What to teach your kids about racism

Denene Millner, Bestselling Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby, shares advice for parents of color on how and what to teach their kids about racism
Parenting Tips | What To Teach Your Kids About Racism
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What to teach your kids about racism

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You know, parents of color don't necessarily want to drill into their children's heads from the moment that they're born that, "This world is full of racism and you're going to face a whole lot of negative things." We don't spend our days thinking about who's going to be racist to us, who's going to be treating us like we're one big walking stereotype. We move through the world just like any other parent, wanting the best for our kids, wanting to make sure that we give them the greatest opportunities, wanting to raise good, loving, sweet human beings. But the reality is is that there are going to be people who look at us and don't necessarily understand that. You know, the conversation has to start early with you instilling self-esteem in your children to make them understand that there is nothing wrong with this, that this is awesome, that your music is something that you should treasure, that your culture and your history is something that is amazing. And once you instill that in your child, then when someone does something bad to them or says something wrong to them, you're arming them with the information that they need to understand that that person is an idiot and doesn't deserve the time of day or the right to turn your situation, the way that you feel about yourself around or make you feel bad about yourself. They're stupid. You're not. That's how we deal with it in our house.

Denene Millner, Bestselling Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby, shares advice for parents of color on how and what to teach their kids about racism

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Denene Millner

Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby.com

New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner is a hotly sought after award-winning journalist whose insightful and captivating pieces have secured her foothold in the entertainment, parenting and book publishing industries. Millner spent the last decade working as a columnist, contributing editor and blogger for Parenting, a national magazine for which she provided witty, engaging, mom-to-mom advice on ethics and etiquette in everything from childrearing and marriage to work and friendship. Currently, she also is the founder and editor of MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed, award-winning blog that examines parenting and motherhood through the multi-cultural experience. Millner frequently contributes as an entertainment writer for Essence, the most well-read and respected magazine for African American women, and has written for a plethora of national publications and prestigious websites, including Parenting, HealthEbony, JetHeart & SoulReal Health, Money, iVillage, Parenting.com, TodayMoms, and The Root, among others. Her extensive television experience includes regular appearances on the The Today Show, CBS Early ShowThe Nate Berkus Show, HLN, CNN, MSNBC, VH1, and the Rachel Ray show. Millner also is the author of 21 books. The former political reporter and entertainment journalist lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and their two daughters.

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