In "The Hate U Give", a movie that opened in wide release this past weekend, Starr Carter, a young black girl who walks the fine line between her poor black neighborhood and her wealthy prep school, witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer. She gets pressure from all sides to be quiet about [...]
A recent story about a white woman falsely accusing a 9 year old Black boy of sexual assault sends chills down my spine. If you haven't heard, here's what happened: a white woman in a Brooklyn deli claimed that a 9 year old Black boy sexually assaulted her (by grabbing her backside) in the store. She confronted the child [...]
Ground Control Parenting is getting a new look! We are growing and expanding these days, hosting public events (we had a great one last week--more on that soon) and finding new friends on new platforms (Hello, LinkedIn!). So, it's time for a new logo and a new look. We have been working on the blogsite redesign all summer, and [...]
Monday is Columbus Day. While many of us were taught in elementary school that "Columbus discovered America" in 1492, we now know that Christopher Columbus never set foot on what we know as the United States. Moreover, when he and his Spanish army got to the Caribbean islands in 1492 they found settlers already there-- indigenous people from the [...]
As we watch the Kavanaugh hearings today, and we watch the incredible political developments these days in general, we must find ways to talk with our sons and daughters about the concept of truth. How to tell it, how to determine it, the importance of standing up for it. (We must also find ways to talk with our sons [...]
Want to know where to find great children's books featuring Black and Brown characters? Looking for new titles to add to your children's bookshelves? Want some help on how to raise an avid reader? Here Wee Read is here for you. Here Wee Read is a website (with a great Instagram account, @hereweeread) that finds and reviews children's books [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday pays tribute to Arthur Mitchell, the founding director of the wonderful Dance Theater of Harlem, who died yesterday at the age of 84. Mitchell, born and raised in Harlem, was the first black ballet dancer to achieve international stardom when he was a principal dancer with The New York City Ballet, where he danced from 1956 [...]
Now that your son has gotten his first few weeks of school under his belt, here are a few areas to check in and focus on: School Supplies, Backpack: Does your son have the proper supplies for all of his classes? Does he need extra folders for the handouts from class? Does the math teacher require graph paper notebooks? [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday features poems to share with middle school (or younger) children as they settle back into the school rhythm. We start with "Who Has Seen The Wind", a classic that introduces youngsters to the mysteries of science. We continue with the fun nonsense poem "Eletelephony", and end with "Sick", a Shel Silverstein classic which is sure to [...]
When you are talking with your sons and daughters about Colin Kaepernick and Nike, here’s one more thing to talk about: Kaepernick refused to vote in the 2016 Presidential elections, claiming that it would be “hypocritical”, as he is “against a system of oppression” and is “not going to show support for that system”. You can read more about [...]