PARENTING + RACISM
Why Most White Parents Refuse to Talk to Their Children About Race
And how their apprehension impacts Black people
The stubborn silence of White parents on the topic of race is cultivating a generation that widely embraces colorblind racial attitudes. By clinging to the illusion of a postracial society, these parents are making discussions on race taboo, sowing seeds of apathy toward racial injustice in their children’s minds. A study revealed that the colorblind racial attitudes of parents significantly predicted their children’s sympathy for Black children bullied by White students (Wang et al., 2022), which exposes the fallacy that colorblindness is a form of kindness. Amid the backdrop of today’s political climate, with laws passing in many states that prevent teachers from discussing race, the repercussions of parental colorblindness demand closer scrutiny.
While some White people argue that sidestepping discussions about racism fosters harmony, this approach diminishes the lived experiences of those subjected to racial discrimination. To foster harmony, we must challenge racism, which disproportionately allocates social power to White people at the expense of Black people. And yet, many parents overlook our de facto segregated society where Black people possess limited wealth and…
