Here’s how families can take a stand
against racism at home
MAKE PROTEST SIGNS
One way that kids can demonstrate their support for the movement is by making
protest signs.

Not only does the activity allow them to tap into their creativity, but it also serves
as a conversation starter for parents who want to explain the greater purpose and
importance of the current news and the Black Lives Matter Movement, says
Whitehead. Using art supplies you have at home, such as poster board, paint and
markers, kids can create posters that say “Black Lives Matter” or “Justice
for George Floyd.” They can also come up with their own messages of
support. Hang their protest signs in a window or display them outside on your
front door or in the yard.

STAGE AN AT-HOME PROTEST
Instead of just displaying their signs, kids can stand outside and
physically hold them up, as if they were actually marching in a protest.

“There are some parents who don’t want to take their child out to be
around other people,” says Whitehead. An individual protest, “gives
them that feeling of being actively involved,” she says.

DONATE TO THE CAUSE
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the countless
organizations and bail funds accepting donations,
Whitehead advises families to first brainstorm and
organize a small list of causes—ideally two or three—
that they would like to support.

These causes can be national and focus on the larger
Black Lives Matter movement or on the victims of racially
charged police brutality incidents. Or they can be local and
provide support for community-based services, programs and
initiatives. Focusing on a set list of organizations helps children
understand where their money is going and encourages them
to choose causes they’d like to continue learning about, says
Whitehead. STAY INFORMED
One of the best things that parents can do right now, according
to Whitehead, is to help their children actively inform themselves
about the current movement and the recent news. Non-Black
parents should make sure their kids and teens have “as much
information possible to understand what is happening in this moment,”
she says.

Whitehead recommends using the Black Lives Matter at School
(blacklivesmatteratschool.com) teaching materials, which covers the 13 principles
of the movement for all grade levels. Another resource is the National Museum
of African American History and Culture’s “Talking About Race” web portal. Its
videos, role-playing exercises and targeted questions were designed to help inform
and guide discussions.

“We want the next-generation police officers, politicians and teachers to not
practice anti-Blackness,” says Whitehead. n
14 Washington FAMILY JULY 2020



“I didn’t want my children to miss
this historic moment”
Why one Maryland mom
decided to bring her kids to a
Black Lives Matter protest
By Lauren Harris
TALKING about racism is not new in my family.

Colorism and self-hatred were prominent in my family growing up,
and I always wanted my children to be proud of being Black. Ever
since their births, I’ve told my son (9) and my daughter (6) that they
are smart, handsome, beautiful and blessed and could accomplish
anything with determination and hard work.

I purchase children’s books with Black protagonists and that
center around Black experiences. I make sure to teach them the
contributions of Black people to the U.S. and to the world. As a
minister and Sunday school teacher, I make sure to point out the
African presence in the Bible so my children and students know
that they, too, are made in God’s image.

But I also tell my son, who is a highly functioning
autistic, that if he doesn’t learn to control his behavior
in school, the teachers at his elementary school
could call the police on him. I show him the stories
of Black children in schools who’ve been violently
manhandled, handcuffed and abused by police.

He knows being a Black boy means he’ll be treated
differently by society.

The first opportunity I received to protest with my ministe-
rial colleagues, I turned it down. I thought about the excessive
violence police used against the protestors and the risk of
COVID-19. I saw the graphic images of rubber bullets embedded
in protestors’ heads. The sister of one of my ministerial col-
leagues was maimed by a rubber bullet during a peaceful protest
in D.C. I didn’t want to put myself in harm’s way.

However, I have not shielded my children from the protests
happening all over the world against police brutality and racism.

Without inciting too much fear, I have explained to them that Black
people still have to fight for equality and justice, especially when it
comes to how we are treated by the police. I let them know that the
March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not end
racism and injustice despite what the public school system teaches.

So when I learned that Mayor Muriel Bowser had “Black Lives
Matter” painted on 16th Street in D.C., I knew I had to take my children
to see it for themselves.

We went as a family to protest in Washington on Saturday, June 6. We wore our
masks and walked towards the White House. I showed my children the National
Guard blocking off several streets, and I showed them the men I presumed to be
snipers on top of the White House. They didn’t get to see it in totality, but they saw
the yellow letters of the “Black Lives Matter” street art.

I also showed them all of the people standing in solidarity with Black people.

I pointed out every encouraging sign and T-shirt. I was pleasantly surprised to see
that other parents brought their babies and children to the overall peaceful protest.

DAVID STUCK
WashingtonFAMILY.com 15