Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast

About Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast

We are Tabitha & Adam, co-parents raising two kids and partners in work and life. We share actionable resources and guidance on a biweekly basis for raising antiracist kids. Scratch that. We're parents so it's more like monthly. Stay tuned! www.raisingantiracistkids.com (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs & Adam Jacobs

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Mar 2024

Latest episode

25 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Feb 2026

   The Intersection of Healthy Masculinity and Anti-racist Parenting

   There are moments in our lives that shift our perspectives on parenting, life and all the in-betweens. Tabitha here: I had one of those precious moments hearing Ashanti Branch (https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/?hl=en)speak at the Marketing to Men Summit in New York City. Ashanti Branch, Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, is a leader in youth mental health and education reform with 20+ years helping schools build safer, more connected communities. A 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Medallion recipient, 4x TEDx speaker, podcaster, and Fulbright Fellow, he champions healing and authenticity through workshops, media, and storytelling. When I heard Ashanti speak about healthy masculinity, his clarity, his work and his powerful presence were notable and I was left with a profound feeling that I needed to shift some of the ways I was parenting our son. Adam here: We’re parents to a young boy that we’re raising in the age of social media, toxic masculinity, and the impact of folks like Charlie Kirk. He’s being raised during a time when trad wives are being framed as the response to feminism, where white supremacy seeks to teach young men-particularly young white men- that they’re owed something by society and they have a right to be resentful against women and people of color when their expectations don’t get met. So when Tabitha met Ashanti, we knew we had to have him on the Raising Anti-racist Kids podcast to talk about the intersection between healthy masculinity and antiracist parenting. Take a listen to the episode and hear Ashanti talk about his upbringing by a single mother, his career pivot to education, and a simple but powerful tool he uses to help boys and young men get in touch with their emotions. Some links to check out: * Million Mask Movement (https://everforwardclub.org/millionmaskmovement) * Ever Forward Club (https://everforwardclub.org/) * Branch Speaks (https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/?hl=en) Thanks so much for listening. Let us know what’s coming up for you after you listen. Love up on your kids and enjoy your week, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   4 Dec 2025

   Little Kids, Big Conversations

   Having big conversations with little kids is a skill that none of our prenatal classes taught us. The art of breaking down big concepts into kid-appropriate language that kids actually understand is necessary whether you’re talking about why there’s no white history month or whether you’re teaching your little kiddo about pronouns. For kids, these conversations aren’t hard because they’re already focused on what’s fair and equitable in their own little worlds. For us adults, though, it’s helpful for us to use language and techniques that reach kids where they’re at. We always describe our antiracist parenting work as a journey. Sometimes we need to go to other parents to learn about how others are maneuvering raising kind, empathetic, justice-oriented children. So naturally, we wanted to chat with Ailen Arreaza, the co-founder and executive director of ParentsTogether (https://parents-together.org/), an organization that really gets it right with teaching us parents and caregivers how to talk with kids about just about anything. If you’re curious about how to have big convos with little kiddos and are looking for 3 direct steps on how to do this, plus a host of other really powerful guidance, take a listen. If you’re looking for more information on ParentsTogether, check out their: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/parentstogether/) Website (https://parents-together.org/) That’s it from us for today, friends. Thanks so much for being on this journey with us. Take good care of yourself and your kiddos and let us know how this episode landed for you, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   5 Sept 2025

   Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities

   We are in full back-to-school mode in our home, as are many parents and caregivers around the country. Our older kiddo is going to middle school and our little one is starting first grade. Amidst all the big feelings (from us and them!), we’ve been thinking about the ways in which us parents and caregivers can support school communities in infusing antiracism and equity throughout. So we invited two people we admire to talk about just this and be our very first guests on our podcast, The Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-antiracist-kids-podcast/id1737487091). Raising Antiracist Kids is a reader-supported publication so be sure to subscribe and share your thoughts with us. Andrews Lefkowits and Dr. Val Brown are the co-hosts of the Integrated Schools Podcast (https://integratedschools.org/podcasts/), an award-winning podcast which is a part of their work to prepare families with racial or economic privilege to commit to integrating their children, driving new narratives about education, and advocating for justice in our public schools. Integrated Schools now has 43 local chapters around the country and their podcast won a Signal Award and was nominated for 2 Abmies. Take a listen to the podcast episode here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-antiracist-kids-podcast/id1737487091) and above. We referenced the following Integrated Schools Podcast episodes in our conversation: Gratitude and Validation: One Family's Journey Through Integrated Schools (https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s11e8-gratitude-and-validation-one-familys-journey-through-integrated-schools/?utm_source=listennotes.com&utm_campaign=Listen+Notes&utm_medium=website) What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on The Failures of Integration (https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s11e14-what-was-lost-noliwe-rooks-on-the-failures-of-integration/?utm_source=listennotes.com&utm_campaign=Listen+Notes&utm_medium=website) And be sure to dive into their other content for more deeply enriching and just incredible conversations that will shift the way we think about equity and schooling. As always, take good care of yourselves and your little ones. Try to get some fresh air this weekend, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

4. 

   6 Aug 2025

   7 Reminders For Raising Kids Amidst A War on Truth

   RESOURCES FOR ADULTS: On Tyranny-Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder (https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny) Get banned books for you and your children. Find a list here. (https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?booklist=569834) FOR KIDS: We Care: A First Conversation About Justice by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli (https://bookshop.org/p/books/we-care-a-first-conversation-about-justice-megan-madison/20614329?ean=9780593750612) (ages 3-10) Stamped (graphic novel) by Ibram X. Kendi (https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped-graphic-novel) (pre-teen and teen) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

5. 

   24 Mar 2025

   Revolutionizing Storytime

   The Gift of the Great Buffalo by New York Times bestselling author, Carole Lindstrom (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/gift-of-the-great-buffalo-9781547606887/) Black Boy, Rise by Brynne Barnes (https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/black-boy-rise) little big man by Varian Johnson (https://varianjohnson.com/2025/02/12/my-debut-picture-book/) My Hearing, My Way by Stacey Armas, Au.D. (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-hearing-my-way-stacey-armas-aud/1144714063) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

6. 

   20 Feb 2025

   Black, Proud & Unapologetic: Black History Month For Kids

   Antiracist Parenting Under Fascism Part 1 (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/part-1-endurance-and-action-hope?r=3e25xy) and Part 2 (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/6-groundings-for-parenting-under?r=3e25xy) TO READ Black History Timeline 1954-1968 Read Through History (https://blog.indypl.org/kids/black-history-timeline/) (kid edition) To WATCH Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum (https://www.pbs.org/parents/shows/xavier) This (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF-qAaUg-hw/?igsh=NTltM2FqNzhxM2lh) video by Caroline J. Sumlin is a message for us parents who are aiming to raise antiracist kids. Many parents (we’ve done it, too!) have used the phrase “because of the color of our/their skin” when explaining racism. Sumlin explains why this is problematic and what to say instead. TO DO Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture (https://nmaahc.si.edu/) in Washington, D.C. Take a trip to the African American Museum in Philadelphia (https://www.aampmuseum.org/). What are sundown towns (https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-violence-db28a9aaa3b800d91b65dc11a6b12c4c)? Explore the Rosa Parks Museum (https://www.troy.edu/student-life-resources/arts-culture/rosa-parks-museum/visit.html) at Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama. When we went on our Family Civil Rights History Road Trip (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/ruby-bridges-and-rosa-parks-kid-centered), our kids had a blast while learning a lot. Look out for the interactive bus experience that is sure to bring kids’ learning to life. That’s it from us for the moment. Dive into the resources we shared and let us know which your kids are loving. Take good care of your heart, your kids and your sanity, ok? We got us. Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

7. 

   6 Feb 2025

   Part 2: 6 Groundings For Parenting Under Fascism

   PART 1 (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/part-1-endurance-and-action-hope) in our series on parenting under fascism This moment in history calls for a reminder of why we’re here. * We’re here because we love our kids AND we love ALL kids. * We want to help raise bold changemakers, unafraid of fusing antiracism and justice in their lives now and for the future. * We’re here because we’re building a future different from this one and we know that parenting is one of the starting points for just that. * We’re here because ALL children deserve safety, joy, education and love, including transgender children, immigrant children and undocumented children. To learn more about the weaponization of “CRT” and what parents can do about it, read this (https://www.romper.com/parenting/what-is-critical-race-theory-kids-education) article I wrote in 2021. Fact-check everything (https://www.snopes.com/) (recognizing that the executive orders and attacks on our communities are moving so fast even fact-checking is imperfect). I found this (https://www.instagram.com/p/DFLzkCkTAVU/)Emotional Freedom Tapping Technique from Dra. Hernández, a bilingual therapist, to be super helpful. Here are two pathways to action: * The powerful women behind FEMINIST (https://www.instagram.com/feminist/?hl=en) compiled a host of volunteer opportunities according to issue areas in The People’s Toolkit. (https://www.peoplesmarch.com/act) Get into it, find a political home and get to work. * The Immigration Legal Resource Center provides Red Cards (https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas) that you can print and distribute. These cards share resources on what to do if ICE is encountered. See instructions on how to use them here (https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/red_cards-how_to-culture_strike_illustrated_0.pdf) (in 3 clear graphics). What We’re Reading: Our friend and longtime organizer, Justin Ruben, wrote a powerful piece (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1maToY22Y354PYc2ky2fSYBE6_BuuOoqY3HGVJWFTflI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.476vw9fh0rdz) called Six Rules for Defeating a Shock-and-awe Strategy: Stay S.T.R.O.N.G. I literally read this every time I feel myself getting overwhelmed or exhausted. It’s vital reading for all organizers but I also found it useful as a parent trying to figure out what on earth to say to my kids. See full transcription at raisingantiracistkids.com (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

8. 

   27 Jan 2025

   Part 1: Endurance & Action: Hope for Parents during Trumpism

   In today's episode of The Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast, we talk about how we're maintaining hope and a spirit of resistance under fascism. We share a few tips in Part 1 of this series. p.s. If you are an immigrant and are looking for trusted guidance on what to do if ICE shows up, The National Immigrant Justice Center provides step-by-step instructions (https://immigrantjustice.org/know-your-rights/ice-encounter) if you are undocumented, have temporary status or are a citizen. For employers, the National Immigration Law Center provides steps to take (https://www.nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace/) to protect your employees and yourself. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

9. 

   1 Aug 2024

   Antiracist Parenting: The Responsibility of White Parents in Multiracial Families

   In this episode of Raising Anti-Racist Kids, we use stories from our family’s recent road trip through the South to visit sites tied to the Civil Rights Movement as a way to examine the role of the white parent in a family like ours. We planned the trip around the kids, yes, but also made sure to  organize our outings to give Tabitha space as a Black woman to process the sites and experiences on her own time. We also talk about our ongoing efforts to teach our kids real history, so they can organically connect the dots to what they encounter in today’s world, while still centering joy in their experiences. Below, a lightly edited transcript from our conversation. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Raising Antiracist Kids is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Tabitha: Adam and I have a multiracial family. I am a Black multiracial Trinidadian American immigrant woman, and Adam is a… Adam: White, Ashkenazi Jewish, Minnesotan man. Tabitha: And we just wrapped up a trip to a couple of Southern states where we took our kids on a civil rights history road trip, and there were a couple instances where we had to really think through how we were going to show up as a multiracial family, both as a whole and as individuals. There were a couple things that we were juggling. We have two small kids, our kids are nine and four, and we wanted to find activities that they can learn from that would be meaningful to them at their ages. But for me, it was the first time that I was experiencing some of this and I wanted to make sure that I was able to be present and process all of the emotions that came up, without thinking about having to run after children, having to make sure that the kids weren't knocking things over, that they were being reverent in certain spaces. So we decided for some of the sites that you would take the kids to more kid-centered activities since you had been to some of these sites. And I would go to these sites and experience them on my own. Adam: Yeah, and you actually wrote about this in the last newsletter (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/what-to-know-about-visiting-whitney) where you talked a little bit about when we visited the Whitney Plantation (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/what-to-know-about-visiting-whitney) in Louisiana. You went ahead. I mean, that was one site, so we couldn't really split up. You went ahead and I found a way to help bring the kids along because that was particularly important. And you still felt that whiteness had a way of overpowering your experience. In some ways, Tabitha: I wouldn't say it overpowered my experience. I would say that it seeped in. There were instances where I knew that I wanted to process it at my own pace and without having to think about the white people in the group that we were with. But there were instances where there were white people around me — visiting strangers — who would step in front of me while I was looking at sites and displays. So that was something that I also noticed — that whiteness still presented in that space in a kind of dominant way. Adam: So then when we got to Montgomery, Alabama, and we did a lot of really fun things with the kids and tried to keep them engaged. We did some research beforehand about what museum would be most kid-friendly. We talked to a couple people and everybody agreed that the Legacy Museum from the Equal Justice Initiative was not kid friendly. It's not set up to be kid friendly. It's not set up to be something where you want to bring a four and a nine-year-old. Tabitha: Let's define kids, right, because I think our nine-year-old would have been able to go through it with me and be able to process some of the experiences and so forth. But our four-year-old definitely would want to be running around. She would want to be touching things. And it was a very reverent space. There were parts of the installations and so forth that were very honest and upfront about the impacts of slavery and about how it showed up in different spaces on bodies and so forth. We wanted to be mindful of bringing the kids into spaces where they can learn, but that were kid appropriate, age appropriate and so forth. I think you have to know your kid, first of all. You have to know if you've been having these conversations with them before, if they're ready to see some of these things and so forth. It could be kid appropriate for some kids, but I would recommend maybe for kids that are like 10 and older. But because of the nature of me wanting to be present and not have to worry about pretty much anybody else around me — I just wanted to be present and to process it without, to be honest, without parenting at the same time. That's something that we had to juggle: how much of the trip were we able to be present for as parents? And how much of the trip did I want to be present for as a Black woman, as a Black immigrant woman who didn't learn this history in school? Adam: Yeah, I mean, who was the trip for? Because the trip was a family adventure, but a lot of these things that we're learning, we can teach to the nine-year-old, we can teach to the four-year-old in different ways. This in particular, I mean it's not just this site, but this particular site, the way that they present the information, the way that it sort of, when I went, it got at my soul just in the presentation of depictions. I remember the dirt. I remember that they collected from different sites of lynchings. I remember just all these things where if you went and you had to worry about him, our son, then that would have been an extra challenge. And my hope, and I think we achieved it, was that we offered the kids a lesson in civil rights. We offered them lessons in understanding the history while also not looking at what you were engaged in and you having to worry about it. As a Black woman in a multiracial family, it's okay for me sometimes to center myself. It's okay for me to say, ‘This is what I need.’ For me. I need to be able to be present in this space and to process this at a pace that is okay for me and not have to worry about the kids, not have to worry about anybody else in our group and so forth. Tabitha: And that was something that I really, to be honest, I struggled with a little bit because I want my son to get this education, I want him to experience these things. So there were moments when I had to make that difficult decision. And I think as parents, as a Black woman in a multiracial family, it's okay for me sometimes to center myself. It's okay for me to say, this is what I need. For me. I need to be able to be present in this space and to process this at a pace that is okay for me and not have to worry about the kids, not have to worry about anybody else in our group and so forth. Adam: So we went to the Rosa Parks Museum and the kids were processing the information with a lot of unique visuals that were really set up for them. And they got the understanding! They're now in an age where, yes, our older kid can take a lot of this information, but even still little bits at a time is much better for him than how an adult looking at history might want to engage in a museum. Tabitha: At the Rosa Parks Museum, there was this installation where there was a bus and there was a simulated ride where there was a speaker that was speaking the story of Rosa Parks' experience. And the kids were able, it was like multi, what do you call it? Adam: Multimedia? Is that what you mean? Tabitha: Multimedia? Yeah. It was multimedia. So the kids were very engaged in it and I was able to join them for that part. And we actually had you and the kids join me for the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, which was outside, and the space was huge. So we didn't have to sort of be mindful of their energy levels and the space and it was engaging for them. So they were able to see parts of it. There was even a moment where I was able to find my name, my last name, St. Bernard, on a wall, which was based on the first census that included Black people after slavery was abolished. So that was interesting for them. They were able to be engaged in that. So we definitely brought them into parts of the experience that made sense for them. We were just very mindful in the planning stages of me as a Black woman being able to process things at the rate and the pace that I was able to. And that brings me back to the original question:  what is the responsibility of a white parent in a multiracial family, particularly as it relates to anti-racist parenting? We live in this white dominant, white centered country, and the responsibility of the white parents has to include recognizing and being aware of times where Blackness needs to be centered and where white dominance is trying to intrude and push through. And as a family, as the person with white privilege, you have to be able to use your privilege to push back on that. Adam: Find a way to decenter whiteness, because I can't tell you how to experience something, I can't experience it for you. However, I can take the opportunity to set it up so that you can experience it how you need to. And that was the ultimate goal of a lot of these sites. Throughout our trip, we were really angling to accomplish a few different things that all de-centered whiteness. One was centering the kids as much as possible through games and experiences for them, but then also recognizing that there were experiences that were for us as a family and experiences that were really for you. I have had the opportunity to learn and unlearn a lot of racist history and how that shows up. Tabitha: And I also know that I felt that at Whitney Plantation, and I wasn't the only person because — I don’t know if you saw that note that somebody wrote on the reflection board. They wrote on a little Post-it note, “Why are there white people here?” Because it very much felt like a space where white people definitely need to come and get educated and unlearn and learn. But it was such deep and painful and traumatic history for me as a Black person that to have to do it and then have to turn around and see a white person around me, stepping in front of me when I was looking at a display and so forth, was really jarring and reminded me of how white-centered this country is and how sometimes white folks take up space when they really should not be taking up space. I don't actually have a solution to that problem because I do think that white people need to visit Whitney Plantation and they need to visit these sites. But be aware of yourself and be aware that you're coming into these spaces with privilege. I'm going off on a tangent here… Adam: I remember seeing that question, and  I took it as why are you here? Literally ask yourself: “You're here, you're reading this note.” Now, ask yourself, '“Why are you here? What are you hoping to get out of it? And what can you do with this?” And I also took that as, “Keep your distance." Be more aware of your body here than you might be normally in public.” But if you learn how to be aware of your body here, maybe you can be more aware of your whiteness in public. Maybe you can be aware of, even if it's not yours, how whiteness is showing up around Black friends and family and how that could actually be traumatizing or retraumatizing if you're not aware of it. I see a lot of defensiveness from white people when it comes to de-centering whiteness. And I think the responsibility of the white parent is to be aware of that defensiveness and to work on kind of disintegrating it so that when the parent who is of the global majority is centered, or the experiences are centered, or the lessons are centered, that doesn't brush up against your sense of self. Tabitha: Right. And I think just in everyday life, thinking about the responsibility of a white parents, I think within our family we have the power to teach our kids a Black-centered, an immigrant-centered approach to growing and to developing as human beings, which is different from how it is outside of our home. It's so important for us to instill these lessons in them, these lessons around Black-centered joy, around my experience as an immigrant and understanding privilege and so forth. It's important to instill these lessons in them because when they go out into the world, it's different. And I think you as the white parent, the responsibility has a lot to do with… I see a lot of defensiveness from white people when it comes to de-centering whiteness. And I think the responsibility of the white parent is to be aware of that defensiveness and to work on kind of disintegrating it so that when the parent who is of the global majority is centered, or the experiences are centered, or the lessons are centered, that doesn't brush up against your sense of self. Adam: Yeah, I mean I think it's an interesting phrasing of ‘disintegrating’ it because it's the idea that it doesn't go away all at once, just go poof. It sort of just disintegrates little by little, by little by little. You have to start to become aware and erode it and really work at it. I remember, we went from Louisiana through Alabama. I remember driving into Selma and as we were going in, we saw a school being let out. Selma is a majority Black city. I think I've looked it up, like 80% Black, and you have a school that's all white. I remember looking at dismissal, I remember looking at people who were driving out. I think there were maybe one or two Black families. And I remember thinking, even in a place that has dealt with this, reckoned with this, it keeps coming back and coming back. How does it play out every day? What are the subtle ways that it shows up? How can we talk to our kids about the subtle ways that it shows up? So that was my hope kind of throughout — to identify lessons that we could learn, ways that the kids could see me de-centering myself, but then also having them have a good time and letting you experience how you need to experience. Tabitha: And I think no part of this country has dealt with racism. I think we're all in the process of actively addressing the history and dealing with new forms of racism as it keeps popping up. And it's a constant process. It's a constant—I would even use the word like struggle. It's a constant struggle. On this trip, we wanted to help the kids learn history in a kid-centered way, but also help them witness and see experiences that were not white dominant or white centered. Adam: So from Montgomery, we stopped in Tuskegee to visit the site of the airmen. We didn't go to the university or the town, but we actually stopped at the site, which is a national park now, and found very interesting things for the kids to see about airplanes. Then we went to the MLK sites when we were in Atlanta. A lot of the stuff is to help the kids build positive experiences with these trips. One of our goals for this trip was if the kids have positive experiences with learning about this history, and they'll be more likely to see where it pops up in their life. We live in the northeast, but to see: how does it still show up every single day? Because they're learning, they're experiencing this, they are saying to themselves, MLK was very interesting, but that's not the only thing. There's all this history that it's so important to learn about. Tabitha: But I also think that there are times, there are moments where we need to reckon with the pain and we need to reckon with the struggle and the suffering and so forth. And especially for our nine-year-old, he's old enough to understand that not everything has to be positive, that not everything has to have a rosy glow on it. That there are parts of history, there are parts of present day that have to do with racism that are traumatic and that are awful. And it's okay for him to know that. There was this balance of centering joy in their experiences, but also allowing them to face history in a kid-appropriate way. And I think at nine years old, he's able to understand that balance because he's learned about Ruby Bridges at school. So when we went to the school that she had gone to in New Orleans, he was able to make that connection. Adam: One thing about Ruby Bridges is that his school does it in a fun way, and that's where he connected with it. He's like, oh, I remember walking to school and they had him make a poster, remember that. And so that, because he made the poster, he's like, oh, that's Ruby Bridges! We can go back to the original topic here, which is de-centering the white parent by asking the white parent, ‘What's the decentering of white parents?’ Tabitha: I mean, but that's the reality in that. How do you decenter whiteness while addressing whiteness? Adam: Without naming it... Tabitha: You have to name it and you have to face it head on. We live in a country where whiteness is all around us and it's dominant. And the question is always, what do white people do about that? How do you actually decenter whiteness in your life as a white person when you're showing up in white skin and when you're benefiting actively from being a white person? And I think it's difficult, but it starts with that education. Our goal with this trip was to educate the family as a whole. Because, I don’t know if you felt this way, but I felt like I learned so much. I felt like it was such an impactful experience for me. I feel like the kids learned a lot, but I felt like us as adults, we learned. And it starts with educating yourself. Learning. Continuous learning is the first one of our six Building Blocks of Antiracist Parenting (https://www.tabiijuststrategies.com/). If you want to see more about that, go to our website raisingantiracistkids.com (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/p/6-building-blocks-of-antiracist-parenting-23-05-08) and read all of the six building blocks. That continuous education of yourself as the parent is so important as a white parent. And I think it starts there. It's step number one, don't let it end there. You got to take it into steps 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. But  the very beginning is that unlearning and learning. Adam: Yeah. And going back to your original question, what is the responsibility of the white parent in a multiracial relationship? One, it's the same as the responsibility of a white parent in white families because we all have to be doing this Continuous Learning. We all have to be de-centering our whiteness. But using the building blocks is also where I start. And so understanding who's in our community, how are we engaging as a couple, how are we showing that to the kids? How are we showing ourselves to the world as a couple in our conversation? So if we're having a podcast, who's getting the most airtime? I think even things like that, all of that stuff has to be considered. It's not magic, like, oh, we're going to knock everything out. No, it's actually we have to really be day by day by day. You and I check in a lot. You and I talk about this a lot. You and I think about how we show up in spaces and the spaces literally that we show up in. We try to be very intentional about them. Tabitha: I think it's also, we make mistakes and it's messy because we're human beings and it's hard. And because we create this framework within our family and then our kids go out into the world and it's white dominant in this country. It's always hard. So if you're listening, give yourself some grace, but keep at it all the time. But yes, white parents and white families also have a responsibility to do this unlearning and learning. And they have a similar responsibility to decenter whiteness. But particularly when a white parent is the parent of children who are Black, children who are of the global majority, who have heritage of the global majority, your kids are looking to you as an example. They're looking to you to see their first example in this world of how you show up in the world and how you decenter whiteness. You don't want to set up the expectations of whiteness for your own children. And also you don't want the people around you to be setting up the expectations of whiteness for your children. There's an added sort of necessity to decenter whiteness when your kids are looking at you and they're both seeing themselves reflected in you, but they also need to see examples of what it means to show up in the world as a human being. So if you show up in the world as a human being, as a white person, and you have kids of color and you aren't aware of yourself and your sense of  whiteness, then you're projecting this onto your children. And that's having an impact on their own perception of themselves as kids with heritage in the global majority, Black kids and so forth. So as we wrap up today, in summary, the responsibilities of a white parent in a multiracial family as it pertains to anti-racist parenting is to model and emulate de-centering whiteness in the home, at work, on the playground, in how you deal with your children and how you deal with your partner. If you have a partner, it's to decenter whiteness in a way that sets an example for your kids. And that also encourages you to continue to dismantle that within yourself and to continue the process of learning and unlearning for yourself so that you can identify, Adam: Right. You don't want to set up the expectations of whiteness for your own children. Tabitha: Exactly. Adam: And also you don't want the people around you to be setting up the expectations of whiteness for your children. Tabitha: Exactly, exactly. Especially for kids in multiracial families who have lighter skin. Especially. Adam: Also, acknowledgement that we should probably have talked about this earlier: when we say multiracial in this podcast episode, we are talking about white and other races, because multiracial families can mean many things. You were raised in a multiracial family. Tabitha: Exactly. That's absolutely right. That's absolutely right. So see, even as we talk about de-centering whiteness, we're centering whiteness. It's messy, y'all. It's a work in progress. Messy. Thank you for reading Raising Antiracist Kids. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe (https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

10. 

    24 Mar 2024

    Equity in Action: Nurturing Kids' Understanding Through Dee & Friends in Oz

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit raisingantiracistkids.substack.com (https://raisingantiracistkids.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) Welcome to our new Substack. On today's episode, we're tackling how to talk to young kids about equity using the hit Netflix show, Dee & Friends in Oz. Get into a detailed conversation guide to use with your little ones. And hear about an event we're hosting at the Brooklyn Public Library with Ben & Jerry's. And lastly, we share Tabitha's interview with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.

11. 

    15 Mar 2024

    Centering Antiracism for the Holidays + My Interview with Kelly Rowland

    Tabitha here. Many people celebrate one of the many holidays occurring in December and for some, this is just December. If you're one of those who celebrate, you're probably wondering how to infuse antiracism into holidays that are supposed to bring joy and light but can actually veer into consumerism and excess. What's the connection to antiracist parenting, you may be asking? Well, part of infusing antiracism in our family lives is teaching our kids how to be good inhabitants of this earth and the world. That includes giving more than receiving, being mindful of the impact of our gift-giving on the earth and being aware of the impact of our purchasing power on small businesses.HOW To Address The Holidays To Your Kids1) Let me be honest with you for a quick second. I grew up very poor so it's still humbling to me that I can provide a Christmas and Hanukkah for our kids the likes of which I never had. Do I set intentions to be mindful every year? Definitely. Do I always hit the mark? Um. It's a work in progress :) But one thing I've learnt about shifting away from consumerism during the holidays is to center joy and bring our kids into experiences. So this year, our 9 year old was finally old enough to hold the Shamash (the candle used to light the other candles) and light Hanukkah candles all on his own. He also held the honor of putting the star on the Christmas tree. My daughter has been loving wrapping gifts with me. She's excellent at taping. We want them to build memories of special moments during the holidays and focus less on getting gifts. So when addressing the holidays with your kids, focus in on the experiences and they just might center those values themselves.WHAT To Add To Your Book List2) I'm always hesitant to do a gift guide at the end of the year BUT I know people may want to get something meaningful for loved ones so I wanted to help point folks in the direction of antiracist items for kids. This year, my gift guide is chockful of our family's favorite gifts from this past year and a few that are under the tree this year. Scroll down to get the link and see books about grandmas taking over the police, little artivists (you read that right) and how to cook an octopus (yup, you read that right, too).  HOW To Shop With Your Kids3) If you decide to shop, center gifts that are made ethically with fair labor. We also try to support small businesses that are owned by people of the global majority (or people of color). It takes a little more research and digging but it's worth it to support businesses with ethics aligned with your family's. For Romper, I spoke to THE Miss Kelly Rowland about all things mom-life and how us Black moms are raising joyful Black boys who resist society's toxic ideas around masculinity. Click here to read.  (https://www.romper.com/entertainment/kelly-rowland-baby2baby-raising-sons-interview) My gift guide is here! I wanted to lean into special time with loved ones for our kids so click here (https://www.romper.com/life/raising-anti-racist-kids-gift-guide-2023) to find cozy gifts, our favorite hair-time item and lots of our favorite books from this past year. To do wish lists with kids or not to do wish lists? And is it a cultural no-no for us Black parents? I delved into this topic for Parents Magazine. Read it here. (https://www.parents.com/holiday-wishlist-dos-and-don-ts-8416250) I recently finished reading The Psychology of Oppression (https://www.springerpub.com/the-psychology-of-oppression-9780826178169.html) and I highly recommend it for parents and caregivers to gain a thorough understanding of how oppressive behaviors and systems are nurtured over time even with kids. One thing that stuck out for me? Oppression is not only harmful in the here and now. It's been linked to a variety of health-related issues like hypertension, coronary heart disease, anxiety and more. This can also be passed on through generations and embedded into the bodies of our kids. By centering antiracist parenting, we not only impact generations to come, we help our kids heal right now. Healing for me includes centering Black joy, centering quality time with loved ones, and loving on my babies. And isn't that what I want the holidays to be about? It's Friday before Christmas. If you celebrate, we wish you a warm and safe holiday season. If you don't, sending you love and joy during the break.Stay safe and hug your loved ones, okay? xoTabitha This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit raisingantiracistkids.substack.com/subscribe (https://raisingantiracistkids.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

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Apple Podcasts (US)

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1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 4 / 100

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9

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