Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About Race

“As an African American mom in this country, you have to start early on - educating and exposing them.”

Alex Bates, Wire Talk episode 234

Because of the many events that have taken place in 2020, addressing racial issues has become unavoidable for many moms, and I think that’s a good thing. My friend, Alex Bates, compared talking to our kids about race to talking with them about the birds and the bees. When we make a big thing out of any topic, then it becomes scary to your kids. They pick up on our anxiety around certain topics and that makes them feel uncomfortable asking questions or bringing something up around us. But if we have conversations in small chunks, in the car, and as often as you think about it, it will feel much less intimidating.

Education always begins in the home, and as moms we have ample opportunities to discuss race in small moments with our kids. When your kids are learning about history in school, pay attention to what is being taught, and be sure to fill in the holes with your own read-alouds and discussions. Being intentional about the books we read and the toys we have in our homes is a great way to start a conversation and talk about the beauty and diversity of all God’s people.

Alex also brought up an essay, Mom, Why Don’t You Have Any Black Friends?, which probes non-black moms to reflect on the circle they are surrounded with. The author of that article asks us to stop and think about who we invite over for dinner, who we go on vacations with, even who our pediatrician is! If God made everyone equal, why aren’t more people who don’t look like us a part of our everyday lives?

Our model for life is Jesus, mommas. If you’ve read any of the New Testament, it doesn’t take long to see that Jesus loved in radical ways. He was often surrounded by people who were very different from him. He was intentional about seeking out those who were different from him. What would it look like in your world right now to love like Jesus loved?

If this issue is tugging on your heart - please check out our list of Racial Reconciliation Resources with educational resources for you and your kids or visit BeTheBridge.com.