By Joséphine Li
In these unprecedented times, every single one of us is collectively stuck in the midst of two pandemics in the United States that harm Americans’ mental and physical well-being: COVID-19 and racism.
Various forms of protests have been ensued due to the senseless and racially motivated killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the recent horrendous Central Park incident. And incidents like this make people ponder the degree to which our generation’s lives are shaped by racism and stereotyping and also the extent to which our precious next generations’ lives will be shaped by those same negative forces.
For that same reason, Parents all over the country are starting to realize the importance of “the talk” with their kids. However, starting such a heavy conversation about racism might be overwhelming for parents, especially as there has not been much practical guidance on how to facilitate such a conversation. Now, that guidance that you’ve been seeking is available in order to make that conversation easier and more empowering.
African-American Ama Karikari-Yawson, mother, educator, author, attorney, radio host, and entrepreneur, recently released her book—The Talk: A Black Family’s Conversation about Racism and Police Brutality.
The book portrays a fictional African-American family’s conversation. One day the children stumble upon their parents crying after watching news coverage of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police officers. And then the parents use the opportunity to explain the issues of racism, police brutality, and stereotyping. The book also covers advice on how to interact with the police.
The book affirms the young African American’s heritage and identity. It also assures their reader that they will achieve greatness despite the setbacks that they might face. The story is interactive and educational, the author Ywason hopes to bring to light the importance of a loving and open dialogue about race conversations with children with this uplifting and powerful book.
“I could not bring myself to discuss the George Floyd killing by police after it happened, the grief was too much for me,” Ywason said to the press. The only way for her to feel slightly reassured and empowered was to sit down and write a story that could serve as a resource for black and non-black communities to explain police brutality to their kids, in the meanwhile, offering potentially life-saving advice about what to do in an encounter with the police.
The meaning of the book is to explore what we can do now to eliminate this societal problem. Ywason said she hopes all families who read it would feel empowered and informed. She hopes this book can bring courage and peace to her readers.
Although there is no “talk” that can completely eradicate incidents of racism and prejudice for the younger generation, African-American parents and parents of all races still need to have these conversations with their children so that their children are aware of these challenges and are better prepared for these potential future encounters.
