Celebrating Juneteenth

“When we talk about race, we honor who children and teens are as learners. A conversation with a caring adult allows children to feel safe and ask questions instead of drawing conclusions about race and racism based on implicit and explicit messaging from the world around them and their own limited knowledge. Reading is a powerful way to nurture a child’s sense of curiosity and build a foundation for having bigger conversations about race over time.” – Smithsonian

Juneteenth is an opportunity to pause, recognize, and cement this moment in our national history. June 19, 1865, is the date that Union Soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free, two and half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Our goal today is to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture. It’s a celebration of freedom and achievement and encouraging others to work on continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

We want to share resources that you can use at home and in the classroom to talk about Black Lives Matter, Juneteenth, and the more difficult topics such as systemic racism, privilege, and antiracist policy. One of the best ways to help your child develop is by supporting their social and emotional development through difficult conversations.

Social-Emotional Learning is a large focus of our programming. It teaches students to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

When having conversations like these, it is okay to feel uncomfortable, but the way to move forward and create meaningful change in the world is by developing a growth mindset and embrace continuous learning.

We hope that you will join us in learning more!