Black Kids & Black Dolls I’ve written a lot about the ways that racist messaging impacts Black children and how the messages of Black inferiority surround them. These harmful messages are everywhere—from the lessons they learn (and don’t) in school, to the toys they play with, TV shows they watch and designs they wear on their clothes. As I’ve said before: As parents, the … [Read more...]
#BlackKidsMatter: A Talk on Race, Identity & the Impact on Black Kids
This Saturday, June 13, 2015 I will be speaking to the Parents Group of the Adelaide Sanford Institute about the ways that colorism, hair and identity impact the academic and social development of Black children. I will spend some time discussing the role that parents play in preparing our kids to overcome these issues and introduce strategies for building esteem and … [Read more...]
When Your Image Is a Symbol of Black Self Hatred
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After an otherwise dynamic weekend where I spoke at the Brown University “Black Hair in White Spaces” event (write up, pics and video coming soon!) and helped facilitate the first “All Sisters Evolving Together ASOMGirls Program Mentoring Day” (yes, this write up is coming too!), I was in my Black Girl Element and was feeling empowered and hopeful about my … [Read more...]
Sarah, Your Natural Hair Ain’t Like Mine. And That’s Ok.
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Black people are not brown skinned White people. The collective experiences that shape the broader Black community’s experiences are not brown versions of the collective experiences of White people. I’ve quoted this sentiment before but feel it requires repeating ever so often. Last week I stumbled upon an…uh…interesting article on Curly Nikki’s website. The article caught … [Read more...]
Black Parents: Raising Black Kids
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To all the parents raising Black kids - this one is for you. The “Raising Confident Kinky/Coily/Curly Haired Black Kids” event at the end of last year was a huge success—and we have YOU to thank for that. The community really came out to support and learn why we need to protect our children’s self esteem. One thing I realized then and in the weeks that followed was … [Read more...]