My kids were called the N-word (a racial slur) for the first time, and this is what happened after.
I’ve volunteered with the Los Angeles/Southern California Chapter of Black Girls CODE for seven years. At the end of our first in-person event in post-pandemic, a random passerby ran near an area where only my kids were and yelled a racial slur. We went through something similar to some of the stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, and sadness. Here is what happened:
My kids, the next day, really wanted to share their thoughts and learnings from the situation:
Folks in our digital community were so supportive, but some struggled with our grief and the “the power this word has on these younger generations,” and I found it necessary to speak about this.
I hope this helps other parents of black children decide how to tackle this complex and still-needed conversation around racism and racial slurs.
What did you say?