How I’m Teaching my Daughter to be Anti-Racist

February is Black History Month, a time for us to celebrate the achievements by African Americans and for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.

Last year my eyes were opened with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Like many other white people, I didn’t realize that racism was still such a deep and prevalant issue in our society. Obviously, I was very wrong.  

I previously shared my experience growing up in a primarily white community in a house with one parent who was inclusive of all races and ethnicities, while the other was openly racist. My point behind that article was to show that while upbringing can contribute to a person’s beliefs and attitudes, people should inherently be able to determine what is right and what is wrong. No matter what you were taught, love and acceptance is always the right choice. 

While I’ve never considered myself a racist, I’ve also never made a huge effort to understand the issue. So last year I made a commitment to better educate myself as an ally to marginilized and minority voices. And as I’ve continued that education, I wanted to share how I’m also educating my daughter. 

It may seem like a stretch to try and teach a 20-month-old about racism, but toddlers are so curious and inquisitive. According to an article from Parents Magazine, it’s important that parents lay a positive groundwork starting from birth because when children are born they are aware of skin color and other differences, but they don’t naturally discriminate. 

So as she has been developing her language skills, we’ve been reading books about racism and representation such as Anti-Racist Baby, Dream Big, Little One, and We’re Different, We’re the Same. We’ve also been watching movies that focus on representation and celebrate diversity, like the new Disney+ film, Soul,  as well as Moana, Coco, Lilo & Stitch and The Princess & The Frog.

But we have been watching movies that include stereotypes, such as Lady and the Tramp, and then talking to her about why certain scenes are offensive. I have always believed that in order to move forward, you can’t ignore the mistakes of the past. As she gets older, she has dolls of all different colors and cultural backgrounds that she’ll have to play with.

These are all small steps, but as she grows, we’ll be expanding that education in hopes that she’ll treat everyone as equals. 

I’d love to learn the tools you’re using to teach your children to be anti-racist.