Who Speaks With Our Youth About Race and Racism?

http://informacionaldesnudo.com/who-speaks-with-our-youth-about-race-and-racism/

Groups of Mothers Rallies in Times Square for Boy Killed by Police in Ohio

http://www.ny1.com/content/news/220594/group-of-mothers-rallies-in-times-square-for-boy-killed-by-police-in-ohio/

BLACK KIDS' LIVES MATTER

SOUTHEAST CORNER OF B’WAY and 44TH, ACROSS FROM TOYS R US

DEMAND JUSTICE FOR MURDERED 12-YEAR-OLD TAMIR RICE
and CALL FOR AN END TO RACIST POLICING

EVENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR NATIONWIDE

WHAT:  A call to MOMS and FRIENDS to rally to demand justice for 12-year-old Tamir Rice, shot by Cleveland police on November 22 for holding a toy gun.  Stand in solidarity with his mother calling for conviction of his killer, Police Officer Timothy Loehman.

WHY:  BLACK KIDS LIVES MATTER.  People who care about kids of color and a just society demand that the murderers of children like Tamir Rice be brought to justice.  The killing of young Tamir is similar to other recent murders:   racist assumptions, excessive use of police force, bad policing policies.

There is something fundamentally broken in our system when a boy can have a legal toy gun and by the end of that day be killed by a police officer.   Jeffrey Johnson, Cleveland City Councilman

WHO:  Moms and Friends Who Care -- Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).  Child-friendly event.  For advance interviews, please call Karen Ramspacher at 646 567-7737.

WHEN: 5:00 PM, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014

WHERE: SOUTHEAST CORNER OF BROADWAY AND 44TH STREET

                (the plaza across the street from Toys R Us)

Civil Unrest Through a 7-year-old's eyes MSNBC

In this 3-minute commentary, Toure talks finding a way to speak to his child about New York City's Eric Garner protests and why it's important to have conversations about race with your children.

http://www.msnbc.com/the-cycle/watch/civil-unrest-through-a-7-year-olds-eyes-368815171838

A Facebook post by a white mom

My best friend wrote this.  I think it's an important piece about how a white parent can talk with her white child about white privilege.

12/5/14: My longest post ever. I want to share my experience as a parent of a 9-year-old explaining Black Lives Matter and why the need to say it.

How do you explain to a 9-year-old what’s happened:

    to Mike Brown? 

    to Eric Garner? 

    to Tamir Rice? 

    to too many others?

You just do. You have to. Here's what I said ...

It’s about dark skin not as privileged as white. It’s about assumptions that black skin is guilty, dangerous. It’s a violence first mentality. The “shoot first, ask questions later” attitude. I explained what happened to Eric Garner, the whole story in simple terms. His reaction was ‘That is so wrong! He was arrested for that? Why was he choked for that?” I explained that what happened to Eric Garner would likely never happen to him because he’s a white male. And it would certainly never happen to me because I am a white female and small to boot. That’s our privilege, our white skin. His reaction -- “That is so wrong, white lives aren’t more important!” Exactly.

He and I live close to Foley Square in Manhattan. I asked him if he wanted to go to see the demonstration. I told him that I believe this is a historic moment. That while change has been happening all along since the start of the Civil Rights Movement and even before, I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a wave that will turn the tide. It may take many years (and probably will) but I am hopeful. He said yes. So we rode the bike to look, to see, to bear witness. I told him to take a picture in his mind so he will remember it. So he will remember the thousands of people we saw. And when change comes he will remember that we were there, that he is part of it.

We decided we would go around the perimeter of the protest and read the signs. I told him the most prevalent would be ‘Black Lives Matter’ since that is the theme of the demonstration. It was easy to circle the demo on the east side because they had barricades up on Foley Square facing Centre St. We were outside the barricades and went around reading and talking about many signs.

The most prevalent "Black Lives Matter" was everywhere, held by every type of person, in so many homemade designs. My personal favorite, “Revolution is not a one-time event – Audre Lorde,” provided a perfect teaching moment. That’s the one I want him to hang on to. I explained that while I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a change, it will take time. We will have to do this again and again, in different forms. I told him I see it like the AIDS movement, and the gay rights movement. Not that they are done, but they are better. This must get better. I am hopeful this is the beginning. White privilege has got to go. This has to be a historic moment.

As we moved along the perimeter suddenly there was no perimeter. We were in it. And the crowd turned and started walking towards us onto Duane Street. We were in the front of a march! We stopped the bike at the barricade on Duane Street and directed people to the sidewalk so they would not all have to climb over the four-foot barricade. People were so warm, friendly, and varied. My son got smiles and high fives. With a soft voice he chimed in with a few chants.

Even in the thousands of people, we saw folks we knew. Uncle Steve walked right past us and stopped to hug and snap a pic. Alexis called out from the crowd. We knew others who were there but couldn’t find them.

At almost 2am I can still hear the helicopters and the sirens. They fade and then return. I hope I keep hearing them because to me they indicate movement, a movement. It’s time for change – it’s that simple, Black Lives Matter. My way is to work to make change first, then feel the feelings later. Now I am crying, finally feeling it instead of intellectualizing, activating, or organizing.

There are voices outside at half past midnight - they are singing. Outside the back of Police Plaza, right outside our front door, 20 flights down. About 30 people, singing to the police at midnight on a protest night. It’s beautiful. Change is beautiful. It’s got to come … now please.

How to Teach Kids About What's Happening in Ferguson

This article, by Marcia Chatelain, assistant professor of history at Georgetown University, appeared in the Atlantic in August 

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/08/how-to-teach-kids-about-whats-happening-in-ferguson/379049/

What White Children Need to Know About Race

This article, by Ali Michael, director of P-12 consulting services and professional development for the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education and Eleonora Bartoli, director of graduate programs and professor of psychology at Aracadia University, appeared in the Summer 2014 edition of Independent School Magazine.

http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/What-White-Children-Need-to-Know-About-Race.aspx