Learn to Play
Ages 4 & up
Learn to Skate
For all ages
Public Skating
Parties
SNOQUALMIE ~ RENTON ~ KIRKLAND
www.SnoKingIceArenas.com 8
S E AT T L E ’S C H I L D
Ju ly/Au gu st 2 0 22
«What Parents Are Talking About CONTINUED
You give the example of (your child) Imani and your thinking as a parent: “Well, we’re at home and we're doing really well.” Then you realize, wait a minute, what's happening in her classroom? So how can parents go deeper than just lecturing their children with “Don't be racist?” Dr. Kendi: I learned this about my daughter who is 6 years old: When I'm lecturing her it’s a losing conversation. There's no learning happening there. She's learning when she’s asking questions. That’s the irony. Typically when our kids ask questions about race, they’re shut down. Particularly white parents shut down white children and sometimes black parents shut down black children. Whether we are totally denying it or totally accepting it, we’re not engaging with our children. We can put our children in a situation where they’re going to ask questions. You want them to understand about housing insecurities? You can take them to a local homeless shelter. We want our kids to understand about food apartheid? We can take them to a local soup kitchen that is being run by people who recognize that the food that they are serving is a temporary solution and are also involved in activism to eliminate food apartheid. We can take our children to cultural festivals of other groups so they can ask questions. What I’m trying to do (with Imani) is put her in situations where she can ask questions. Dr. DiAngelo: In your talks around the country on this topic, what themes or patterns have you observed about how parents come to this conversation that may be problematic? Dr. Kendi: This desire for me to provide a seven-step process that they could follow to the ‘T’ to help them raise their child to be an antiracist. There is almost no way that anyone can provide that because depending on their age, depending on their environment, depending on so many factors, your approach has to be different. It’s just not that type of thing. It is a journey.