THANKS. %
>> THANK YOU. %
>>> FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS, OUR
COUNTRY HAS STOOD UP %
AND SPOKEN UP ABOUT THE DEATH %
OF GEORGE FLOYD AND SO %
MANY OTHER BLACK AMERICANS AT
THE HANDS OF THE %
POLICE THERE TO PROTECT US. %
RIGHT NOW, PARENTS ARE HAVING %
CONVERSATIONS THAT NO %
MOTHER OR FATHER SHOULD HAVE TO
HAVE WITH THEIR
KIDS, WARNING THEM ABOUT RACISM
AND POLICE %
BRUTALITY. %
THEY ARE TEACHING THEM ABOUT
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND
THEIR RIGHTS, ENCOURAGING THEM %
TO FIGHT FOR A BETTER %
FUTURE. %
THESE ARE TOUGH TALKS FOR %
ADULTS, LET ALONE LITTLE
ONES, BUT THEY ARE IMPORTANT %
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE
ALL NEED TO BE HAVING RIGHT
NOW. %
MSNBC CORRESPONDENT JERMAINE %
LEE JOINS ME NOW. %
HE IS THE HOST OF THE PODCAST
"INTO AMERICA." %
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS %
VERY ISSUE IN YOUR
LATEST PODCAST. %
WHAT ARE PARENTS TELLING YOU %
ABOUT HOW THEY ARE %
APPROACHING THESE ISSUES AND %
BRINGING UP THESE %
CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR KIDS? %
>> THAT’S RIGHT, ALSON. %
THESE ARE VERY TOUGH TIMES. %
PARENTS -- SOME ARE DOING THE %
BEST THAT THEY CAN. %
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT TEACHING %
CHILDREN ABOUT HATE AND
RACISM AND POLICE BRUTALITY. %
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WITH MANY %
WHITE PARENTS, WHO %
NEVER ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THED I
DON’T OF RACE AT %
ALL. %
SO SO THOSE WHITE CHILDREN END %
UP BEING LAWYERS AND %
POLICE, AND IF THEY DON’T TEACH
THEM TO RESPECT
OTHER PEOPLE, THEN SOCIETY WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO %
TEACH THEM HOW TO %
RESPOND TO OTHER PEOPLE.
. YOU HAVE TO START VERY YOUNG,
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, %
THE BASIC ROOTS OF AMERICA WERE
FOUNDED ON RACISM, %
AND MANY OF THOSE THREADS
REMAIN TODAY, ALISON. %
>> YES, YEAR MAYBE, THAT’S THE %
TOP THING FOR A LOT
OF PARENTS, RIGHT, TRYING TO %
FIGURE OUT WHEN IS THE %
RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THIS KIND OF
A TALK, TO HAVE %
DIFFICULT TALKS WITH THEIR %
KIDS. %
WHAT ARE YOU LEARN ABOUT WHY IT
IS SO IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS EARLY,
AND WHEN MAYBE THE %
APPROPRIATE TIME MIGHT BE? %
>> YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO DR.
BEVERLY DANIEL TATUM, %
AND SHE SAID YOU HAVE TO START
YOUNG, BECAUSE IF YOU %
ALLOW THAT SPACE, AGAIN, IT %
WILL BE FILLED WITH %
SOMETHING, BECAUSE SHE SAYS %
IT’S BEST TO GET IN %
THERE WHEN THEY’RE YOUNG. %
BE PLAIN, BE OPEN, BE HONEST,
ALSO LEAVE %
AGE-APPROPRIATE INFORMATION %
THAT STARTS AS EARLY AS %
FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX. %
LISTEN TO WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY. %
>> IT’S IMPORTANT TO SAY
CHILDREN NOTICE RACIAL
DIFFERENCE. %
THEY NOTICE THOSE DIFFERENCES. %
THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, %
AND IT’S NOT A BAD %
THING TO RESPOND TO THOSE %
QUESTIONS A VERY
MATTER-OF-FACT WAY, BECAUSE
PEOPLE COME IN DIFFERENT
COLORS, DESPITE HAVING %
DIFFERENT HAIR COLOR. %
SOMETIMES THEY HAVE DIFFERENT
SKIN COLOR. %
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A HEAVY,
MEATY CONVERSATION, %
AND THERE ARE LOT OF WONDERFUL %
BOOKS THAT ARE %
APPROPRIATE TO BE READ WITH TWO-
AND %
THREE-YEAR-OLDS, PICTURE BOOKS %
AND, YOU KNOW, %
STORIES THAT ILLUSTRATE
CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT %
BACKGROUNDS, PLAYING TOGETHER,
OR TALKING ABOUT, YOU %
KNOW, HAIR TEXTURE OR SKIN
COLOR OR, YOU KNOW,
QUESTIONS THAT CHILDREN HAVE % THAT ARE APPROPRIATE
THAT ARE APPROPRIATE
FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL. %
>> THERE’S NO RIGHT WAY TO DO %
IT, BUT IF TO TRY. %
>> YOU MADE SUCH A GREAT POINT
ABOUT KIDS NOTICING %
THINGS SO YOUNG. %
I MOON, WE HAVE ALL BEEN OUT %
WITH YOUNG CHILDREN,
WHO JUST, EXCUSE ME, WILL POINT
AND ASK A QUESTION %
ABOUT WHY DOES THAT PERSON LOOK
DIFFERENT FROM ME, %
OR WHY IS THIS PERSON -- KIDS %
ARE ON SERVANT. %
THEY ARE WISE. %
THEY SEE AND KNOW THINGS. %
AND IT’S SUCH A GREAT ADVICE
THAT YOU’VE GOT TO MEET %
THEM WHERE THEY ARE. %
YOU CAN’T JUST WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FILL THAT
ELSE TO FILL THAT VOID, TO ANSWER THOSE %
VOID, TO ANSWER THOSE %
QUESTIONS.
>> IT’S UP TO US TO REINFORCE %
THOSE VALUES, THAT %
PEOPLE ARE EQUAL. %
>> . %
>> ABSOLUTELY. %
>> IF YOU DON’T, BAD THINGS CAN
HAPPEN. %
WE SEE IT PLAY OUT EVERY DAY. %
>> CHERIE, WE HAVE SEEN SOME %
PARENTS BRINGING THEIR %
KIDS TO THESE PROTESTS, TO %
MARCHES, AND SOME OF THEM %
HAVE TURNED VIOLENT. %
WHAT IMPACT CAN THAT HAVE ON %
KIDS? %
FOR THOSE FRIGHTENED TO BRING
THEIR KIDS ALONG OR %
ARE NOT SURE TO BRING THEIR
KIDS ALONG, IS THERE
SOME ADVICE HERE? %
>> CLEARLY, WITH THE FAMILY. %
THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES THAT %
ARE SO SERVICE AND
COMMUNITY ORIENTED, THAT THEY
WILL GLADLY TAKE THEIR %
CHILDREN TO A MARCH OR PROTEST,
BECAUSE IT’S PART OF
THEIR EDUCATION. %
THERE IS PROBABLY NOTHING MORE
AMERICAN THAN %
PROTEST. %
THE ROOTS OF AMERICA WERE %
FOUNDED ON PROTEST. %
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW YOUR %
FAMILY. %
PARENTS ARE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR
THEIR CHILDREN. %
SO IT’S GOING TO BE A DANGEROUS
SITUATION YOU MIGHT %
NOT WANT TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN %
TO A NIGHTTIME %
PROTEST OR A PRIVATE -- BUT
AGAIN, IT’S ALSO PART OF %
EXERCISING AS AN AMERICAN, YOUR
FIRST AMENDMENT %
RIGHTS. %
SO THERE ARE FEW THINGS TO %
EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN ON,
FIRST AMENDMENT THAN ALLOWING
THEM TO EXERCISE. %
>> WE HAVE SEEN IMAGES OF SO
MANY AMAZING YOUNG
PEOPLE, JERMAINE, SPEAKING UP,
SPEAKING OUT, SHARING
THEIR VOICES. %
JERMAINE, I CAN’T THANK YOU
ENOUGH. %
YOU HAVE BEEN ON WITH US %
THROUGH THE WEEK, WHETHER %
IT WAS YOUR SPECIAL EARLIER
THIS WEEK, YOUR PODCAST, %
JUST HELPING US TO HAVE THE %
CONVERSATION THAT A LOT %
OF AMERICANS ARE HAVING FOR THE
VERY FIRST TIME, AND %
THEY ARE IMPORTANT --S TO HAVE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR %
HELPING GUIDE US THROUGH %
THIS. %