Are you an Anti-Racist Parent?

Did my title catch your attention?

I have been following a blog called Anti-Racist Parent, and I wanted to share it with the hopes that you will check it out. You don't have to have a child who is a minority to be concerned with teaching your children about racism. I love this quote from Anti-Racist Parent,

"There are no quick and easy shortcuts to becoming anti-racist – not for myself, and not for my kids. For our family, becoming anti-racist is a journey, not a destination."

Please join my family on our journey to becoming anti-racist.

I know our society wants to portray and believe that racism is largely a thing of our past.........but as the mother of a now minority family, racism is alive in many subtle and major ways. I encounter it every day in some form or fashion. Not directed at me or my family (most of the time), but in comments made about others who are different either physically or socially. Another quote that caught my attention,

"So much about race and racism intersects with other types of
diversity, including class, culture, religion, gender and sexuality.
Racism doesn’t exist in a bubble and it isn’t a problem to be
“solved.” Parents need to be able to address diversity in all its forms."

I know that I personally have a lot to learn about people who are different from me. Anti-Racist Parent has challenged my thinking and opened my eyes to so many difficult realities. I pray that God will bless our society and lead us to a more "anti-racist" existence. I pray that teaching and modeling to our children how anti-racism looks, talks, and lives will develop a society that embraces diversity and eliminates injustice.

Anti-racism is OUR fight. Not just the fight of minorities. But, OUR fight. When we ALL do our part to fight racism, we will ALL win.

I don't know what prompted the comment made to me by one of my students today. We were walking down the hall on our way to PE and he said to me, "My mom is Hispanic." Inwardly I was surprised because his appearance would never lead me to conclude that his parents are not both black. I asked him, "What about your father?" He replied a little sheepishly, "Black." I said with a smile, "Cool! I did not know that about you!", and I then shared with him about my diverse family.

Our world is changing. Families are changing. I hope we are ready to change.

"27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them................." Genesis 1:27, 28