Growing Our Kids & Our Faith Together
This series is a staple in our children’s ministry at Westwood. Now they have a podcast! I have been on the look out for a podcast that I can listen to with my kids about racism & privilege- here it is!!
A kids podcast about the things that matter, like Racism, Body Image, and Belonging. Each episode opens up the dialog we’ve begun in our groundbreaking A Kids Book About series. Created by folks who’ve been there. Honest. Important. Relevant. Start the conversation. We know you’re ready.
Small Foot is one of my FAVORITE movies- it wrestles with racism in a way that kids and parents have tons to talk about. Don’t forget to play the soundtrack! Over and over again! The lyrics are so honest. I wrote a humble family discussion guide, fully knowing that my family has watched this movie over and over and over and found new conversations each time. Little tiny important moments in the movie that pop up from one family member and open us to all-hands-on-deck anti-racism discussions. Highly recommend it!
No agency or organization counts or tracks these moments. They don’t
qualify as hate crimes, and they rarely make news. That’s part of their
insidious nature; they happen so often we simply accept them as part of life.
Left unchecked, like litter or weeds, they blight the landscape.
In the making of this book, the Southern Poverty Law Center gathered
hundreds of stories of everyday bigotry from people across the United
States. They told their stories through email, personal interviews and
at roundtable discussions in four cities: Baltimore, Md.; Columbia, S.C.;
Phoenix, Ariz.; and Vancouver, Wash.
People spoke about encounters in stores and restaurants, on streets and in
schools. They spoke about family, friends, classmates and co-workers. They
told us what they did or didn’t say — and what they wished they did or
didn’t say.
Saturday February 20th, 6-9pm
Take Steps for Equity & Love
Our commitment to anti-racism is illuminated in the steps we take to educate ourselves and work for change. Join us for a self-guided walk on the nature trail beautifully lit with ice luminaries created by our Westwood community and reflect on our place in God’s world to build equity and show love.
Masks and social distancing required; all ages are welcome! The entrance to the trail is at the berm, at the top of the EAST parking lot. Be ready for off-road trail walking down by the lake. Bring a hot beverage to enjoy!
Make Ice Luminaries!
Help us light the trail by creating ice luminaries. This is an easy winter project- we hope you will make a bunch! All you need is water, buckets/containers, and a few cold Minnesota nights.
Check out our Pinterest page for DIY ice luminary ideas: https://pin.it/2hkmukP
Deliver your ice luminaries to Westwood anytime before Friday Feb. 19th. Put them under the blue tarp near the EAST parking lot (we will put them on the trail). Candle donations (that stay lit for 3+ hours) are appreciated!
Support BBIA Organizations
Another way to step forward in anti-racism is by supporting Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian (BBIA) organizations. As you make ice luminaries or come to walk the trail, we encourage you to make a donation (any amount is appreciated!). Here are a few organizations to consider:
Tubman: https://www.tubman.org/
African American Leadership Forum: https://tcaalf.com/
Ujamaa Place: https://ujamaaplace.org/
This song was shared with us- an awesome ‘who we are’ conversation starter!
Keep the conversation about race and racism going with your kids! This is a great anti-racism resource for families- it includes a discussion guide that supports the 30 minute program.
Find the program and discussion guide here: https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism
The new special, “PBS KIDS Talk About: Race & Racism,” premieres October 9! The half-hour program will feature authentic conversations between real children and their parents, and will include content from PBS KIDS series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Arthur and Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. The show will feature kids and their parents talking about race and racial justice-related topics in an age-appropriate way, such as noticing differences in race, understanding what racism can look like, and embracing the role we all have to play in standing up for ourselves and each other — offering viewers ideas to build on as they continue these important conversations at home.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism
Ran across this article today. Chalk drawing protests that were power washed or street swept away, over and over. City officials called it ‘graffiti’ and it can now be grounds for a citation. It doesn’t really matter where it happened in the US, we know things like this happen all the time in every state.
Use this article to open up age-appropriate anti-racism conversations with your kids. Read the article (or parts of it) together. Ask what surprised them. Where did they see racism at work in what happened? What would be an anti-racist ally response to what happened?
Then get out the chalk. Give your kid(s) a place to protest by creating a Black Lives Matter chalk drawing on the driveway, sidewalk, or road. And keep talking. The action of drawing Black Lives Matter is great, but it’s the conversation and questions about racism and activism that help give our kids language to be anti-racist allies.
As you draw, consider listening to a podcast to learn more about racism in the US, or hear what protestors are doing to keep Black Lives Matter growing in the US, or listen to music that talks about change.
And after it rains, write it again. And again. And again.
Westwood Parent Connect 