22 A letter to my daughter about racism
Created by Ashley Dembroski
To my unborn baby girl:
As I try to come up with the words to tell you what is going on in our world right now, I feel like I am falling short. Yet I need to let you know about the systemic racism happening in our country at this moment. I also would like to tell you my hopes and dreams for you and how to not be color blind in our world.
The Black Lives Matter movement took on major traction when I was pregnant with you. A man named George Floyd was murdered by a police officer. He took his last breath on film, so many emotions ran through me. Sadness and anger were the biggest two emotions. There were protests in the streets for BLM, I wanted to attend so badly and be on the front lines and be an ally with the movement, but I needed to think about you as well. Thus, begun my journey as to how to raise you to not be color blind and to see that until black lives matter all lives can’t matter. I started to read books and have uncomfortable conversations with friends and family.
What I have learned and will try to teach you over time.
- Systemic racism is a real thing
- What is taught in school isn’t always the full truth
- I will teach you that there are racial divides and why
- The media controls imagery
- I will teach you to ask questions and engage in uncomfortable conversations about race and racism
- How to be an ally
My hopes for you and all the other kids your age being born into this moment in history is that we can create a better learning environment where you and your classmates are able to learn the truth behind BLM. Why it started and what we can do to make it better. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Love,
Mom
