I was driving my six-year-old daughter to camp this morning, my heart heavy with thoughts about Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. I've given a lot of thought about how I would talk with my white kids about race and privilege. I always figured that when they brought it up, I'd talk with them about it. My kids have yet to mention racial difference, even though they are surrounded by people of all different colors all the time. I figured, why disturb their innocence by bringing a difficult conversation into their lives. But today, I realized that I was not only doing a disservice to my child, but especially to all people of color, by allowing my child to remain blissfully unaware of the struggle going on all around us.
So I told her: "There are kids with dark skin who get treated badly just because their skin is darker. They are not as safe as kids with light skin, just because their skin is darker. You have an important job. If you see someone being treated badly and they have dark skin, you stand up for them. You get in the way. You help protect them and make them feel safe. You get help. You tell them that you think they matter."
I am embarrassed that I did not have this conversation sooner, as I know that parents of black and brown kids do not have the same luxury of allowing their kids to remain blissfully unaware.
Parents of white kids, start the conversation. Find the words. The words might not be perfect, as I'm sure mine aren't. But start talking. Silence is making it worse.
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