diversity

How to Teach Respect For Others Through MLK’s I Have a Dream Speech

January 15, 2017 By Diedre 9 Comments

*I partnered with Oriental Trading Company to give you an idea of how to share MLK Jr. day with your family by using one of their products. Even though the product I received was free, all opinions are solely mine.*

Martin Luther King Jr was a civil rights leader, as well as a visionary. His I Have a Dream Speech outlined his dreams and wishes he had for equality in this country. The holiday is an opportunity for you to teach your children about the significance of a great leader.

Have you ever read the entire I have a dream speech? The great thing about it is that it includes everyone.

It is not just a holiday for minorities.

Reading it is essentially a (free) lesson on diversity for your children. Here are a few great points:

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How to Meet the Needs of Biracial Kids in School: A Guide for Parents

October 3, 2016 By Diedre 3 Comments

Now that I have two school aged children, I pay extra close attention to her surroundings at school. Is she the only minority in her class? Are diverse books included in his/her classroom or library? Are there other parents in interracial marriages that I can relate to?

As an educator, I know what to look for to help them have the most well-rounded educational experience as possible. Do you know what to look for?

Here are a few tips for advocating for the needs of your biracial kids in school:

Encourage Your Child’s Teacher to Have a Diverse Set of Books in His/Her Classroom

Representation is important!

Kids love to see people who look like them on tv, in print, and in person. Help educators challenge the single race approach to diversity by buying books for your child’s classroom, or by volunteering to read to your child’s class. Your presence and the book you choose will make a world of difference to the teacher, and the students.

Check out my Amazon storefront for a variety of options.

Volunteer to Read Books with Diverse Characters to Your Child’s Class

If the teacher is resistant to adding to his/her collection, or they aren’t sure where to start, bring the diversity to the classroom yourself! Talk with other parents about adding to the teacher’s classroom library.

I don’t know a teacher who would refuse a few minutes of solace in exchange for a parent reading to the class. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved!

Participate in Multicultural Events at the School

Many schools have some sort of multicultural celebration. Volunteer to cook some ethnic foods or share about your culture.

Use every opportunity to educate other parents & educators.

Make a Decision at Home about How your Child Will Identify

Why is this important? When enrolling your child, there are multiple forms that require you to check race. At some point, your child will have to make a choice about their identity.

If you don’t have the conversation about identity at home, it will come up at school. Don’t you want to be the first one to have that discussion with your child?

Be Actively Involved in Your Child’s Education

This is important no matter the ethnicity of your child. Unfortunately, teachers tend to work a little harder for kids whose parents are actively involved in their education.

Right or wrong, this is the truth.

Take time to meet your child’s teacher and have open communication with them.

Do you have a biracial child in school? What advice would you give other parents?

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How to Meet the Needs of Biracial Kids at School: A Guide for Educators

May 17, 2016 By Diedre 8 Comments

This post was published by the Huffington Post. You can find it HERE.

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How Growing Up In a Jamaican Family Has Influenced My Parenting

January 18, 2016 By Diedre 14 Comments

Both of my parents were born and raised in Jamaica, but came to the states as adults. I never really thought about how my Jamaican family was different from others until I was told me no about something that most other parents said yes to. My father was in the Air Force, so many of my friends had parents from different countries, which brought about their cultural norms.

As an adult no longer surrounded by other military families, I have settled with my family in the south. Many people I encounter live close to family, and have for generations. This highlights the stark differences between my Jamaican upbringing and theirs.

Here are a few things I have noticed:

I Love Jamaican Food

There are no international markets near me, so when I want to eat Jamaican food or season my food with Jamaican spices, I have to ask my mother to purchase for me, get it from Atlanta, or my grandmother mails it to me from up north. Sometimes I just have a craving for authentic Jamaican food!

Once when my uncle came to visit from New Jersey, I cried because he ate the last bit of ackee and saltfish (national dish). I didn’t know when we would have a chance to eat it again, and I thought it was unfair because he ate it all the time in New Jersey.

My Daughters Love Jamaican Food

Their favorite Jamaican food is porridge. Americans make fun of me all the time if they happen to hear me mention it.

Believe me, if you had it, you would understand why baby bear was crying when Goldilocks ate all of his!

My southern friends make fun of me for not liking grits; but I blame it on porridge! You don’t have to take my word for it, listen to a few Bob Marley songs and you’ll hear all about his love for cornmeal porridge.

I Love Music

Jamaicans love to sing…all..the..time!

My mother sent me to Jamaica a few times as a toddler, but the first time I remember was in July 2010. All the resort staff was singing, as well as people in the community. I felt such a connection to my roots! Now it made sense to me why I have always done that.

And guess what, my kids make up songs and sing all the time too!

I Have a Need to Keep my Culture Alive

Growing up, I always remembered my parents being friends with other Jamaicans, or people from other islands. Eating Jamaican food & listening to reggae makes me feel at home wherever I am. I want to make sure that my girls take pride in our Jamaican family.

When my husband & I married, it was important to me that he had a love of my culture. I remember him playing Bob Marley on the way to a date & thinking, “This relationship is off to a good start!”

Family is Important

I have a close relationship with my parents. In fact, I talked with my mom about this post last week as I was in the planning phase. I still look to my parents for guidance.

Jamaicans utilize their family resources and look to their elders for guidance.

This is essential for survival-a similar family trait to Asian and Hispanic cultures.

Diversity

Jamaica’s motto is Out of many one people. No matter the skin color, if you were born in Jamaica, you are a Jamaican. I have met many Jamaicans of different ethnicity, but the culture, the food and the music tie them all together. I hope to instill this in my children.

I hope that as my children grow, I can share my love of Jamaican culture with them. On my first visit as an adult, I felt a strange connection with the land that I can’t explain. Everything that I heard my parents and grandparents talk about as a child, came to life for me the moment I stepped off the plane.

How many of you were raised in a culture besides the American culture? Do you seek to share those cultural pieces with your children? I can’t wait to hear from you!
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