Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday in the murder of George Floyd.
Experts in child psychology say it’s important for parents to talk with their children about racism broadly, and about the Chauvin trial specifically.
“Color-blind parenting essentially says, ‘Oh, we’re all the same, color doesn’t matter.’ Whereas we know that in the United States, color in fact does matter,” said Marietta Collins, an associate professor of family medicine and psychiatry at the Morehouse School of Medicine and the author of “Something Happened in Our Town (A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice).” “So we advocate, instead, for race-conscious parenting, where you talk about race, celebrate similarities in race, expose your child to differences in race, expose your child to the richness of diversity that exists.”
Question: Should you talk to your child about the verdict?
Marietta Collins: I suggest following the child’s lead in the decision to have a conversation, and of course the conversation should be done in age appropriate language.
Ask your children what have they heard about the trial and how … they feel about the verdict. Parents may be surprised that their children have heard about the trial and that their children have opinions about the verdict.
Answer their questions honestly, clarify misinformation or misconceptions. … Some children may focus on the brutal nature in which Mr. Floyd died and may have even seen graphic footage about it….
