Raising Antiracist White Kids Caregiver Reflection CircleWeek 5August 12, 2020

RebekahGienapp.com

Words to Yourself Meditation

Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

Barriers and Breakthroughs

Think about a challenging situation with another adult who doesn’t share your commitment to antiracism and children.

In breakout rooms, each person will share a little about this situation (the barrier), and the other group members will offer potential resources or solutions (breakthroughs.)

Barrier example: My spouse thinks talking to our children about race openly could make them prejudiced.”

Breakthrough example:Could you share a story with your spouse about a Black parent who is asking white people to talk to their kids about race so their kids won’t face so much prejudice?

Take 4 minutes per person/barrier. Have a different person in your group be notetaker for each barrier.

Group 1 Notes

Group 2 Notes

Group 3 Notes

Group 4 Notes

Your Support System● Who are the people, what are

the practices, and where are the places that already sustain you in doing anti-racism work with your children?

● What relationships with people, new practices, and new places do you want to pursue?

Your Support System

PeopleJardana (mentor)Lucretia (peer antiracism trainer)Lucy (fellow parent)

PracticesMeditation & body workCurious conversations w/kiddoPlacesEvergreen ChurchPeoplesHub

Rebekah

Your Support System

People- Antiracist Kids FB group

(fellow AR parents)- Need a mentor- 2 friends also interested

in AR work w kids

Practices- Curious conversations- Reading/books- Community

advocacy/outreachPlaces

- nature

Anamaria

Your Support System

PeopleJamie, son, theologian, this is part of his life work and his ability to offer support, to challenge where needed, is thought provokingJohn, son, newer on the journeyMissy, colleague

PracticesPrayer, meditation, body workReading, discussing

PlacesChurchWorkFamilyBlogs, groups such as this, white led, black led

Barbara

Your Support System

Peoplepartnerfriendsparent group

Practicesyogameditation, walking my dogbalanced foodstime for fun*PlacesFB groups, zoom with friends, being outside

Cynthia

Your Support System

People Practices

Places

Dana

Your Support System

PeopleKathrynFaith, Sisters of Mercy charismTheresa, Bonnie

PracticesChild-friendly books as discussion starters

Places

Greg

Your Support System

PeopleAnna, Gaya + ELPDr. Cheryl SURJ Fam CommKristen + Social army

Practices+ leaning into

relationship & SE regulation

- white people feelingsPlacesELP, ECESF, EBAEYC, CAEYC

Jodi

Your Support System

People- AC/CA (anti-racist

white acct)- AB (cross-race

acct)- JO (external acct)- RvG (parent acct)

Practices- Reflection and

writing- processing spaces

Places- White Caucus (in

state and national)- most work space

Julie

Your Support System

PeopleJanine, Mitch, Rhonda

Practices

Places

Kendra

Your Support System

PeopleKarina, Jennifer, Susan, Nkiru

Practicespraying, reading/learning, honest conversations

PlacesDEI committee of the OSA, Library, Church, THIS GROUP!!

Marilyn

Your Support System

PeopleDr Helscher (mentor)Michael Rosner (director of Keira’s school)Chris (husband)Dori (antiracist peer)Diana (best friend)women friend group

Practicesinvolvement in schoolworkreading

Placesthis group

Rachel

Your Support System

PeopleTeresaMelissaCrystal

Practicesreadingmeditationjournaling

PlacesCourageous Conversations

Sara

Your Support System

PeopleEmily, Kate, Katie, AmandaFacebook groups Angela NateRacial Justice in early math group

PracticesMeditationCalm & Curious conversations with kidsYoga

PlacesErikson?

Sisa

Your Support System

People Practices

Places

Stacey

Your Support System

People● Hamid (Colleague)● Will (Husband)● Charkie (DEI trainer)● Megan (Parent)

Practices● Reading for

different perspectives

● Running Places● Working with students

& staff of my org

Tamara

Stretch Break!

Big Rocks and Little RocksA tool from Beth Greenberg Steiner

In antiracism, it can be easy to spend most of our time worrying or arguing about smaller issues (little rocks), which leaves us less energy and time to focus on the bigger priorities (big rocks) that will have the most impact.

Imagine your antiracist parenting/teaching as a bucket. You need to put the big rocks (the things that will make the biggest difference) in first. If you fill your bucket first with the small rocks, you’ll never be able to fit in the big rocks.

Examples of Big Rocks● Having explicit conversations with my

kids about racism.● Speaking up about inequities in my

child’s school.

Examples of Little Rocks

● Arguing with strangers in the comments section on a news article.

● Trying to decide if wearing my BLM tee-shirt at the grocery store is performative or not.

Group 1 Big Rocks & Little Rocks

talking to kids about being anti-racist

talking with other parents about raising anti-racist kids

making meaning of the example that makes sense

Leading by example - space

and time in schedule to be

an activist (letters, demos,

DEI team)

creating a

better

anti-racist

library at

home and in

classroom

building with other parents towards strengthening

anti-racist work and community

28

Active in spaces available - DEI team

at work

do

petitions

live in

big/little

rocks?

frett-

ing

over

role

social

media

Group 2 Big Rocks & Little Rocks

how to care for myself and set boundaries

How to conduct learning/curiosity convos w kids

Find a small set of

communities & a

mentor or two

Move beyond a focus on diversity

How to engage

in more action,

especially with kids

Finding joy within communities of

support

Trickle

information,

(not a

firehose) for

engaging in

convos

Openness & confidence working with teachers & parents

29

Overcome the taboo

of talk about racism

Establish the habit/pattern of

regular convo’s & teaching w kids

Insta

gram

Group 3 Big Rocks & Little Rocks

Reading & engaging kids in conversation about making a difference

Teaching students

histories that help

them understand the

realities of racism,

ponder their role in it,

and to find ways to

interrupt it.

MakeMa connections with other pareTeaching students an

Helping my kids understand true history as opposed to

“white” history

Amplifying

voices of

Black friends

/ colleagues

n school &

public

settings.

Understanding what drives

inequity in my community

30

Deepenin

g my own

understan

ding of

the drivers

of racism

Serve on board at kids school and

introduce curriculum

Black

jesus

pictures

at

church

Conversati

ons with

kids about

white

privilege

Enabling myself and my kids to speak up

when witnessing racist acts

Group 4 Big Rocks & Little Rocks

Talking explicitly with family, friends about race

Facilitating workshops for white people and early educators

Implementing

DEIJ events &

actions within

ECE orgs and

committees

Prioritizing actions in doable bites

How I will talk/work with

students

How share literature with

virtual classroom

How, as a

social studies

teacher, I can

show a more

complete

history of our

city

finding regular openings to talk to kids about race

31

Building an

antiracist library

How, when, talk with family

Sharing

Social

media

resource

s

Attendin

g webinars

Readi

ng

NF

books

Appreciation CircleShare appreciation for something else a participant shared during our reflection circle, or a quality that they brought to our group.

Each person will have a chance to “sit” in the middle of the circle and hear appreciations.

Evaluation SurveyI’ll be sending out an evaluation survey next week; it would be incredibly helpful if give me your feedback!

Additional ResourcesRaising Antiracist White Kids Facebook community

EmbraceRace Talking Race and Kids webinars

Antiracist parenting workshops in September from Raising Race Conscious Kids (fundraiser for Movement for Black Lives)

Integrated Schools

Additional ResourcesYou can schedule a 1 on 1 session with me any time in the next 6 months for $60. (Normal charge is $120; session will last 1 hour).Email barefootinmemphis@gmail.com to schedule.

Remember, all slides and suggested resources will be housed permanently here. Video recordings of our sessions will be removed after September 30th for privacy reasons.

Brownicity membership community

Antiracism & meditation/spirituality trainings from Jardana Peacock and Kelly Germaine

May we break our silence, even if our voices shake.May we walk the path of justice.May we take up the work that is ours to do, so that all children may be free.

Closing Intention