Up with families, down with racism

All parents have an assortment of hopes and dreams for their children. Maybe he'll find a cure for cancer. Maybe she'll argue before the Supreme Court. Maybe he'll play in the big leagues. Maybe she'll star on Broadway. And maybe they'll grow up in a world free of racism.

I know, right? Most of the time it feels more realistic to dream of the majors or the Nobel Prize than a world devoid of racism.

Allow me to introduce you to your newest resource in the quest for a tolerant, respectful world where our children can see (and are seen) beyond skin color: Anti-Racist Parent. It's not about everyone being the same, it's just about being who they are.

Founders Jen Chau and Carmen Van Kerckhove sum it up:

This is a blog for parents who are committed to raising children with an anti-racist outlook. If you’re a parent who is tired of having your child learn about race and identity through the mixing of neapolitan ice cream, playing dress-up with national costumes, and absorbing the same handful of sanitized historical facts every single Black/Latino/Native American/Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, this blog is for you.

The Goal
Parents often ask us for resources and express an intense interest in being able to discuss parenting from an anti-racist perspective. We hope that this blog will serve to inform, connect, and support parents as they work to raise their families with a healthy and realistic approach to race and identity.

How about that... pairing race with identity rather than throwing everyone in a big pot and insisting that race doesn't matter. I love the atmosphere here; race is a crucial component of identity, one to be acknowledged and explored, but not to be used to set people apart.

Anti-Racist Parent is the latest in a long line of successful projects where Jen and Carmen strive to shatter racial barriers. In addition to running their anti-racism training company, New Demographic, the pair can be found writing at Racialicious and podcasting at Addicted to Race.

Postings so far run the gamut from anecdotal tales from multicultural families to news stories highlighting racial issues affecting families to Crayola's latest skin-tone crayon colors. Overall, it looks to be a tremendous resource for parents of every hue. And they're open to submissions, as well.

If only there was a way to make Anti-Racist Parent required reading for everyone....

Mir

[image courtesy of Kids 4 Kids]

BlogHer Contributing Editor Mir also blogs at Woulda Coulda Shoulda and Want Not.