My child and I recently walked by a black woman dressed, head to toe, in purple. Several layers of purple actually, including a purple Red Sox hat. She stood out. My 2-year-old says the word “purple” a moment later and I agree with his observation. “She was wearing a lot of purple,” I say. And then I wait to see if there are any other questions or observations, but none followed. We keep walking and I’m thinking about how in the future the conversation will likely go past just the word “purple” and lead into questions around other differences he observed. Discussing racial differences, … [Read more...]
Black Son Helps White Dad Reflect on Being Minority in Other’s Homeland
“Dad, did you feel weird in Africa?" The question from my 12-year-old son, Yosef, caught me off guard. My face must have told him so. "You know," he continued, "because you were white?” Maybe it was because I was jet-lagged and tired of chasing my 2-year-old daughter around the gate area during our flight delay. Or, maybe it’s because I rarely think about race even though my son is black and the rest of our family is white. We adopted Yosef nearly 11 years ago from Ethiopia, and our recent trip to visit my wife's relatives in the nation of Senegal would be his first back to Africa … [Read more...]
Bipartisan Parenting: Turning Presidential Racism into Teachable Moment
On the same day President Trump reportedly said “s---hole” countries in Africa were inferior sources for future American immigrants, my 12th-grade daughter was starting to read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness in English class. The juxtaposition was too much.Conrad’s British novel indicts the racism of European imperialism in Africa in the late 1800s, specifically during the ivory trade. Ironically, however, many readers consider the novel a racist text because of the way it backgrounds Africa, stereotypes the “primitive” natives, and treats the whole continent as a blank slate for the white … [Read more...]
Other Quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. Everyone Should Know
The ideas of peace, love, hard work and understanding are core elements of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And on this day, when we recognize not only the man but also the impact he had on us as a country, I think it is important to reflect on some of his words. Here are five quotes that have stuck out to me for various reasons. “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead and the unborn could do it no better.” There’s something to be said for having pride in your work, but also to recognize your talents. But that phrase … [Read more...]
Raising Race Aware, Respectful Kids By Noticing ‘What’s the Difference’
We continue the national discussion on race and raising children by having Los Angeles Dads Group member Doyin Richards, author of the new children's book What’s the Difference?: Being Different is Amazing., joins us on the Modern Dads Podcast What's the Difference? is aimed at children ages 2 to 10, and covers diversity and acceptance. It introduces children to race relations by teaching them not to be colorblind, but rather "race aware." It encourages them to recognize and embrace the differences of the people they encounter in life. Richards, a father of two who became … [Read more...]
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