Baa Baa Black Sheep” contained references to slavery in the United States:…

White privilege and imaginary play with guns

White privilege and imaginary play with guns

by guest blogger Amy Fellows Today, I had a very clear moment of understanding White privilege. My six-year-old bi-racial daughter was playing with some White neighbor kids, when another girl came over with a very real looking cap gun pistol,…

“Are you speaking Spanish?”;  How to ask questions about differences

“Are you speaking Spanish?”; How to ask questions about differences

by Sachi Feris One morning, my two-year-old and I took a walk to the playground. She was walking up the steps to the slide where two bigger boys were playing on the landing. I was standing by the slide and…

In response to Charleston: White anti-racist parenting

In response to Charleston: White anti-racist parenting

by guest blogger Rev. Emily Joye Reynolds Last night at a vigil I heard a Black elder in my community trace herstory through the bombing of a church that claimed the lives of 4 young Black girls, the murder of…

What our six-year-olds have to say about gender stereotypes

What our six-year-olds have to say about gender stereotypes

by guest bloggers Kevin Wood, Emily Silver, and Stephanie Grundy In January, a theater group performed a version of “Princess and the Pea” for our pre-K to second-grade school. The show focused a young woman whose only role was to…

Talking about Black Lives Matter to White Children

Talking about Black Lives Matter to White Children

by guest blogger Amy Dudley This past Martin Luther King Jr. Day my five-year-old daughter and I attended a day long Freedom Camp organized by some long-time educators, a passionate, intergenerational, multiracial group that included pioneers in anti-bias education, and…

How to help children feel it is “all right” to ask questions about differences

How to help children feel it is “all right” to ask questions about differences

by Sachi Feris When I was little, my parents had friends with a daughter named Emily who had suffered brain damage during childbirth. As a result, Emily could not sit up or talk. I remember, when we visited, feeling uncomfortable…

My children’s experiences with internalized racism

My children’s experiences with internalized racism

by guest blogger Ben Wright My children are mixed heritage children—Latina (my partner) and White (me). They have internalized more racism and other oppressions than I would like and it comes out in a variety of ways. My partner and…

“Charity” is not enough: Why I want my daughter to be an activist

“Charity” is not enough: Why I want my daughter to be an activist

by Sachi Feris As a teacher in various New York City private schools, I always felt uncomfortable about the endless drives for “charity” intended to “help other people.” Rarely, were students helped to see these “others” as real people with…

Black is not a bad word: Why I don’t talk in code with my children

Black is not a bad word: Why I don’t talk in code with my children

by guest blogger Adelaide Lancaster I’m a St. Louis mom, a New York entrepreneur, and mom to three children (ages 4, 3, and 1). I spend much of my time trying to raise these children to be big-hearted, just, and…