What Parents Tell Their Kids About Race : Code Switch : NPR: Like so much of the advice that parents give their children, conversations about race often say a great deal about the values parents hold most dear. And like so much other parental advice, kids are often keen to reject it outright — or remix it for themselves. (In July, when news broke that George Zimmerman was acquitted of manslaughter, we asked parents to share what they told their kids after the verdict was announced.)
When we asked people to share their stories about how their parents and family discussed race, we were overwhelmed with the responses. Unlike lots of conversations about race, folks eschewed self-congratulation and preachiness in favor of candor and uncertainty. A lot of people felt their parents meant well, but had left them ill-prepared to deal with race as adults. Others pointedly criticized their parents' attitudes.
