Dear Parents,
There is nothing new about what is going on: these racist murders, policies, and attitudes are as old as our country’s inception.
Social justice has long been woven into the fabric of the therapeutic work done at Austin Teen Therapy. However, I admit that I have fallen short as it has not been something I have been as vocal or as active about as I have been lately. Social justice and the unlearning of racism, homophobia, transphobia, fat phobia, ableism, ageism, classism (etc) is as imperative to therapy as coping skills, heightened self-awareness, interpersonal skills, communication skills, etc. To say we work from a holistic lens MUST mean we also work from an intersectional lens.
Austin Teen Therapy, as an organization, works earnestly to be social justice oriented and actively anti-racist. Our individual work with teens includes: what it is to be anti-racist, to be active in the fight for social justice, and understanding and acknowledging privileges held.
I wanted to share the following resources to strengthen these conversations at home. As a white cis-woman, I am NOT the expert on this topic so I will provide a jumpstart and will point you in the direction of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) who you can pay for their expertise and energy. You will also note this short guide is titled for white teens, that is because I am not in a position to tell BIPOC how to discuss racism in their homes. The kids call it staying in my own lane.
You will also notice I use the language “anti-racism”… There is only racism and anti-racism:
“The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequalities to persevere, as racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.’” Ibram X. Kendi
Parents Guide for Talking With white Teens about Racism:
DO YOUR OWN WORK
Parents, leaders, adults in teens lives need to be actively doing their own work. See the resources below for more information and if you don’t have your own support systems for this work I highly encourage you to do so (book clubs, therapy, activism groups, etc).
2. ACKNOWLEDGE WHITE PRIVILEGE
White folks hold white privilege. Discuss as a family the house you live in, the part of town you live in, the jobs you have, the education, the access to healthcare, access to a variety of foods, your afforded safety, etc. These are all available to you because of systemic racism and white privilege.
3. DECOLONIZE THE MEDIA IN YOUR HOUSE
Seek out and pay for: art, movies, books, music, social media, etc from BIPOC. Talk about the stories you hear and the struggles your white skin has shielded you from.
4. SUPPORT BIPOC BUSINESSES
Here is a listing for Black owned Austin businesses. Vote with your dollar by putting money into BIPOC communities.
Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce
Austin Black Chamber of Commerce
Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Austin Alhambra Chamber of Commerce
5. ENCOURAGE CONVERSATIONS
We perpetuate the violence of white silence when we hush conversations about race. This book may come in handy: So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
6. LEARN FROM YOUR TEENS
Your teens have access to so much information via social media, smart phones, their friends. Ask them what they’re learning, what conversations they are a part of, what activists and educators they are following on social media.
Here is an non-exhaustive list of books to begin/support/further your anti-racism work at home. I also encourage you to support this local, Black woman owned bookstore: Black Pearl Books
Book for Teens:
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Skin I'm In by Sharon G Flake
Books for Parents:
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This Book is Anti Racist by Tiffany Jewell
How to Be An Anti Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Additional Resources:
Here is an AMAZING resource for you and your teens to engage over: How to Engage in Anti-Racism Work: 70+ Resources for Teens
A few of our favorite Instagram accounts:
@inclusivetherapists, @refinedtherapy, @austinjusticecoalition, @consciousrootsllc, @ckyourprivilege, @privtoprg, @moemotivate, @rachel.cargle, @laylafsaad, @ibramxk