Anitra, You have a beautiful page! It’s unfortunate that you as well as your daughter had to experience this situation. When I encounter a situation like this, I encourage the student every day whose self-esteem may be in jeopardy or have faced similar situations. Every year, I’m blessed to have a very diverse class. Students are from several continents and they all are very different, even when they come from some of the same areas in which they were born. I talk about everyone being unique and different, share literature, and incorporate activities that include cultures, skin tones, and other topics based on interest. I focus on building a community of thoughtful citizens as well as give them opportunities to participate in something called, “Community circle.” Sometimes, I provide a conversation starter, and there are times the students choose their own topic. Some students drop their topic of interests/situations in an “I would like to share” box, and this often leads to teachable moments. Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 59, stated, children start forming attitudes about other cultural ways of living. They shared a scenario about someone not being liked because of their skin complexion. It seemed it was based on fear of not understanding a different culture. The one thing you can continue to teach your child is she is valued and loved and in life, she will see so many beautiful skin tones, but it doesn’t mean they are any less of a person. Building self-esteem and confidence starts at home. Keep up the great work! This is a complex topic, but one that will lead to social change for sure. Personal experiences are the best experiences to talk about or situations that “hit” close to home. Continue to encourage your daughter and let her know that she can do anything she set her mind to regardless of the color of her skin. At your leisure, take a look at Oprah’s Lifeclass where Iyanla Vanzant discuss colorism and discrimination within races. Also, look at a brief clip of Tika Sumpter talking about loving her dark skin.
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
How Colorism affect people around the world, Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/How-Colorism-Affects-People-Around-the-World-Video
Tika Sumpter actress on 'The Haves and the Have Nots' talks about loving her dark skin, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/tika-sumpter-have-and-havenots_n_4619756.html
Anitra,
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful page! It’s unfortunate that you as well as your daughter had to experience this situation. When I encounter a situation like this, I encourage the student every day whose self-esteem may be in jeopardy or have faced similar situations. Every year, I’m blessed to have a very diverse class. Students are from several continents and they all are very different, even when they come from some of the same areas in which they were born. I talk about everyone being unique and different, share literature, and incorporate activities that include cultures, skin tones, and other topics based on interest. I focus on building a community of thoughtful citizens as well as give them opportunities to participate in something called, “Community circle.” Sometimes, I provide a conversation starter, and there are times the students choose their own topic. Some students drop their topic of interests/situations in an “I would like to share” box, and this often leads to teachable moments. Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 59, stated, children start forming attitudes about other cultural ways of living. They shared a scenario about someone not being liked because of their skin complexion. It seemed it was based on fear of not understanding a different culture. The one thing you can continue to teach your child is she is valued and loved and in life, she will see so many beautiful skin tones, but it doesn’t mean they are any less of a person. Building self-esteem and confidence starts at home. Keep up the great work!
This is a complex topic, but one that will lead to social change for sure. Personal experiences are the best experiences to talk about or situations that “hit” close to home. Continue to encourage your daughter and let her know that she can do anything she set her mind to regardless of the color of her skin. At your leisure, take a look at Oprah’s Lifeclass where Iyanla Vanzant discuss colorism and discrimination within races. Also, look at a brief clip of Tika Sumpter talking about loving her dark skin.
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ReplyDeleteDerman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
ReplyDeleteHow Colorism affect people around the world, Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/How-Colorism-Affects-People-Around-the-World-Video
Tika Sumpter actress on 'The Haves and the Have Nots' talks about loving her dark skin, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/tika-sumpter-have-and-havenots_n_4619756.html