For MLK day....

[hipumpkins]

My Dd is 5 and has never once mentioned noticing the color of someone else's skin. I think it's great (sort of) but we really live in a pretty white area so don't encounter many children of color very often although there are many nannies and caretakers whose skin color is black. Our apartment complex is full of elderly people and some have caretakers.
DD has never asked me about their skin color so my question is as MLK day approaches is:
Is it ok not to mention that black people were being oppessed outright through segreation? I like her color blindness but in reality she isn't too exposed either so maybe I should bring it up?
I want her to know who he was and we would touch on his ideas that he wanted everyone to get along...but how much more should I tell her?

[blsilva]

I'm looking at the same thing with my 6yo kindergartener. He truly does not even notice the color of a person's skin, and that is something I want to keep for as long as I can. I think that his color-blindness in this category will help him be less likely to single people out because of race later on in life.

For MLK day, we are focusing on people being treated badly because of differences, but not being specific which ones. And we are discussing how MLK worked to have everyone treated equally.

Personally, I think that there will be time later on, as ds gets older, to teach him more details. For now, I just want to give him a firm understanding that everyone is different, and that being different is okay, and definitely not a reason to discriminate against others.

[greenthumb3]

Why not notice a person's skin color? That could open up a discussion about heritage and where all Americans came from.

Some Americans came here from Africa, some the West Indies, some from England, Poland, Asia, Russia, Australia, etc, etc. That opens up discussions about countries an cultures different than the ones we are a part of. It could also start a discussion on the fact that everyone has differences, but that there are many things we have in common and that even with our differences, all people have great worth individually. I don't think that it's intolerant at all to notice skin color or other differences in people. Those differences are what many people are proud of: their skin color, their heritage, their culture, etc, etc. It's a positive thing. What a way to celebrate MLK Day and pass on the peacefulness he worked so hard for.

My kids and I pore over Peter Spier's book entitled "People". It's just one resource of many to help our kids learn about diversity, unity and tolerance. Maybe some families here may like it, too. Visit this website that gives some ideas on how to celebrate MLK Day, Jan. 21.

[hipumpkins]

Greenthumb I wanted to let you know that I took your advice.
I asked DD if she ever noticed that some people have different skin color and she said no.
I asked if she remembered Karen (A caretaker here in the complex for one of the older ladies) had dark colored skin.
she kind of nodded.
I explained how skin comes in lots of different colors just like eyes and hair (she has blonde and blue eyes while DS has brown eyes and red hair so this was an easy leap)

I told her about how some people thought that peach kids shouldn't play with black kids and I asked her if she thought that made sense and in fact she thought it was very funny that people might think something crazy like that.

I didn't actually say anything like, "they thought black people were bad" I kind of just made it sound like the "peach" people were confused and it made the black people sad and angry to be treated this way.



I explained that Dr. MLK helped get a big group of people together to talk to the president John Kennedy and make a new law that says all the kids can play together and have a drink from the water fountain.

I also told her about HER own great grandmother who, while she was peach colored, didn't think it was right for black kids to not play with the peach kids and that many peach people did know better but MLK helped everyone understand.
He was very kind and peaceful (which is why you can't hit your brother on MLK day )
then we watched/listened to the speech on youtube and I started crying.
DD of course didn't really know at all what he was talking about but she did recognize the words "I have a dream.."
And she liked when she heard him mention his own 4 kids and then again about the kids playing together.


**
Thanks for the tip about celebrating the color dfferences and not ignoring them.

[LilyGrace]

I know it's too late for this year, but I wanted to share what we did for MLK day (8yo).

This is the first year we've focused on color, and that took a back seat to Dr. King's message. We read his speech together, and put together a timeline of events that affected Dr. King and how his actions affected later events and other people (like sit-ins and peaceful protests rather than fights over Vietnam). How he learned from Ghandi and won the Nobel prize for his efforts, and how he struggled with his dream for peace. Then we created our own peaceful symbols, and wrote our own dreams for the world above them.

I think in later years we'll work more on racial tension, but such young children should have a broader message. I don't believe Dr. King would have wanted us to focus on race, either, on this day, but on his true work - freedom, equality, and peace for all.

[Anglyn]

I was struggling with this issue too! We are white with very promeniant native american genes. Now, dd knows about diffrent color. My sil three kids are mixed and thier skin is pretty dark,and for the longest time dd called them white and us black (just like hot was cold and cold, hot and pee was poop etc) and my best friend is black and so are her kids (duh) but I did not want to expose her to the idea that people could or would be treated diffrently becuase of those diffrences. I know, of course, at some point she has to know, in order to understand many things, but shes four. However her nine year old cousin who is in ps started talking about how white people didnt like black people, so I had to steer the conversation from there. Of course, my favorite kids stoy to help with this concept is dr. suess's Sneethes. I love that story!

When dd was born she was so beautiful and I sent pics to everyone and everyone said she looked like an indian princess (yes, well, my sil keeps telling me that native american society was not structured that way!) but I had one friends husband who is an absolute UA violation say, "at least my kids are pure aryian" I kid you not. I was so stunned that I said absolutely nothing. My friend was so embarrased that she said nothing. He thought he was joking and it was all in good fun. So yeah, I guess I want to expose her before someone else does so she's equppied to deal with it. I also have a half sister with one white child and one mixed and the older white child has been in more than one fist fight over other kids comments. Another good reason to homeschool!

[hipumpkins]

My kids and I pore over Peter Spier's book entitled "People". It's just one resource of many to help our kids learn about diversity, unity and tolerance. Maybe some families here may like it, too

we ordered this book and it is great! Thank you for the recomendation.