Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, protests have occurred in all 50 states demanding justice for Floyd and an end to police brutality. The movement has gained international momentum, with Black Lives Matter protests occurring across the globe.
Young people, in particular, have been showing up in large numbers to anti-racism protests being held throughout the country, demonstrating that the next generation is dedicated to the development of a more just and tolerant society.
Many kids are taught from a young age that they should speak up for what is right. From stories of heroism in literature to anti-bullying workshops in schools, children learn that it is up to them to have the courage to take a stand against unjust treatment. To reiterate this so much in childhood, yet discourage them from taking part in civic activism, renders the entire effort futile.
It is important for parents to remember that their child or teen’s passion for certain causes and desire to get involved in events like fundraisers or protests are crucial steps in the development of their conscience and personal beliefs.
Even those parents who want to encourage their children to be active and engaged with causes they are passionate about may hesitate to allow them to attend the current protests. With the COVID-19 pandemic still an ongoing concern, many parents fear their kids could get sick. Though many protesters have been wearing masks, adequate social distancing is nearly impossible with such a large gathering of people. And, though violence has been rare, it is still something that parents will likely factor in their decisions.
These concerns bring to light another essential lesson that parents must share with their children: courageous and dedicated activism comes in many forms.
By definition, a protest is a “solemn declaration of opinion and usually of dissent.” Though marches and other public protests undoubtedly demonstrate solidarity and dedication to the cause, there are many other ways to protest racial or any other injustice if you feel unsafe attending these events.
As our Executive Director Andrew Malekoff explains, “If, as a parent, you feel strongly about particularly social issues, the best way to motivate your child is to be a good role model through your own civic engagement. This can be through public participation such as demonstrations or protests, quiet or animated but respectful conversations with friends or relatives, letter writing expressing your opinion for possible publication, fundraising activities or volunteering behind the scenes.”
With the constant stream of social media, it is easy to feel like we are not doing enough, or doing the wrong thing, when we see posts of others attending protests, sharing information and signing petitions. For non-Black allies especially, empathy and education are the highest priorities. The learning process is constant for children and adults alike, and it is imperative that social media is not the be-all and end-all of allyship.
While social media is a great way to promote awareness and valuable resources, real change occurs offline. It happens in difficult conversations with loved ones, initiatives of diversity in schools and workplaces, efforts of charitable organizations and much more.
The Black Lives Matter protests have shown, once again, that the younger generations provide hope for a better future. “The best we can hope for is that our kids eventually become active participants in community affairs and help to change the world where we have failed,” says Malekoff.
Parents should encourage their children to apply the passion behind protests throughout their lives, finding small moments to make meaningful change and listen to the needs of others. Teach them never to lose the spark of youth and the vision of a brighter future—no matter how many obstacles may stand in their way.
As Mahatma Gandhi said in 1931, “If we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children.”
When I was 10 years old, I discovered a thick folder in a box at my home in New Jersey. I twirled the string that held the flap secure and pulled out the contents—a cache of newspaper articles dating back to the mid-1930s. The articles were from the Newark Star Ledger and the Newark Evening News.
As I sifted through the news clippings, they all had one thing in common: They were about my father and his days as a high school athlete in Newark.
When I asked him where they came from, he replied, “Oh, your grandmother cut them out of the newspaper.” My grandmother Jennie was an immigrant from the part of Russia now known as Belarus. She and my grandfather Joseph came to the U.S. sometime around the early 1900s. Neither one spoke English at the time, only Yiddish.
I’m sure my grandparents knew next to nothing about American sports, but somehow my grandmother knew that her son was doing something noteworthy if his name was always in the newspaper.
To attest to their lack of knowledge about football, years later I learned that when my grandfather—a carpenter whom I called Pop—went to his first game and saw my father’s youngest brother get gang tackled, he ran onto the field and started throwing the opposing team’s players off the pile to free his son.
I had known that my father was an athlete in his younger years, but I knew none of the details that the treasure trove of news clips revealed. One in particular came to mind almost as soon as the Coronavirus pandemic led to “sheltering-in.”
Back when I first found the articles, I spent months carefully trimming them and using Elmer’s glue to paste them into a scrapbook that I’ve kept until this day. Today, talk of quarantine led me to dig it up.
As I flipped through the pages, I found an article with this long headline: Test Guard After Brother Gets Scarlet Fever. Streaks Minus Star, Meet St. Benedict Prep’s Gray Bee. Ace’s Return Hinges On Condition. My father Izzy was a guard on the basketball team.
The article, written by someone named Frank J. Fagan, went on to state: “The chances of South Side High School’s Sun Streaks in the state basketball tournament grew dimmer today when it became known that Izzy Malekoff, star guard, may be lost to the squad for the remainder of the season. Albert Malekoff, the South Side player’s younger brother, was taken down with Scarlet Fever on Saturday. Izzy immediately took up quarters with a teammate who lives near him.”
Fagan went on to write, “The Board of Health, however, has quarantined Izzy, who is to take a test today to discover if the fever germs have invaded his system . . . If it is found that the schoolboy athlete has contracted the germ, he will not be allowed to return to school for a month.”
Back in those days, signs were posted on homes of those who were infected that read: “Quarantine Scarlet Fever. No one shall enter or leave these premises except as provided by the State Department of Health or Local Board of Health.”
Although I have not done an exhaustive study on scarlet fever, what I learned is that there is no vaccine; recommended prevention includes frequent handwashing, not sharing personal items and staying away from other people when infected. I couldn’t find anything about six feet or wearing masks.
In the early 1900s, before antibiotics were available, it was a leading cause of death in children. Can you imagine if that was true in today’s Covid-19 pandemic? Perhaps some of our fellow Americans who appear to think older people are expendable would think twice.
In case you’re wondering, for some reason at the time I never asked my father how it all turned out. The story left my mind after first reading it.
Until now.
Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the leading children’s mental health agency on Long Island. The Guidance Center is seeing new and existing clients via telephone and video during the COVID-19 crisis. To make an appointment, call (516) 626-1971. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org for more information.
By Kelly Christ, social media intern at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
The death of 46-year-old George Floyd after being arrested in Minneapolis has rocked the United States. Floyd’s death exemplifies the disparities in victims of police brutality, as black men are at a higher risk of being killed by police.
In response, protests have taken place in major cities across the country demanding justice and an end to racism and intolerance in America.
With this heightened awareness of racial injustices, parents can use this time to teach valuable and necessary lessons to their children about the value of diversity and the need for empathy.
Parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s prejudices and racial biases from a young age. As touched on in an earlier article on our blog, children naturally notice differences between themselves and others, which gives parents an opportunity to have important conversations with their children about what these differences mean.
Though we may think that very young children do not have the capacity to understand such a heavy topic, research has shown that racial biases can be internalized by children by ages two to four years old.
In order to make meaningful change, parents must raise their children not to be blind towards others’ differences but to celebrate them. The systemic underpinnings of racial injustices in America will not be undone overnight. It will take a generation of Americans who are accepting and empathetic to make strides toward equality.
Literature can be an incredibly important resource for children to learn about the plight of Black Americans. For young children, it is important that parents present them with picture books and other forms of entertainment that represent diversity in a positive light. For some ideas, Time Out has compiled a list of children’s books celebrating diversity and inclusion.
As children get older, parents should look to help their children understand the history of racism in the United States. This can supplement their education in school, perhaps by having discussions about the implications of historical events such as the Civil War that have impacted racial dynamics in the country. Doing so allows children to understand the larger-scale issues at hand in moments of racial prejudice.
Additionally, children should feel comfortable talking to their parents about such troubling instances of intolerance or prejudice. This could be the bullying of the child or a peer due to their race or seeing headlines in the news like the death of George Floyd. While parents may feel apprehensive embarking on these discussions, their importance cannot be overstated. By beginning an open dialogue about race, children will learn the value of listening and developing a sense of empathy for the experiences of others.
Inclusive literature is just as important, if not more so, for older children, teenagers and young adults alike. Modern young adult fiction novels such as Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin can help teenagers take a deep look into the experience of racism in America.
For white children, these stories can further develop the sense of empathy. Inclusive literature is also incredibly valuable for children of color who do not see characters who look like themselves often enough. These stories will equip them with the knowledge that they are capable of being the hero of their own story.
Historically, young people have played major roles in social movements. From the civil rights movement in the 1960s to the March for Our Lives in 2018, young people have proven to have the intellectual capabilities and the strength to be leaders who can influence the hearts and minds of adults.
Though this movement has been motivated by tragedy, it is important that parents underscore the positive elements of the moment. Young people are standing up for what is right, taking a stand against injustice, and proving that their generation will continue to pave a path toward equality.
