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Hey white parents,
The "slave auction" happened on TikTok between white kids like yours and like mine.
Not Nazi kids.
American white kids.
Sit down with your kids and explain why this is so PROFOUNDLY horrible, who it hurts, and why.
The "slave auction" happened on TikTok between white kids like yours and like mine.
Not Nazi kids.
American white kids.
Sit down with your kids and explain why this is so PROFOUNDLY horrible, who it hurts, and why.
Your kids will, "I would never!" and "That's stupid!" and they probably would never do that. Affirm that you know they wouldn't.
Then explain how there are small things like this that hurt people, too, and add to racism and other oppressions like homophobia and anitsemitism.
Then explain how there are small things like this that hurt people, too, and add to racism and other oppressions like homophobia and anitsemitism.
They will say, "I know I know I know".
Then just say, "I know you know, but lots of kids don't, and I want you to hear how important this is to me. Then you can tell other kids, if you need to."
Remind them that slavery was only a few generations ago. The pain is still real.
Then just say, "I know you know, but lots of kids don't, and I want you to hear how important this is to me. Then you can tell other kids, if you need to."
Remind them that slavery was only a few generations ago. The pain is still real.
The effects of slavery are still extremely real. The school-to-prison pipeline, the ways in which kids as young as age 3 are punished more harshly in schools for doing things all little kids do.
Tell them about: redlining, racism in getting home loans, racist hiring practices.
Tell them about: redlining, racism in getting home loans, racist hiring practices.
Tell them every time we "joke" about slavery or racism, we minimize that it was real and that it has profoundly affected outcomes of kids even today.
Then tell them you expect them to step in and say, 'That's not cool' or some variation when they see this.
Invoke empathy.
Then tell them you expect them to step in and say, 'That's not cool' or some variation when they see this.
Invoke empathy.
No parent thinks their kid is the one who is going to start a "slave trade" on TikTok ... but here we are.
Prevent it by talking about the ways in which racism and other bigotry become global movements when everyone thinks it's *someone else's problem*.
Prevent it by talking about the ways in which racism and other bigotry become global movements when everyone thinks it's *someone else's problem*.
(I'm not retweeting the actual screenshot because I don't want to add something that traumatic to people's timelines, but you can google it if you need to see it yourself.)
