Talking about Race

June 19, 2020
A special series from CPIR

No one will be mystified as to why the Center for Parent Information and Resources has created this series of webpages on talking about race. Racial matters are in our face, on the nightly news and hourly news feeds, and exploding in our streets. We offer these pages with great humility, well aware that racial matters are highly personal and not something most people feel comfortable discussing, let alone with candor.

Yet it’s time to talk. It’s really time. This suite of pages is for all of us, confused, scared, furious, and unsure what to do. What we do know is that, as a society and as individuals, we must take on the issues of race that have so long divided us. What can we do, what actions can we take that actually move us past the past and toward each other?

The materials are organized by theme or topic. We hope that this makes it easier for you to zero in on resources of immediate relevance or interest to you, your Center, and your community.

Looking Within Ourselves
Where else to start, but by taking a good hard look inside ourselves? None of us wants to think that we’re part of the problem. But by delving into disturbing issues such as casual racism, systemic racism, the impact of white privilege, and the ways in which we can fight racism every day, self-recognition expands: We are part of the problem, yes, and we’re part of the solution.

Listening and Learning
To understand the roots of racism and the perspectives of Black men, women, and children who confront it throughout their lives,we must listen to what they have to say. We also need to look backward at history and learn more about the milestones that have marked African American communities and culture. In many respects, this webpage begins as a history lesson, because such knowledge is a crucial building block for taking action.

Talking with Our Children about Race and Racial Violence
It’s time to talk with our children about the centuries-old reality of violence against people of color. They are witnessing it, after all, and violence is terrifying. But what do we say? What can schools do? The candid and unflinching guidance you’ll find in the resources in this section will help you shape what you say and do, what you ask your child, how you might respond.

Helpful Websites and Organizations
Not surprisingly, there are dozens of organizations that focus their work on eliminating racial inequities and injustices. There’s much to learn from the organized activism of groups like Black Lives Matter or Teaching Tolerance.

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