June 3, 2020
WOW! Total transparency here: I am having a hard time finding the words to start this blog off in a proper way. This week’s blog is for ALL of us. It’s to shed light on OUR reality. So far, we have been focusing our class blogs on how to handle life during this pandemic. This week, I wanted to personally reach out and share my thoughts and some resources on what’s going on in the world right now, at this very moment, while I’m writing to you. I felt it was important for me to write to you. The obvious reason being, I am an African American (Black) Woman, and secondly, I am your child’s teacher and I care about them and their families. Abeona House is a family, and has become a part of mine since I started working here almost six years ago.
This blog is not to accuse anyone of racism. It’s not to point the finger. As mentioned above, it’s to shed light on the reality of our country and share resources that may help our future generation become better than our grandparents generation, our parents generation, and our generation. As parents and teachers who work closely with children, our common goal is to help shape their young minds and hearts to be better than those who came before them.
Okay. Now. Can I be a little more transparent? I am hurting. My family is hurting. My friends are hurting. My coworkers are hurting. Strangers I meet in the grocery store are hurting. Though we go to work everyday, complete zoom meetings, write and respond to emails; we are hurting. A lot of friends and associates have reached out to me personally and have asked, “How can we help?” and “How can we help stop this hurt?” At the time I did not have the answers and to be honest, at the moment I still don’t have all the answers. All I have are feelings. But someone close to me shared some resources on the topic at hand. The document is called, “ Anti Racism Resources” and the document that I received was compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein in May 2020.
I have shared that document with all my friends who are of different races and I myself have read a few of the articles and am continuing to read more. Personally, I feel it can help me articulate to others how to help when they ask. There are also books from this list of resources that I will add to our class library. For this blog, I took a small part from the document that was directed to parents on the matter.
As parents, you strive to protect your child from things or matters that may hurt them. Sometimes we tackle those issues head on. In most cases, you purchase a book to read or try to explain to them the best way you know how. Just like any other issue or matter that your family may come across, the topic of race for your little one can be talked about the same way. Reading books, or watching educational age appropriate shows (like pbs) can help in that area.
In the end, this blog is to inform all of us and to help all of us come together with one common goal, to help shape the minds and hearts of the future generation.
Resources for parents:
- Books:
○ Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults
● Podcasts:
○ Parenting Forward podcast episode ‘Five Pandemic Parenting Lessons with Cindy Wang Brandt’
○ Fare of the Free Child podcast
● Articles:
○ PBS’s Teaching Your Child About Black History Month
● The Conscious Kid: follow them on Instagram and consider signing up for their Patreon
- This has resource pages set up by The Children’s Community School in Philadelphia and also has Articles, tips, books and podcasts for adults, educators and children
https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4 https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=ctlle
All of my love,
Miss Jonte
Abeona House Child Discovery Center 