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Helping parents combat racism in schools
Parents for Diversity formed to help parents prepare for tough conversations with
teachers
CIBC News ° IPosted4 Selp 20, 201 1009 IPIM IET 1I ILast Updated: September 20
IIn this coirnposite photod julliia Mcoll„ (left, and IMarnte Mollepo spealk about IPalrelrnts for IDiiveirsiity on
CIBC IRadiio"s Ottawa Morning. (CIBC)
When Julia Nicol and Mante Molepo learned their children had endured racist taunts
from other kids in their kindergarten classrooms, they resolved to do something
about it.
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Helping parents combat racism in schools I CBC News
The Ottawa group Parents for Diversity is holding its first workshop tonight, aimed at
helping parents navigate anti -black racism their children may face in school.
The group aims to educate parents on the responsibilities schools have to prevent
discrimination, and give parents an idea of how to talk about race with teachers and
administrators.
Nicol said her daughter would come home in tears after being taunted at school. As
a parent, she had to comfort her child, but also knew she had to start a tough
conversation about race and identity.
"I wanted to support her and make her realize that that was not a problem with her
identity, it was a problem with what that boy had been taught," she said. "I want her
to be comfortable in her own skin and proud of who she is and her mixed heritage."
Giving parents tools for advocacy
Mante Molepo said her daughter has also been the target of discriminatory
comments from other students. Even in the earliest grades, she was being excluded
by her classmates because of her skin colour, Molepo said.
A difficult conversation was made even tougher when Molepo experienced pushback
from a teacher.
"She categorically denied that children at the kindergarten level are aware of race,"
she said. "Despite the countless studies that prove otherwise."
The workshop will focus on showing parents the best way to broach the issue of
racism with teachers and reminding parents exactly what their children's rights are.
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Helping parents combat racism in schools I CBC News
"We often forget that schools have a legal obligation to provide a learning
environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying,"
Molepo said.
Building rapport
It often helps when parents build rapport with their children's teachers at the start of
the school year so that when incidents occur it's easier to have a conversation, she
said.
It's also helpful to give concrete examples of what teachers can do to foster inclusion,
Nicol said, citing one experience with her daughter's teacher, who put a sticker on
her Garde 1 report card.
"It was a superhero girl with brown skin," she said. "You could just see my daughter's
eyes sparkle."
The workshop takes place Thursday night at the Taggart Family YMCA at 6 p.m. It's
free to attend, but parents are asked to register in advance.
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