Raising anti-racist white kids A conversation for all of us

Streaming video - 2019

Difficult conundrums exist when it comes to raising white children in a society that is one of the most racially diverse in the world, while also being full of racial inequity and injustice. Should we teach white kids to be “colorblind”? Or, should we teach them to notice race? And if so, how? What roles do we want them to play in addressing racism when they encounter it? How do we do that? On top of it all, talking about race well means we have to talk about white privilege and racism. How do we teach about race honestly, then, without making our children feel bad about being white? In this author talk, Dr. Jennifer Harvey will map the common conundrums (drawing on the work in her book Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Raci...ally Unjust America) relative to nurturing anti-racist white identity; conundrums that impact adults of every racial group in the U.S., as much as they do our young people. In other words, whether you’ve been a white kid, are helping raise white kids, have relationships with people who used to be white kids, or have children in your life who are friends with white kids—this reading and conversation is for all of us. Dr. Jennifer Harvey is a writer, speaker, and professor of religion at Drake University. Dr. Harvey has contributed to the New York Times, CNN and been a guest on both Iowa and National Public Radio. This event is co-sponsored by Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. more