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Home • News

ESSENCE Poll: Do You Talk About Race with Young Children?

A viral video of a chid crying because she wants to be Black has us wondering how soon race conversations happen at home. Do you talk to young children about race?
Do You Talk About Race with Young Children?
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By Sylvia Obell · Updated October 27, 2020
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The media is usually full of stories about dark women wanting to be lighter. But this one, about a little girl wanting to become Black, had us curious.

In the video posted on Youtube, a young child named Maria is crying because she isn’t Black. When her mother asks her why, she simply states, “because I love brown color.”

Her mother goes on to tell her that she can marry a Black man and have Black children, but that doesn’t seem to make her feel any better because she then screams, “No no no I want to be Black.”

After watching this video we couldn’t help but wonder how parents are handling the complexities of race at home. Do you talk about race with young children? Let us know what kind of conversations you’re having below. #nojudgement

[poll id=510476]