MSC Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee (IDC)
The MSC Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee (IDC) was created to work collaboratively to advocate and support diversity in our school community, by encouraging, facilitating and creating opportunities for students, families, staff, and faculty to grow in their own understanding of diversity, and to promote equality of opportunity for all. We believe children learn best from participation in richly diverse environments. Therefore, we are committed to ensuring that our school fosters an environment where all have a voice that is heard, valued, respected, and equal in shaping an inclusive and welcoming community. To learn more visit the Friends of MSC website or click the following link:
In 2018, MSC invited Raising Race Conscious Children to host several workshops for families. Facilitators Lori Riddick and Sachi Feris shared the following resources as followup.” Additional resources (including on-line workshops for Spring 2020) are available on their website www.raceconscious.org
We firmly believe that, like most things in life, talking about race is a matter of practice. Again, this is why we so strongly advocate for pro-active, explicit race talk in environments that are safe and comfortable—so that when one is confronted with a moment that gives you pause, you are better practiced as to how to respond.
To aid in your practice, below is a list of posts that were either referenced or relevant to themes discussed during the workshop.
List of referenced posts:
Frequently Asked Questions including:
Why should I be “race conscious” with my child?
At what age should I begin to engage my children in “race conscious” talk?
What words should I use to talk about race? (Black and White v. brown/peach)
What to do when a child makes a comment about a person’s race in public?
How can I support my child to ask questions about race that are respectful?
Additional posts on topics including:
Naming Whiteness: What I say about a children’s book when all the characters are White.
Two posts about the service industry: In Honor of May Day and My daughter's charmed life
Two posts about dolls and "White bias:" White Bias and Dolls and Why are all the White dolls sitting together...
Post about the good v. bad dichotomy: Madeline, race, and the problem with 'good versus bad'
In addition, we have attached the Research slide, our Strategies, and a resource for sharing scenarios in a small group that will ensure a mutually supportive environment for getting feedback on questions about children and race. For those interested, the links to the pre-workshop readings are as follows:
Thanks so much for committing to continue to learn together on an ongoing journey toward racial justice.