We are a few days away from Independence Day 2020. As in prior years today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates Independence Day with two poems from one of America's most beloved and well-known poets, Langston Hughes (1902-1967). These poems are even more powerful in light of recent events. Share and discuss with your children. Enjoy, and enjoy the 4th! I, Too, [...]
These days, have you been hearing from your well-meaning white friends who want to know how they and their children can, to quote Mrs. Trump, "be better"? Here is a great quick read from the NYT, "How to Raise an Anti-Racist Kid", which lays out a few very useful bullet points, including: "not racist" implies neutrality; "anti-racist" recognizes that [...]
Crystal McCrary McGuire The new episode of the Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis podcast is LIVE!! Filmmaker and author Crystal McCrary McGuire, mom of three whose son Cole Anthony is a 2020 top NBA draft prospect, is this week’s guest. Crystal shares how she helps all of her children pursue their passions, the keys to making [...]
Did you celebrate Juneteenth with your family this year? My father's family is from Texas, so I grew up hearing about Juneteenth celebrations from Texas relatives, but my family didn't celebrate it in NYC. Fast forward to yesterday–Juneteenth celebrations were everywhere! Some companies gave their employees the day off, social media exploded with Juneteenth graphics, memes and hashtags, and [...]
HUGE NEWS!!!! Our new podcast, Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis, has launched! In this weekly series, I’m talking about the joy and the job of raising Black children with fascinating folks who have valuable parenting experience, perspectives and advice to share. I’ve been writing about parenting Black boys and girls in this blog for so many years; [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday presents the poem "What Shall I Tell My Children Who are Black (Reflections of an African American Mother)" by artist, poet, author, and educator Margaret Burroughs (1915-2010). It was written in 1968, but could well have been written this week. In it Burroughs addresses the issue of how to raise black boys up to be confident [...]
Are you old enough to remember the 1960's rallying cry of "Black is Beautiful"? A recent conversation with a young Black mom lets me know it is time to bring it back. This mom is looking for uplifting reading material for her 8 year old daughter, whose class has been discussing George Floyd's death and how poorly Black Americans [...]
Here we find ourselves returning yet again to the question of how we should talk with our children, especially our sons, about another horrifying murder of a black man at the hands of a police officer. What should we say to them about the death of George Floyd, and about the protests that have followed? Children of All Ages: [...]
More power to your child who wants to join a peaceful demonstration. Just make sure that she knows some basic rules: Your child has the right to peacefully protest. She can say whatever she wants during the protest as long as it is not a threat. She should be prepared to be arrested at the protest, for a [...]
Whenever some racially based fresh hell befalls a Black person we at GCP, along with so many others, are compelled to cry out. Sometimes we write about how to talk to our children about the latest horror, trying to walk that fine line between telling them the way of the world to help build their armor and scaring them [...]