What happened to #GeorgeFloyd isn’t new. It won’t be the last time we witness the torture and murder of a neighbor because they were living while Black.

Not as long as we continue to raise children in a racist society. (1/)

THREAD
#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd
#BlackLivesMatter

As parents, pediatricians & educators we have an obligation to change our communities & country by moving our children from the mindset that being simply “not racist” is enough to one where we strive to be actively ANTI-racist.

We don’t need your horror, we need your ACTION(2/)

Teaching your child to not make racist jokes is teaching them to be “not racist”

Teaching them to call out when other kids make racist jokes & not just stay silenr or laugh along is teaching them to be ANTI-racist.
(3/)
#BeAntiRacist #BlackLivesMatter #blm #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

Telling kids to “treat everyone the same” is teaching them to be “not racist”

Teaching them that society doesn’t treat everyone fairly based on skin color, how that is by design & leads to lack of opportunity, which they should work to fix, is teaching them to be ANTI-racist(4/)

This move takes time. To start, I would suggest everyone raised in America, where racism is a fog we all breathe in intentionally or not, do some self work.

Reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo & So You Want to Talk About Race by @IjeomaOluo are great places to start.(5/)

For those already on the path if you haven’t read @DrIbram’s book How to Be an Anti-Racist I highly suggest adding that next.

I’m looking forward to AntiRacist Baby dropping next month
(6/)

Here’s a good list of resources for parents from all backgrounds to use as they help frame this shift for their children and themselves (7/)

#BlackLivesMatter
#BeAntiRacist https://centerracialjustice.org/resources/resources-for-talking-about-race-racism-and-racialized-violence-with-kids/

Any sincere effort to move to being actively ANTI-racist requires ongoing reflection & learning.

I’d love to hear what books/resources others have found helpful? Especially #MedTwitter & #MedEd

Take care of yourselves this week
#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter
(8/8)

Credit for that last tweet's picture to Jane Mount! - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5770126.Jane_Mount