FOUR WAYS THAT ANY EDUCATOR CAN AFFIRM, PROTECT, & HONOR THE HUMANITY OF BLACK STUDENTS
Years ago, my then-four-year-old son and I were watching Black-ish. As Junior, a character played by Marcus Scribner, was talking on the show, my son said to me, “Daddy, Junior is my favorite character on Black-ish. He’s my favorite character on all the shows.”
When I asked him why, he said because Junior looked like him. While my wife melted and hugged him tight, I smiled and was astounded that at his age, he recognized skin color and positively identified himself with a young black man on television.
My wife and I work hard to humanize his and his sisters’ blackness. However, I wonder if any effort is put into humanizing blackness for my children and other black children in our schools and early childhood facilities.
In light of the country’s current political climate, humanizing black people and their blackness is critical. Once black children step outside of the care of a parent or guardian, they will confront anti-blackness; they may even confront people who mean them harm. In my state of New Jersey, a former CONTINUE READING: Four Ways That Any Educator Can Affirm, Protect, & Honor the Humanity of Black Students - Philly's 7th Ward
