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Black folks know “The Talk.” Our parents had it with us, and our parents’ parents with them.
But now, amid an unprecedented national conversation around police brutality and anti-Black racism, how are Black parents navigating that conversation?
We asked them.
But now, amid an unprecedented national conversation around police brutality and anti-Black racism, how are Black parents navigating that conversation?
We asked them.
Black parents already know that The Talk can come up at virtually any age, especially after children enter the school system.
In fact, research shows children as young as 2 or 3 are already making sense of race.
In fact, research shows children as young as 2 or 3 are already making sense of race.
In a recent interview with WebMD, psychologist and racial trauma expert @HelenNeville12 explained that The Talk looks different depending on where your child is developmentally—and parents have to process their own feelings before talking to their children.
Mason King Parker, 13, hasn’t had an official version of The Talk with his parents yet.
But he’s already got a sense of what he would do if he had an encounter with the police, and is talking to his brothers, 7 and 11, about what’s going on in the news.
But he’s already got a sense of what he would do if he had an encounter with the police, and is talking to his brothers, 7 and 11, about what’s going on in the news.
Level editor-in-chief @JermaineHall has been trying to find the words to best speak with his 12-year-old son, who has already had significant firsthand experiences with racism.
When it comes to his 7-year-old son, @ShanePaulNeil believes that The Talk in its traditional format is unnecessary.
That’s because there has never been a set of rules that grants Black men and boys immunity from mistreatment and violence, he says.
That’s because there has never been a set of rules that grants Black men and boys immunity from mistreatment and violence, he says.
. @panamajackson, a 41-year-old father of three with one on the way, says his wife feels similarly to Neil.
But he believes that by not saying anything, he may inadvertently shield his children from truths about the police, and how Black people are treated in America.
But he believes that by not saying anything, he may inadvertently shield his children from truths about the police, and how Black people are treated in America.
. @AliyaSKing has two daughters, aged 23 and 13, who have already developed strong ideas about what's going on in the world.
Her conversations with them tend to focus on one question: "How can I help you?"
Her conversations with them tend to focus on one question: "How can I help you?"
And Paul Chinnery, 46, doesn’t have any kids of his own, but he’s been still talking to and showing up for his young nephews.
We want to hear from our readers—how are y’all handling The Talk right now?
Let’s discuss in the replies.
Let’s discuss in the replies.
