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The Reverend Dr. Katie Snipes Lancaster
The Reverend Christine V. Hides
Greta Connor
Several parents have asked how to talk to children about the protests and the death of George Floyd. In the list below, we offer videos, articles, and books that might be a starting place. We have intentionally tried to include as many resources created by persons of color as possible.
Admittedly, this list is imperfect. Conversations about race are often difficult and never perfect. However, informed by our faith, we must commit to trying, not only for the children entrusted to us as parents but for all God’s children.
When we share the Bible with children in chapel, we often ask “what does this tell us about what is important to God?” They reply “freedom” when we talk about Moses leading the people out of slavery in Egypt. They reply “caring for people we are not supposed to like,” when we hear the story of the good Samaritan. Other parables, like the parable of the mustard seed, help us to imagine God’s kingdom, a place where all God’s creatures find shelter and life.
Over and over, the Bible reminds us that life is sacred. At Kenilworth Union, we are guided by the Greatest Commandment and Micah 6:8 as we love God and love neighbor, do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
Please watch this update from Bill Evertsberg, or participate in an opportunity for parents to be in conversation with one another about hard topics. If you haven’t yet, watch Jo Forrest’s sermon.
A prayer from Marian Wright Edelman’s book, I Am Your Child God:
I pray for peace in myself, in my family, in my community, in my country, and in all the world. I pray that no one will hate, that no one will kill, that all will forgive and live in love.
To begin the conversation:
God’s Dream, a picture book by Desmond Tutu -a South African Anglican cleric and theologian known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
A Kid’s Book About Racism by Jelani Memory, Co-Founder and CEO at A Kids Book About and Co-Founder at Circle and Narrative
Tips for talking to Children About Race and Racism – Erin Winkler, Associate professor of Africology and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
To continue to the conversation in the months and years ahead:
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America by Jennifer Harvey, a minister and professor of religion at Drake University. This 20-minute video and article offer a glimpse of her book.
Talking About Race and Racism by Ijeoma Oluo, author of the New York Times bestseller, So You Want to Talk About Race.
Children and the News:
Lest we forget: Children are Watching by Nia Heard-Garris, a pediatrician at Lurie Children’s Hospital and instructor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Talking to Children About Tragedies and Other News Events from The American Academy of Pediatrics
Posted on May 31, 2020