I recently read a tweet from CBS news that read How young is too young to teach kids about race?" My head started to spin.
Let me counter the question by asking; How young is too young to be racially abused?Sadly, for most black children a racial encounter is inevitable. 1 in 3 Black North American’s will likely experience racism at school, college, or university. For them, the conversation about race happens in early childhood and the timing is out of their hands and driven by the racist offender. For many of us, the conversation about race isn’t driven by age, it is driven by necessity.
It is clear that the framing of this question lacked a fundamental understanding of what it is like to be a person of colour.As an expert is this area and having done signficant research on this subject matter, I can confirm that 86% of Black North Americans have experienced racism either firsthand or as a witness. Most recipients recount their first experience as being during early childhood.
“My earliest memory of racism dates back to daycare when my teacher was telling other children that they can shoot for the stars and be what they wanna be. While I should just be nothing more than just a janitor.”
– American, Male, 18-34
“In the first grade of elementary school, one of the other students called me the 'N word'. Being only six years old and having mixed parents, I had never heard that word before and did not understand what it meant.”
- Canadian, Male, 35-54
“I was 8 yrs old. On the school bus. A friend's mother was going to be coming on the bus, one of the older kids said "all the Blacks join me in the back of the bus, 'Blank's' mom is coming on the bus, and she's prejudice". I didn't know what prejudice meant, so I went to the back of the bus. I still hung out with my friend, but not when her Mom was around, but I also lost my innocence that day. I learned that not everyone is going to like me, no fault of my own.”
– Canadian, Female, 35-54
Reseacrh conducted earlier this year highlights that racism remains highly prevelant in North America. As shown below, explicit behaviours form the basis of most past/childhood racial experiences and those experiences happened regularly.
Racism evokes raw, real and deep emotions and while the act may have been fogotten the feelings remain.
Explicit Racism: Racism that includes any speech or physical behaviours that demonstrate a conscious acknowledgement of discriminatory attitudes and/or beliefs.
Implicit Racism: Non-verbal behaviour that is rooted in negative intent, discriminatory attitudes and/or beliefs.
Unconscious Racism: Racist behaviours or speech that exist within an individual, without ill-intent (i.e. lacking self-awareness).
Complicit Racism: Individuals who are present when others demonstrate either explicit or implicit racism, and choose not to intervene.
I wasn’t the only person who took offense to this tweet. Jemele Hill, contributing writer for the ATLANTIC responded to the tweet:
“Black folks: please reply to this with how old you were when you first experienced racism and what happened. Because until this issue is written from that perspective, the framing will continue to be a miss.”
Bernice King, CEO of Martin Luther King Jr Center for Nonviolent Social Change tweeted:
“Well, I was 5 when racism and white supremacy left me fatherless. Black and Brown children are devasted by racism every day. Teachers, parents, religious leaders etc should be educating towards a world where that devastation doesn’t exist. That can’t happen without truth"
This insensitive tweet underscores the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within organizations. The inclusion of DEI will help pose questions about race in a sensitive manner that generates a positive response. Should we not be asking questions about ‘how’ or ‘what’ we teach all children about race?
As corporations and government bodies start to talk more about racism, they should do so knowing that these conversations are born at the cost of people’s lives. Additionally, social media continues to play a critical role in magnifying racial injustice and therefore tone is everything.
This is a reminder to everyone to be more considerate of the afflicted when asking race related questions.
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Data Source: The Reality Check Report 2021