Young children are like sponges, absorbing information about the world around them. Children have already started to internalize racialized messages about their value and self-worth by the time they are three to four years old. Psychologist Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, an expert in racial identity development and the author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race” calls this “the smog we’re all breathing.”   In our Season 2 premiere of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy talks with Tatum about concrete steps parents and caregivers can take to proactively affirm children, including how to respond when children ask us questions about race and physical differences. Episode Resources: Tatum’s best-selling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race” was first published in 1997. She released an updated 20th anniversary version in 2017. Tatum’s 2017 TedX Stanford talk, “Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk?” features stories and practical advice about talking to very young children about race, including addressing the painful history of chattel slavery.  Faith Ringgold’s “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky” is one of Dr. Tatum’s favorite books to use with young children to open conversation about the horrors of chattel slavery and the courage of people who resisted. She also suggests Jeanette Winter’s “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Tatum recommends Social Justice Books for discovering multicultural and social justice books for children.

This special episode sounds a little different than our normal one-on-one conversations. This is an edited recording of the Early Risers event we hosted on June 17th called Teaching Anti-Racism. There is an incredible panel of experts on early childhood, racial identity and racism including Dr. Rose Marie Allen, Dianne Haulcy and Dr. Brigitte Vittrup. It’s a riveting conversation about common barriers to talking about race and racism with young children and what to say to get these conversations going. Guest Bios: Dr. Rose Marie Allen is President and CEO for the Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence. She’s a nationally respected teacher and trainer of implicit bias and culturally responsive practices. Dianne Haulcy is the host of the Early Risers podcast. She has been in the early childhood field for over 30 years as a leader and advocate for young children. Dr. Brigitte Vittrup is a Professor at Texas Women’s College. She studies how families talk - or don’t talk - about race and racism with their children and how that is changing over time. Duchesne [Dushawn] Drew has been in journalism for 25 years.  He was an education reporter in both Texas and Minnesota. He is now President of Minnesota Public Radio.

In schools and old children’s books, Native people are often talked about in terms of history. But Brook Lafloe has been creating toys and teaching tools to connect all children to contemporary Native culture in an authentic and respectful way.  In this conversation with podcast host Dianne Haulcy, Brook shares the traditional Anishinaabe teachings she learned about race and respect. And she shares how caregivers from all cultural backgrounds can adopt this approach to race and help their children connect with indigenous cultures. Resources: Brook’s company website: https://niniijaanis1of1s.com Bow Wow Pow Wow: https://shop.mnhs.org/products/bowwow-powwow Ninisidawenimaag: Ojibwe Language Series for Kids: https://www.riverfeetpress.com/product-page/ninisidawenimaag Minnesota based publisher of books by and about Anishinaabe people: http://www.blackbearsandblueberries.com/bookstore.html Minnesota Indian Education Association: https://minnesotaindianeducation.org/miea/ Download the Discussion Guide  

This week we’re asking a pretty fundamental question that parents might get from their kids: where does racism come from? In this deep and lively conversation host Dianne Haulcy speaks with Resmaa Menakem - therapist, coach and best selling author of My Grandmother’s Hands. He breaks down how racism is connected to generational trauma and he describes practices that can heal the trauma and strengthen anti-racist thinking and action.  Episode Resources: https://www.resmaa.com/movement https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-abolitionism https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/202006/the-trauma-racism Download the Discussion Guide

For years, many adults have believed young children are too young to understand race and racism. Some have felt we need to teach our children to be “colorblind” thinking if you don’t talk about race, kids won’t be racist. But thoughts on this topic are changing and people are talking about race and racism with very young children. In this episode, host Dianne Haulcy talks with Dr. Debra Sullivan about why we talk with very young children about race and racism and how.  Dr. Sullivan also talks about her book “Cultivating the Genius of Black Children” and how all educational settings can better support and encourage young Black children to feel confident and successful. Resources Educators must Disrupt ‘Colorblind Ideologies’ https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-educators-must-disrupt-colorblind-ideologies/2020/02 Great website expanding on our guest’s book “Cultivating Black Genius”https://cultivatingblackgenius.com/about/ 2 Excellent articles from NAEYChttps://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/feb2019/black-boys-matterhttps://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/apr2019/strategies-culturally-responsive-classroom Download the Discussion Guide

It sometimes happens that our loving and joyful young children say something terrible. They can hurt other children’s feelings. And sometimes these hurtful comments are racist. It causes confusion and emotional pain and, long term, it can cause real trauma.  How do we help young children work through these experiences? How do we help the child who has been hurt, the child who did the hurting and the bystanders who are impacted? Resources: Learning for Justice : https://www.learningforjustice.org Embrace race: https://www.embracerace.org Anti-racist baby: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/antiracistbaby My grandmothers’ hands: https://www.resmaa.com/about White fragility: https://www.robindiangelo.com/publications/ National center for trauma support network https://www.nctsn.org Download the Discussion Guide  

Minnesota’s population is 80% white. Many communities across the state have few if any Black or Native people or people of color.  So how can we teach children to celebrate diversity and talk about race, racism and bias when all their neighbors are white? Early childhood education expert Louise Derman-Sparks shares her rationale and creative tools for teaching white children about race, racism and diversity. Resources “What if All the Kids are White” Paper by Louise Derman-Sparks https://www.teachingforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ec_whatifallthekids_english.pdf   Excerpt from NAEYC Anti-Bias Curriculum: “The Hurtful Power of Silence” https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/pubs/abe2e-chap-4-excerpt.pdf   Article: Talking with Children about White Privilege https://www.parents.com/kids/responsibility/racism/how-to-explain-white-privilege-in-term-simple-enough-for-a-child/   Excerpt from NAEYC Anti-Bias Curriculum:  How Educators Begin Anti-bias Work https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/pubs/abe2e-chap-1-excerpt.pdf More on Persona Dolls  https://www.amazeworks.org/education-programs/persona-dolls/ Download the Discussion Guide

We’re coming to you from Minneapolis, Minnesota where our communities are struggling to process yet another killing of an African American man at the hands of a white police officer. In this conversation, we are focused on our children. How do we prepare them for these events? How do we answer their questions? And how can we build up our BIPOC children so they are stronger than the racism they face? It’s a job for all of us. Download the Discussion Guide

This is a quick preview of our new podcast launching the week of April 19th: Early Risers, waking up to racial equity in early childhood hosted by Dianne Haulcy of Think Small.