What is systemic racism, or anti-racism? Tough questions that even adults can struggle to answer. American Girl has released a new advice book, A Smart Girl’s Guide: Race & Inclusion that will help readers 10 and up understand these concepts and more, plus help normalize the conversation around race.
You can buy the book online today for $12.99 and the it’s more than 100 pages, with full-color illustrations, tips, quizzes and challenges. It’s written by Deanna Singh, a highly respected thought leader and diversity and inclusion expert. Plus it benefits from expert advisors who reviewed the manuscript: Traci Baxley, Ed.D., a professor of multicultural education and curriculum and instruction at Florida Atlantic University; and Deborah Rivas-Drake, Ph.D., a professor of education and psychology at the University of Michigan, who works to disrupt racism and xenophobia.
“We’re proud to add Race & Inclusion to our popular Smart Girl’s Guide series, which has served as a trusted resource for our readers and their families for nearly three decades,” said Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl. “It’s our hope that the age-appropriate information and real-life guidance found in the book will be an important step for all those seeking to create a more compassionate world where everyone is treated fairly and with respect.”
Today’s release is part of American Girl’s commitment to engage more diverse voices and create new content to help advance racial equality. Among other initiatives, the brand recently launched Conversations for Change, a series that amplifies young women of various backgrounds and experiences making a difference in their communities. American Girl strives to help girls be their best and this new book will certainly make a difference!
IKEA’s redesigned classic blue FRAKTA tote is back! In honor of Pride Month, you can shop the limited edition STORSTOMMA Bag in two sizes.
The large bag ($2.99) is perfect for your IKEA shopping trips, while the smaller version ($.99) is great for everyday use. Even better, IKEA is donating 30% of all sales of the bags (and ENEBY rainbow speaker covers) to GLSEN, Inc., which works to ensure K-12 students have a safe place to learn, free from bullying and harassment.
Donations will come from all sales from Jun. 1 through 30, 2021, up to $50,000.
“LGBTQ+ inclusion is an issue very close to our hearts and we want people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to feel at home – not just at IKEA, but everywhere,” said Samantha Giusti, Chief of Staff & LGBTQ+ Co-Worker Resource Group Co-Chair, IKEA Retail U.S.
Don’t wait to grab your STORSTOMMA bags, they’re limited edition! You can find them at your local IKEA or at IKEA.com.
Adiba Nelson doesn’t exactly sit back and watch the world go by. She’s a woman of action. When she was looking for books to read to her daughter, she could not find a single book that showed a black child with disabilities. “They were either animals, or they looked nothing like her,” Adiba says.
So she wrote the book herself.
Meet ClaraBelle Blueis Adiba Nelson’s picture book (illustrated by Elvira Morando) and not only is it an important book for her personally, but it is also a vital contribution to children’s books, period.
Why? Because, as Ms. Nelson puts it, “Children need to see themselves in the world to feel their own value.” And having a book like this on your shelf, whether you are the parent of a child with special needs or not, also aims to help kids understand that a child who may look different, act different, have special needs, or be from a different place is still a kid.
“This is ClaraBelle Blue, and she’s just like YOU!”
The message of this book reminds children and their parents that a ClaraBelle is in a wheelchair, and sometimes uses braces on her legs or a walker, but she also loves to laugh, and be tickled, and she has to brush her teeth and get tucked into bed—just like all kids.
Based loosely on her own daughter, Emory, who is a child with special needs, Ms. Nelson decided to write and self-publish the book when she found many agents rejecting it for being too “narrow.”
SMeet ClaraBelle Blue exists because Ms. Nelson felt that “children cannot wait for the world to be ready to see them.”
We couldn’t agree more. This is a beautiful book that belongs on any child’s shelf and would make a wonderful gift for a school or local library.
If you are interested in buying the book, or booking Adiba Nelson for an in-school or library reading or discussion about inclusion in children’s work, check out clarabelleblue.com to learn more.
Adiba Nelson is the author of Meet Clarabelle Blue and the forthcoming book, Ain’t That a Mother. You can learn more about the force that is Adiba at her website thefullnelson.com
One of the biggest questions that have come up with the recent hate crimes against the AAPI community is how to raise anti-racist kids. While there is no one right way to do it, there are a plethora of ways to model inclusivity and teach kids the importance of diversity.
Have Frequent Honest Conversations With Your Kids
From a young, impressionable age, educate your kids about diversity and inclusion by having frequent conversations that recognize and celebrate differences. Many parents are surprised at how helpful simply talking about diversity and inclusion can be, and how non-judgemental kids really are. Just last week, I was talking to my 10-year-old about different minority groups and I was blown away. He said he doesn’t care what skin color someone is, where someone lives, what gender they identify with or who they love as long as they were kind, fun, and a good friend. It’s truly that simple. We are born without judgment. Hate and bigotry is something we are taught or modeled, so it really comes down to setting a good example.
Help Your Kids Process Their Feelings
Much like you would process an internal family conflict, a disappointing event at school, or a bad grade, it’s important for parents to help kids process what they are seeing in the media. You don’t want to shield your kids from the outside world, but parents should take time to process what is going on in the world, e.g the #StopAsianHate movement. Watch your responses and physical reactions to media pieces, as your kids see and hear everything. Ask your kids how they are feeling with everything going on.
Experience Different Cultures
In an ideal world, we would be able to travel the world to immerse ourselves in different cultures but it isn’t always financially possible. I have been having my older son pick different influential people in history from the “Who Is” series and present lessons on them to me. This puts them in a teacher role and you in a student role. We also go on Amazon Explore to virtually travel to different parts of the world to learn about their traditions with a live interactive one-on-one guide.
Be Mindful Of What You Consume
Model inclusivity as a parent by consuming art, movies, music, and more from a variety of different cultures. In my family, we watch documentaries and then talk about what we learned as a family. We also role-play and discuss stereotypes whenever possible. View these as opportunities to have a more open dialogue with your child and to talk about your own family’s rich history, their journey to America, and the traditions you maintain to this day.
Highlight the Beauty in Diversity
Pay attention to how you communicate with and about others. As an Asian, I get asked most often…”Where are you from?” The simple answer is here. I was born and raised in Orange County. So when you ask where I am from, I am from here. You might also be wondering what my ethnicity is but that is a different question. I am an American, the daughter of immigrants from India and Indonesia (Chinese). Teaching your child the difference between ethnicity and nationality is a great place to start, and sharing details of your own family history can help inspire your kids to see the beauty in diversity.
Model Speaking Up & Out
This past year there has been so much hate and violence toward Black people, Asians, and other minorities in this country. As a first-generation American, I grew up being taught not to speak out against injustices, but to keep silent. To move on. To say things only within our home. I think we are the generation that is changing that. We have to change that. Innocent Asian people are being attacked because of how they look and bigotry, and my heart is broken. I always think that could have been my Mom or my Dad, and that is not ok. All these lives that have been affected by Asian hate…they are someone’s Mom, Dad, grandparent, sibling just going about their lives before being harassed or violently attacked. As a parent, show your child how to speak up and out when faced with injustice.
Proudly Eat Foods From Different Cultures
I remember never wanting to bring leftovers to school for lunch because they were “smelly”, so I opted for something more socially-acceptable. I ate my Kimchi at home, I wouldn’t let my mom make Indian curry if friends were coming over, and my husband has been the only guy I ever let see my 99 Ranch Market purchases. I love everything from the seaweed crackers, mae ploy sauce and jackfruit to the pickled daikon radish, boba ice cream, sticky rice dessert, and fresh noodles. It has taken me a long time to be proud of my heritage and present it to the outside world. I suggest parents eat their favorite foods proudly and introduce their kids to foods from different cultures early on. When they are old enough, you could also sign them up for cooking lessons so they can learn how to make things like dumplings or curry. If you want your kids to embrace diversity, start in the kitchen.
I know the majority of people in this country don’t hate Asians but the recent attacks have hit hard and close to home. I’m not always sure how to stop it or how to be a part of the solution, but I do want to keep the conversation going because change is imperative. I’m here to lend a voice, to have a conversation, and to create a better world for our kids. I want a world where my boys can be proud to be 1/2 Asian and celebrate their culture. Life is hard as it is…the color of our skin shouldn’t be one of the aspects making it harder. After all, we are a country of immigrants.
Veena mom of 2 boys (Max and Eddie), is a former Miss California and currently works on TV as an expert in the parenting, lifestyle, beauty and fashion space, You may have seen her on The Doctors, Ktla, Extra and FabFitFun TV and more. Veena currently resides in Boulder with her family.
Disney+ recently announced the upcoming release of LAUNCHPAD, a curated collection of live-action short films that comes from a whole new generation of filmmakers.
The artists chosen for the inaugural season of LAUNCHPAD all come from underrepresented backgrounds. More than 1,100 filmmakers applied for the chance to share their vision and perspectives with the world, but these six stood out from their peers.
After the winners were chosen, each of the filmmakers were given the chance to work with an executive mentor from one of the Disney brand’s branches—Disney+, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
This year’s Launchpad films were inspired by different aspects of life’s journey and follow the theme “Discover.” Mahin Ibrahim, Director of Disney’s Diversity & Inclusion, Market, who oversees the LAUNCHPAD program, said in a press release, “this first group of shorts by these six gifted filmmakers took our breath away. They are moving, provocative and entertaining, and they each convey a unique perspective on living in America today and the things you learn about yourself and others when you follow your own path.”
This season’s LAUNCHPAD films will debut on Disney+ starting May 28 and include American Eid written and directed by Aqsa Altaf, Dinner is Served written by G. Wilson and Hao Zheng and directed by Hao Zheng, Growing Fangs written and directed by Ann Marie Pace, The Last of the Chupacabras written and directed by Jessica Mendez Siqueiros, Let’s Be Tigers written and directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz and The Little Prince(ss) written and directed by Moxie Peng.
While this last year for many parents has meant taking kids “to work” pretty much every day thanks to school and work from home, you might find yourself laughing at the idea of celebrating this day. But hear us out!
This year, Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is going virtual for 2021 and is adapting to current times by creating a virtual career day for parents and kids to experience together. They’re hosting an online event geared toward elementary and middle-school-aged kids. Each program will include keynote speeches, interactive polls, video programming that focuses on diversity and inclusion, and an up-close look into more than 15 workplaces from industries such as the Arts, STEM, Health Sciences, Marketing, and Business.
photo: iStock
Whether you currently work from home, are back in the office in a hybrid model, or are a full-time in-person employee, this special day is a way to celebrate your career with your child. Starting in 1993 daughters and sons have enjoyed learning more about what their parents do for a living. To carry on the excitement of this career-centric day, the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation is transforming the previously all in-person events to cyber fun.
Tune in to the virtual event on Thursday, Apr. 22, 2021 at DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org. All participants should register before the event begins. Visit the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation website here to register.
Catch the broadcast at one of two times—either 9:00 a.m. ET or 12:00 p.m. ET. Entrepreneur and author Ellen Langas will host the 9:00 a.m. event, along with her daughters Stephanie and Veronica Campbell. Activist and icon Gloria Steinem will also make a special appearance, answering questions gathered from children before the event day. Courtney Carson, beauty and lifestyle TV personality, will host the 12:00 program. Gitanjali Rao, TIME Magazine’s first Kid of the Year will also make a special appearance.
The month of April is notoriously known for bringing awareness to autism. I am a huge proponent of using this monthly platform to educate about the sad realities for autistic adults and the overwhelming need for autism acceptance and inclusion.
All parents have hopes and dreams for their children. My plans and expectations for Skyler’s life began before he was even born.
Would he be a star athlete, high achieving student always on the honor roll, musically inclined, or even better, an exceptional friend to everyone he meets.
Of course, I daydreamed about Skyler’s career path too. Perhaps he’d love the law like his mother and become an attorney. Maybe he’d find true joy being an engineer, doctor, contractor or salesman.
As his name reveals, and I’d always say, “Sky’s the limit for my boy.”
Six months into parenting, assuming I was nailing it like a pro, imagine the shock and confusion I felt hearing that my beautiful son had autism.
Immediately following the diagnosis, I received very limited information because “much is still unknown about the cause, treatment options, financial support available and future prognosis for those with ASD.” Not to mention, each child with autism is completely unique, so each family will travel a different path along their journey.
As I was sent on my way with a few generic pamphlets and a bill for the office visit, I was forced to dramatically shift from everything I thought I knew about parenting and had to accept my new reality.
I thought, “He’s only three. If I remain steadfast on getting him into every therapy and early intervention I can find, surely, he will be afforded every chance to experience the same things as his peers when the time comes—employment, self-advocacy and independent living.”
I knew autism would impact the pace of his development but never did I give up on preparing Skyler for the incredible future that he deserved.
I always assumed I had plenty of time.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Skyler turns 18-years-old next week. Believe me, when I tell you, I’m still in complete disbelief. I’m not ready…I need more time.
I desperately try not to dwell on the harsh realities of life for a non-verbal, severely autistic adult. I always assumed that, by the time Skyler was an adult, things would have drastically improved.
Sadly, the old stigmas still exist.
It’s often assumed that upon turning the page from childhood to adulthood, all learning potential has stopped and therefore, the need for continued support, programs, funding and educational resources is a moot point.
Autism is not something a person outgrows nor is there a magic age where new skills and progress are no longer achievable.
Acceptance and coming to terms with an uncertain adult future for Skyler has remained the hardest concept for me to grasp and keeps me awake at night.
The fact is, not all autistic adults are alike. Some talk, some don’t. Some drive, some don’t. Some can advocate for themselves, others cannot.
As Skyler officially becomes an adult, I feel as though I’m back in that medical office receiving a second autism diagnosis—but this time, there’s not a single pamphlet on how to navigate adulthood within a system that’s broken. I’m frightened and angrier knowing that Skyler is now among the older autistic population that is forgotten about and disregarded.
According to the CDC, as of April 2020, an estimated 5.4 million adults in the United States have autism.
Sadly, the federal requirement for providing supportive services in adulthood does not exist! The avoidance and refusal to address this issue, at both state and federal levels, which affects a rapidly growing population of adults on the spectrum, is a travesty.
For families like mine, who support a loved one with autism, our daily fight advocating for services, resources and equality lasts for the entirety of our child’s life and likely beyond my own lifetime.
While I appreciate the demonstration of solidarity as the world “lights up blue” on Apr. 2nd for World Autism Awareness Day, I can’t help but think, what we truly need instead is acknowledgment that the opportunities for our adults on the spectrum to thrive in this country are lacking and we need action taken.
It’s critical that entire communities everywhere stand together and demand assistance, support and change for all autistics—not just for those under the age of 21.
Clearly, this rapid increase in newly diagnosed children also translates into a growing adult autistic population.
Therefore, the goal for Autism Acceptance Month should be twofold:
1. To further increase understanding and awareness about autism signs and symptoms.
2. Invest time, energy and funding toward creating community partnerships with businesses and organizations dedicated to building inclusive experiences for all age groups.
So, I encourage you to join me, not just for the month of April but year-round, to #CelebrateDifferences. Let’s use our voices to generate change.
It’s nearly April and everywhere you look you will begin to see the famed puzzle piece. Today I just couldn’t shake that weight that comes with the month ahead. In the coming days, you will begin to hear more chatter from parent advocates and self-advocates alike. You’ll see schools pasting signs about “acceptance” and “inclusion.”
You may be lucky enough to have friends that want to know, want to learn, will stand by your side, especially this month. That first Autism Awareness Month, you may want to hear it all. You still may be too raw to hear any of it. You will feel overwhelmed and underwhelmed and you will find moments you want to quit. The day. The month.
You may love the “Light It Up Blue” and you may hate the “Light It Up Blue.” You may fall in love with puzzle pieces and quotes and you may sob seeing puzzle pieces and quotes. Mama, this month is a lot. It’s a lot of good but in the good, sometimes we forget that good can be heavy.
There will be well-meaning supporters who say the wrong things. There will be people you never imagined who will become your best friend. If I could go back to my first April, my first Autism Awareness Month (that is what it was called five years ago), I’d tell myself these three things:
First, you do you. Share when you want to share and hide when you need to reset. Love the representation you love and be the representation you don’t see. Ignore what isn’t part of your story and share your story too because your story matters. Your child is a gift. Your child is unique. For you self-advocates, teach us. We want to listen. We want to learn. As parents, we want to know what our future may hold, how to help our children but do it with kindness, with the knowledge that we’d move mountains not just for the children we are raising but for you.
Second, breathe. It’s coming at you. Hard and fast. You’ll revisit the emotions that come with diagnosis, therapy, IEP’s, education perhaps even adult life. There will symbols and stories, walks and marches. There will be calls to action and it can be overwhelming. Remember, you are not the only parent living this, feeling this. When a child is diagnosed often they say this is a marathon. Scratch that. This is an iron man and while you don’t feel made for it, you were and your being here, as you are, is important. When the month gets heavy, when you’ve seen one too many stories, heard one too many quotes, on those days when you don’t feel strong enough, your tribe will remind you, you have this, you are making strides and you are incredible. So this month more than ever, lean in, find your tribe and allow them to be there.
Third, it’s okay to feel it all. You may feel all the emotions. Joy in the growth. Sadness in the challenges. Hope this is not just awareness but continued acceptance. Remember it’s okay to feel all the emotions because after April, when the ribbons are down and the stories are locked away for another year, you still are on this journey and that kindness, acceptance, and understanding may just be hidden away again until next year.
So to you, new mama, welcome. I want you to know, you are not alone. I want you to know I am here for you after all the quotes, the marches, the stories. I am here for you because in the last five years I have realized that overall more good has come out of this than I could ever imagine. I’ll be here to stand by and celebrate all the good that is yet to come.
I'm a mom of many who is living her best life navigating a busy world full of ups and downs. Managing five kids and one with additional needs I enjoy learning through living and sharing what I know. I can't wait to share our Messy World with you.
I’ll sit with you in the dark. Waiting for others to believe you. Waiting for insurance approvals. Waiting for evaluations. Always waiting to hear what you already know.
I’ll sit with you in the dark when you feel alone. When others tell you they’ll pray for you. When they tell you stories of how they know someone who knows someone. When they tell you that God gives special kids to special people. When they tell you, “But they’re so cute” or “They’re so smart” —like it’s a constellation prize.
I’ll sit with you in the dark when friends and family slowly drop off when things get harder. They’re “There for you” until they aren’t. Because the reality is too hard for them to grasp so it becomes only your burden to bear.
I’ll sit with you in the dark when you’re so tired of speaking and not being heard. When you repeat yourself into a void and then you’re told “You never said that.” When you cry yourself to sleep every night and no one even notices—I do, because I am you.
I’ll sit with you in the dark when other’s don’t know how dark the dark can be. When you pretend everything is fine when it’s far from it. When you fight for services. When you fight the school system. When you fight your own family who refuse to see things for what they actually are.
I’ll sit with you in the dark when the cuteness starts to wear off. When things that were shrugged off as, “All kids do that” and become, “Why does your kid do that?” I’ll sit with you in the dark when you start to drown yourself in wine and food and try to sleep as much as you can so you don’t have to think.
I know this happens. I know because it all happened to me, and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else. I’ll sit with you in the dark when the sadness of, “Why my kid?” slowly turns to the anger of, “Why not my kid?” and you realize how important inclusion and acceptance are.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises has made a special announcement today, Theodor Seuss Geisel’s birthday. In celebration of supporting hope and inclusion the company has chosen six books that will no longer be published.
Working with a panel of experts to review their catalog of titles, Dr. Seuss Enterprises will cease publication and licensing of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer. According to the statement, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
photo: Amazon
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is committed to curating a catalog that represents all communities and families, and stopping the sales of these books is just one part of their broad plan to ensure that happens.
