As the saying goes, you’ve gotta start ’em young.
That’s an adage clearly embraced by KinderCare.
Portland-based childcare provider has an important message for parents: their unjust infants.
On its website, the company dedicates a page to “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“Your child belongs in our circle,” it says.
And that sphere — which welcomes every “sexual identity” and “family structure” — is one of social justice.
“What does DEI mean for kids in our classrooms and centers?” the site asks.
Respecting and building a community that is safe and welcoming for all families is fundamental to being who we are. … [W]e’re committed to valuing the experiences and traditions you bring with you and honoring them within our community.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Use classroom materials reflecting diverse identities
- With the help of our Inclusion Services Team, creating accessible and equitable spaces is possible
- Support and accommodations provided for children with different abilities and needs
- We can connect holidays and observements to our curriculum, so that we learn more about who each one of us is!
Most importantly, perhaps:
- Provide anti-bias education to help children identify and voice their disapproval of injustice, unfairness and bias
But daycare can’t fix unfairness alone.
In fact, the preschool proposes, you’ve got work to do.
“Bring DEI education home,” it directs.
Two key elements:
- Incorporate the concept of privilege.
- Define what the differences are between equity and equality.
A featured video hails “culturally responsive teaching.”
One instructor explains that, since she isn’t white, particular things are apparent:
“I recognize — as an educator of color — it is paramount that my children understand a multitude of norms, beliefs and behaviors.”
Due to its emphasis on equity, the program points out ways in which children aren’t the same — not only in terms of race or language, but their planetary position in our unprincipled patriarchy.
Make sure your rugrats are reflected in the following:
[For preschoolers, draw attention to] stereotypes and biases when you see them in media and books (for example, who is and isn’t represented in roles like doctors, lawyers, firefighters, villains, and heroes).
It’s never too early to learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion!
Also:
You can open your elementary-schooler’s mind by encouraging them to reflect on their own privilege and areas where they lack privilege to help them better understand other people, perspectives, and cultures.
To that end — and hearkening back to holidays — the school celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day:
For Indigenous children, it’s vital to receive education that affirms and reflects their identities, histories, and experiences. A good understanding of the past is essential for children who are not Indigenous to develop empathy and perspective as well as an antiracist outlook.
(A site search for “Columbus Day” turns up zero results.)
As for viewing our world, KinderCare offers the article “Antiracist Kids: How We Teach Little Kids About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion“:
There’s no doubt: We’re witnessing an historic movement for racial justice in our country. Although parents of color are likely to have discussed race and their families for years, some families might only be beginning conversations about racism or injustice. But now more than ever, it’s clear that we all need to teach our kids about racism and even more importantly, how to be an antiracist.
“Antiracism” — per UCLA Law Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw — is “the active dismantling of systems, privileges, and everyday practices that reinforce and normalize the contemporary dimensions of white dominance. This, of course, also involves a critical understanding of the history of whiteness in America.”
Seems a bit weighty for tiny tots — especially the white ones.
Nonetheless, KinderCare contends, “It all starts with acknowledging differences!”
Your spawn could also be a bigot.
Although five-year old children may not be able to understand prejudice and racial bias but are already displaying similar attitudes toward race as their peers from other cultures,
What age should your heirs start antiracism education?
KinderCare says six weeks is about the right length.
Whether your child is six weeks old or in the sixth grade, they’re ready to learn how to practice empathy, compassion, and understanding. And everything they do — from reading books and making art to even having lunch — can be experienced through an anti-bias lens.
I’d guess your month-and-a-half-old might miss the finer points.
However, it is worth trying to find a method of hammering it in as soon as possible.
By three months, babies start to recognize physical differences among others. This is a great opportunity to begin small.
The world of education has changed.
It was common for children to be taught similarities in the past. In the context of being together, they learned to be kind.
Presently, it appears one’s skin color is one’s identity.
And one’s difference determines one’s condition of currency.
For some, there’s a credit; others are saddled with debt.
Between the poop and the drool, it’s going to be tough getting America’s infants to pay up.
However, I think professionals in Portland hope progressive parents will make an effort.
It isIt is one reality on the start-’em-early system’s side: Babies take lots of naps, so there’ll be ample opportunities for them to get woke.
-ALEX
You can find more of my content here:
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Forensic Anthropologists Say ‘Cloaked’ Whiteness Soils Science, Cops Care Less About BIPOC Bones
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