When they see racial inequality — when the only doctors or teachers they see are white,
or fewer kids in accelerated classes are black, for example — they won’t blame racism.
They’ve had complex discussions about equality: “We should all be equal, we all have equal worth,
but we don’t all experience equality yet.” Parents of children who are not white have long contemplated how to make their kids aware of painful racial realities in the United States, while simultaneously nurturing resilience and a healthy sense of self.
When we don’t talk honestly with white children about racism, they become more likely
to disbelieve or discount their peers when they report experiencing racism.
In turn I speculated that sometimes it’s hard to admit our white predecessors did bad things because it makes us feel bad.
Right now, then, it’s even more urgent that parents who rely on messages like “we’re all equal” or “we’re all the same underneath
our skin” in the hope of teaching our children the values of inclusion, equality and difference significantly up our game.
