The Sista Girl Network is an outreach ministry founded by Yo Girl Delores Thompson. SGN was Designed to spitiually uplift, Inspire, educated, encourage and bless others through fellowship. Eccl 4:9 www.sistagirlnetwork.com
Monday, October 20, 2008
Age and Racism
At What age or When should You Teach Your Child About Racism?
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
That would depend on a childs maturity level and their ability to understand. I think as soon as your child is capable of decifering truth, they should be taught. After-all, a child is not born a racist, they a taught racism; they are taught to hate different individuals!
Delores, This is a very difficult issue. However, I found that when my son, Sterling was seven, I had to educate him on racism. At that time we had moved from Beverly Hills to Irvine. A few incidents of note: a little girl one day yelled at him that she wanted to kill him with a car. The administrators never respnded nor dealt with this child/parents regarding this incident.
These experiences continued, with the school taking a position that since Sterling is a working actor, he should be removed from the regular school system.
Forget the fact that my pricey house pays significat property taxes which support the excellent Irvine school system.
Rather than have my son loose his inner strength, I removed him from the toxic environment, as his emotional and mental health is more important than "winning" the battle and loosing the war.
I think we should teach our children as early as possible THE TRUTH about racism because now days children are talking negatively and positively. As positive parents we should make sure our children are staying positive and untouched By the devils in their classrooms. Children canbe so cruel and make you cry but if we instill in our children early how to turn the other cheek and stay positive they will be ok.
It is sad but true we must teach so many things now-a-says at an early age. Racism is one of those things you have to shed light on without sounding racist yourself or making your child feel uncomfortable around other races. for me I just teach black pride by educating my son on the many accomplishments our people have and continue to make. knowledge is power. Making sure our children have the facts on Obama is important so they can know how to come back, and like Obama come back with a clam cool pride and dignity.
It is sad but true we must teach so many things now-a-says at an early age. Racism is one of those things you have to shed light on without sounding racist yourself or making your child feel uncomfortable around other races. for me I just teach black pride by educating my son on the many accomplishments our people have and continue to make. knowledge is power, Making sure our children have the facts on Obama is important so they can know how to come back, and like Obama come back with a clam cool demeanor filled with pride and dignity. It's okay for African Americans to love who are and what we have come and where we are going, I am tired of folk dictating our feelings to us and making us feel as if we shouldn't take pride in ourselves i.e. its okay for other races to have big butts but for us its fat, its okay for other cultures to sport braids but for us its offensive and ghetto, its okay for other cultures to play our music loud but for us its ghetto. it seems like the unique things about us that make us different we can't celebrate but others can take and make it popular, I am sick of it. Now that doesn't mean that I have anything against other races and cultures they can copy us all day long but don't hate when I celebrate who I am cause its what God created me to be. Living, Loving and Digging the Skin God put Me in!
We are in a Power system construct, born into the system of Racism. My answer would be as soon as they understand that they cannot play with fire or jump off the roof thinking they can fly would be the best time to teach children about Racism. This is fundamental to Black Mental Health for Black children (and adults for that matter) to know the system we live in. It is no laughing matter. We are conditioned by perceptions of thought, speech, and action and emotional response to feel we are less than. It is quite the opposite. We are more than enough, we are the parents of humanity. It all started with us. With that said, we have to strengthen the family and the bonds between us (Black people). The village concept was killed and so went the neighborhood literally. If we can start back at the basics and speak the truth about our existence in this power system, we can wear what we please and confidently work to bring justice and peace on the planet.
I started telling my son when he started school because we live in a all white area in Texas and you are right the parents teach there children bad things. children dot see color it is the parents. I think a new day is coming and people will be above all that. that's old school
you have to start early not to teach them about racism neccesarily, but to get them knowing they are black. Black dolls and toys are a start then before they start school begin showing them school age videos about martin luther king and the civil righs movement. then let the child come to you and ask you " mama why did they treat those people like that" I believe it is important to teach this early because the shock they will recieve when they first encounter racism will be lessened.
It is never too early to educate our children about racism. The soon the better so they are prepared for the inevitable. I had a situation recently where I was pulled over for DWB(Driving WhileBlack) and my 9 year old son was in the car with me. He did not understand why we were being pulled over and not cited for anything. I had to explain to him what the situation was all about. I'm not sure if he completely understood, but I made sure I took the time to answer all his questions. More so I impressed upon him the importance of keeping you head and not making a bad / wrong situation worse. Especially when you know in your heart that you've done nothing wrong. Thank you for the opportunity to share. And as always "PEACE",
Very interesting topic, racism...What defines the slavery of said construct, racism? Sin, “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:19-23). Racism is the slave face of sin that has been reflected by some of the most terrifying people within our generation, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacie, John Allen Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and many more; the truth behind racism is that you must hate you neighbor if he or she is of a different ethnicity, and, there lies the “rub,” teaching our children to watch for a particular type of person is literally setting him or her up for trouble. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Why do you cling to the actions of the devil, knowing full well that his intentions are to destroy you and your household? “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Vigilance, fortitude, determination coupled with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will guarantee that you and your whole house will prevail even in the midst of great suffering. And, please know this, if you are expecting your life to change for the better based on the transition of a new President, I would counsel you to remember the first commandment and pray that whomever the Lord GOD Almighty allows to lead this nation, that that person will lead as a servant to the constituents and acknowledge that Christ Jesus is KING and HE alone reigns supreme! AMEN! In HIS Service, Joshua Elijah
10 comments:
That would depend on a childs maturity level and their ability to understand. I think as soon as your child is capable of decifering truth, they should be taught. After-all, a child is not born a racist, they a taught racism; they are taught to hate different individuals!
Delores,
This is a very difficult issue. However, I found that when my son, Sterling was seven, I had to educate him on racism. At that time we had moved from Beverly Hills to Irvine. A few incidents of note: a little girl one day yelled at him that she wanted to kill him with a car. The administrators never respnded nor dealt with this child/parents regarding this incident.
These experiences continued, with the school taking a position that since Sterling is a working actor, he should be removed from the regular school system.
Forget the fact that my pricey house pays significat property taxes which support the excellent Irvine school system.
Rather than have my son loose his inner strength, I removed him from the toxic environment, as his emotional and mental health is more important than "winning" the battle and loosing the war.
I think we should teach our children as early as possible THE TRUTH about racism because now days children are talking negatively and positively. As positive parents we should make sure our children are staying positive and untouched
By the devils in their classrooms. Children canbe so cruel and make you cry but if we instill in our children early how to turn the other cheek and stay positive they will be ok.
It is sad but true we must teach so many things now-a-says at an early age. Racism is one of those things you have to shed light on without sounding racist yourself or making your child feel uncomfortable around other races. for me I just teach black pride by educating my son on the many accomplishments our people have and continue to make. knowledge is power. Making sure our children have the facts on Obama is important so they can know how to come back, and like Obama come back with a clam cool pride and dignity.
It is sad but true we must teach so many things now-a-says at an early age. Racism is one of those things you have to shed light on without sounding racist yourself or making your child feel uncomfortable around other races. for me I just teach black pride by educating my son on the many accomplishments our people have and continue to make. knowledge is power, Making sure our children have the facts on Obama is important so they can know how to come back, and like Obama come back with a clam cool demeanor filled with pride and dignity. It's okay for African Americans to love who are and what we have come and where we are going, I am tired of folk dictating our feelings to us and making us feel as if we shouldn't take pride in ourselves i.e. its okay for other races to have big butts but for us its fat, its okay for other cultures to sport braids but for us its offensive and ghetto, its okay for other cultures to play our music loud but for us its ghetto. it seems like the unique things about us that make us different we can't celebrate but others can take and make it popular, I am sick of it. Now that doesn't mean that I have anything against other races and cultures they can copy us all day long but don't hate when I celebrate who I am cause its what God created me to be. Living, Loving and Digging the Skin God put Me in!
We are in a Power system construct, born into the system of Racism. My answer would be as soon as they understand that they cannot play with fire or jump off the roof thinking they can fly would be the best time to teach children about Racism. This is fundamental to Black Mental Health for Black children (and adults for that matter) to know the system we live in. It is no laughing matter. We are conditioned by perceptions of thought, speech, and action and emotional response to feel we are less than. It is quite the opposite. We are more than enough, we are the parents of humanity. It all started with us. With that said, we have to strengthen the family and the bonds between us (Black people). The village concept was killed and so went the neighborhood literally. If we can start back at the basics and speak the truth about our existence in this power system, we can wear what we please and confidently work to bring justice and peace on the planet.
I started telling my son when he started school because we live in a all white area
in Texas and you are right the parents teach there children bad things.
children dot see color it is the parents. I think a new day is coming and people will
be above all that. that's old school
you have to start early not to teach them about racism neccesarily, but to get them knowing they are black. Black dolls and toys are a start then before they start school begin showing them school age videos about martin luther king and the civil righs movement. then let the child come to you and ask you " mama why did they treat those people like that" I believe it is important to teach this early because the shock they will recieve when they first encounter racism will be lessened.
It is never too early to educate our children about racism. The soon the better so they are prepared for the inevitable. I had a situation recently where I was pulled over for DWB(Driving WhileBlack) and my 9 year old son was in the car with me. He did not understand why we were being pulled over and not cited for anything. I had to explain to him what the situation was all about. I'm not sure if he completely understood, but I made sure I took the time to answer all his questions. More so I impressed upon him the importance of keeping you head and not making a bad / wrong situation worse. Especially when you know in your heart that you've done nothing wrong. Thank you for the opportunity to share. And as always "PEACE",
Very interesting topic, racism...What defines the slavery of said construct, racism? Sin, “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:19-23). Racism is the slave face of sin that has been reflected by some of the most terrifying people within our generation, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacie, John Allen Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, and many more; the truth behind racism is that you must hate you neighbor if he or she is of a different ethnicity, and, there lies the “rub,” teaching our children to watch for a particular type of person is literally setting him or her up for trouble. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Why do you cling to the actions of the devil, knowing full well that his intentions are to destroy you and your household? “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Vigilance, fortitude, determination coupled with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will guarantee that you and your whole house will prevail even in the midst of great suffering. And, please know this, if you are expecting your life to change for the better based on the transition of a new President, I would counsel you to remember the first commandment and pray that whomever the Lord GOD Almighty allows to lead this nation, that that person will lead as a servant to the constituents and acknowledge that Christ Jesus is KING and HE alone reigns supreme! AMEN!
In HIS Service,
Joshua Elijah
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