While we are waiting for our Holiday Liberation List to be fulfilled, we have continued with a tradition that Black parents in America have been doing for ages - lead the way in raising liberated kids. We have continued to liberate our kids at home, on our own, by ourselves. We do this for many reasons, however the most pertinent being because it is important to us that our children are engaged, joyful, and grounded in truth. The unfortunate reality that we, and all of the Black parents that came before us face, is that if we waited for someone else to liberate our children, we would be waiting forever.
Many of us begin this liberation with immersion. As much as possible, we immerse our children in their culture. In their schools, on the weekends, in our neighborhoods, wherever we can, we make sure our children are seeing themselves in the world around them. In addition to immersion, here are a few other ways we are liberating our children at home, while we wait (impatiently) for schools to catch up:
Banned Books: Building Your Child’s Library:
When those banned booklists came out a few years ago, I was proud to see that many of the books in my children’s personal library were on many of those lists. Banned books like “Born on the Water” and “Undefeated” are sure to strengthen your child’s sense of self.
For our youngest liberated learners, engage with books that showcase characters of color like “Dream Big, Little One” by Vashti Harrison and “The King of Kindergarten,” by Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Branelty-Newton. Books that build your child’s self esteem, “Hey Black Child” and “Jabari Jumps”are motivational, inspiring texts that are sure to leave your child feeling liberated and loved.
For your Pre-Teens, graphic novels such as the March series, Just Mercy Adapted for Young Adults, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You will provide your learner with a solid understanding of why we are where we are.
Your banned book library will grow with your child as they move into their teen years and well into young adulthood. Slowly building their personal libraries, making books available that tell the truth about our worth, and our history, will aid their understanding of who they are, their community, and the world around them.
Teens and Technology
One perk of your teen having a social media account, is the ability to send them thought provoking content of current events, movements, etc. In addition to sending hair inspo and videos that make us giggle, sending thought provoking videos from notable news sources spark meaningful conversation and sharpen perspectives. Additionally, when they come across interesting content like questionable curriculum, they can send it your way along with their questions.
Also, leverage the technology they can't put down by subscribing them to the daily email from EJI (Equal Justice Initiative). My 13 year old subscribed to this daily newsletter during her 7th grade school year, and while she doesn’t read it everyday, she receives it every day and catches up when she has the time and desire. These real accounts of racist acts, movements, policy/laws, etc. have opened her eyes to the long, sordid history our country has with racism. Seeing truth wiped from museums, curriculum, programs and policies has instilled within her an obligation to learn as much as she can about her culture, her history, and the black experience in America.
Family Time
Who would have thought, 90’s Sitcoms would be making a comeback in 2025?! With new age streaming services that allow everyone to watch what they want, when they want, gone are the days of everyone crowding around the same television, in the same room, watching the same 90’s sitcom. Bringing this time back will prove worthwhile, trust us. On a Friday evening, while eating dinner or dessert, turn on Family Matters, Fresh Prince, A Different World, or Black-ish. These shows and more from the 90’s and early 2000’s portray the Black American family and experience in a positive light, and even show how these families deal with racism, stereotypes, and prejudice. They provide a good mix of laughter, love, and black life in America, that everyone in your family can enjoy…together!
Critical Thinking and Communication
Two things that never grow old are critical thinking and meaningful communication. With technology pushed into every area of our lives, it is easy to look up on any given evening to see every member of your household engaged in their own technology device, together but completely isolated by the screens in front of them. This is where making time for conversation is key for raising liberated kids. Regularly ask your child their perspective on a topic they are studying at school, their thoughts on a podcast you listened to in the car that morning, or their opinion of a news story you saw together after school. This allows them to practice the skill of summarizing information, filtering it through their own world view, and then crafting sentences that convey their unique perspectives and thoughts to active listeners. In the age of AI and chatGPT, raising children who can take in information, process it with what they know to be true, and then communicate their thoughts clearly on their own is a dying skill.
Go ahead and ask you liberated kiddo to tell you their thoughts about any and everything - ask questions that require critical, analytical thinking. And here is the most important step - after you ask them their opinion, you must be quiet and listen to them speak. Listen to them organize their sentences and words - listen to them stumble through articulating their opinions and thoughts. It will get better with more opportunity and practice. But please, whatever you do, DO NOT interrupt them with your opinions and views of the matter. We all know that you know and are able to communicate your ideas and thoughts clearly, but can they? This sacred space is where they practice and hone their skills - with you! Allow them to practice communicating their views to you in clear, compelling sentences. Ask clarifying questions when the moment allows. And just revel in the awesomeness that is the amazing human in front of you, who is learning about and navigating their world.
These are just a few ways we are raising liberated kids at home, while we wait for our schools to catch up. What are some of the ways you are raising liberated kids at home?