Guest article provided by: Kia Mackey at Boundless Brilliance, bringing free STEM workshops to Title 1 elementary schools.
With lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, many have flocked to social media. If you are spending hours on end on social media, you might as well use it as a tool to educate yourself on some strategies to teach your kids and yourself how to be anti-racist!
Here, we have compiled a list of 4 social media accounts that you can follow to do just that!
1. THE CONSCIOUS KID
The first one we have is The Conscious Kid, which is all about parenting and education through a critical race lens. Along with the many tips for raising racially conscious kids, this account also highlights diverse black-owned children’s books and campaigns for COVID-19 rent relief.
So check out @theconciouskid on Instagram, @conciouskidlib Twitter, and The Conscious Kid Facebook for strategies that you would never think of to take to raise a racially conscious and compassionate kid.
2. PARENTS FOR DIVERSITY
Next up we have Parents for Diversity, another parenting account promoting anti-racist parenting. Parents for Diversity is an account committed to ensuring every child’s right to quality education free from discrimination. This account posts and reposts resources for raising racially conscious kids such as what anti-racist parents do differently.
What sets this account apart from The Conscious Kid is that they highlight Zoom seminars discussing topics such as anti-racist teaching techniques and creating inclusive learning environments. So go check out @parentsfordiversity on Instagram for tips on how to be an anti-racist parent.
3. COLOR LINES
A great account to follow for news updates told through a racial justice lens is Color Lines. This account will keep you up to date on current events and the implications they have on particular races and/or communities. Their informative posts on subjects such as Columbus Day and the replacement of Ruth Bader Ginsberg are a digestible length and easy to understand.
Color Lines is a non-profit news outlet, so their social media posts often link to longer stories that can provide you with more information on a topic. Additionally, Color Lines highlights the perspectives of Black and Brown voices on the black vote, protests, and #pride as a culture. Following @colorlinesnews on Instagram, @colorlines on Twitter, and/or Color Lines on Facebook is a great way to learn the perspectives of marginalized communities on current events and how these events affect communities that may not be covered by mainstream news outlets.
4. BLAIR IMANI
Last but certainly not least we have Blair Imani, an educational influencer and historian who is dedicated to “democratizing education and speaking truth to power.” On her Instagram, she posts Smarter in Seconds videos where she effectively educates you on relevant and timely topics in seconds! Another regular post she has is called Learn O’clock, which are posts where she defines important terms to use when talking about race and identity as well as better ways to address certain topics.
The fun and upbeat mood of the posts make them not only educational, but interesting and enjoyable to watch and read! So follow @blairimani on Instagram to stay educated on relevant topics around race and identity and to find tips for how to approach discussing such topics!
Of course there are many more accounts than just these four that are effective in teaching individuals how to be anti-racist and how to teach their kids to do the same, but these are a great start! Comment below if you found these suggestions helpful and include any other accounts you follow that promote anti-racist practices and education!
Looking for more resources to help start big conversations with your kids? Check out our recommendations of five wonderful books to read that will help you raise racially conscious kids. Find them here.
