Based on guidance from Council for Professional Recognition CEO Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr.
Many of us want to speak with our kids about racial equity, but find the subject daunting—especially for children age birth to five. Though the topic may seem difficult to navigate, children are already thinking about race every day. From visiting the grocery store to watching TV, kids often encounter people of many different racial groups. Talking to children about race can begin with an ordinary experience and can lead to an impactful conversation.
As parents and educators, it is our job to teach children about the great importance of racial equity, and to provide a safe place to ask questions and process emotions. It is our role to offer encouragement so that children can learn, grow, and be heard. We recommend the following tips for talking with young children about race and injustice.
1. Acknowledge the situation.
Prepare for the conversation with your child by writing down a few points that you would like to address. For example, you could follow up on something your child has asked about, such as this 4-year-old’s question: “Why are some police unfair to Black people?” In your response, experts suggest focusing on key words like “fairness,” which preschoolers understand. You might say:
“Did you ever have a situation where something was done to you or someone that you felt was wrong? How do you feel about it? Is there something you wanted to say when it happened, but you didn’t because you were afraid?” – Dr. Howard Stevenson, clinical psychologist, U. Penn
“Racism [is] unfair and that’s why we need to work together to make it better.” – UNICEF
Talking with your kids about racial injustice should be an age-appropriate, open, and ongoing discussion. We might fear that children will become frightened or upset when speaking about injustice, but children can come to harmful conclusions about race when it’s not discussed openly.
2. Celebrate differences
Children as young as three notice race, and might begin to ask about a person’s skin color or features. According UNICEF and Save the Children, parents have the opportunity to celebrate differences in their response: “We are all human, but we are all unique, isn’t that amazing!”
As a family, find creative ways to honor cultural, racial, and linguistic differences each day. Throughout the week, take time with your family to listen to music from another culture, create a delicious meal from another culture’s cuisine, participate in an activity outside your neighborhood, visit a museum, or to learn a few words in another language. These activities will stretch kids’ imaginations, and will help them not to fear differences, but to celebrate them.
3. Be a positive role model.
When you speak with your child about racial equity, be calm and factual. Children take their cues from parents, so talking to kids calmly helps them process information. It is appropriate to have emotional reactions, but do your best to focus the conversation on facts and ideas rather than emotions.
Dr. Stevenson recommends explaining why you are talking about these ideas. He encourages parents to let kids know that you want them to communicate the things that make them feel afraid, “because that will make them strong.”
Children learn by example; they watch and pick up on almost everything. When they see parents and adults in their lives interacting with friends who look different than them, children learn that this is a normal part of life. In addition to speaking with your child about differences and fairness, it’s important to model it in your own life.
4. Validate children’s feelings.
Do your best to acknowledge whatever fears, anger, or other negative feelings come up within the conversation. According to Child Mind, this will look different for every child. Some children might be afraid of protests, and others might be afraid of being hurt by the police. Child Mind recommends inviting children to draw, act out with toys, or paint their thoughts and feelings, and to use this as a springboard for conversation.
Above all, it is important that your child knows that they are listened to, supported, and loved.
5.Encourage a two-way conservation.
Invite your children to ask any questions they might have about racial fairness. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is okay to say so. If your child asks a question that you’re not sure about, research the subject online, or find out the answer through talking with friends and family.
COVID-19 has brought a sense of fear for many children already. Kids are still learning to manage their feelings about the health crisis, so now more than ever we must listen to our children and engage their questions openly as we prepare them to become conscientious neighbors and citizens.
Resources to keep the conversation going with your children:
PBS Kids: Visit PBS Kids for articles, read-along events, and research focused on talking to young children about race and racism. Choose a book to read together from “13 Children’s Books About Race and Diversity.”
Sesame Street: Listen to Sesame Street’s “We Are Not Alone” song, and watch Sesame Street and CNN’s “Coming Together: Standing up to Racism- Town Hall for Kids and Families.”
SheKnows: Choose an age-appropriate movie or show from the article “21 Kid-Friendly Movies & TV Shows That Educate About Diversity & Race” to watch as a family, like “Nella the Princess Knight” or “Motown Magic.”
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Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
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