More than 600 parents attend anti-black racism seminar

More than 600 parents recently attended a seminar on how to talk to children about anti-black racism.

The seminar, held by the Durham District School Board (DDSB) as part of the Parent Engagement Series, welcomed acclaimed public speaker, author, social media influencer, and parent Bee Quammie to speak with parents and guardians on how to talk to children about anti-black racism.

Quammie was joined by more than 640 people to watch the virtual event live as she guided participants through techniques and questions to ask when speaking about anti-black racism to children.

She also provided practical tips as to what everyone can do to make a difference when addressing anti-black racism for young minds.

“I think we very often underestimate children and what we think they can understand,” she says, noting it’s really important that we situate ourselves in these conversations.

Following the keynote, Quammie answered questions from attendees responding to issues such as how to support and frame anti-black racism thoughts and action while being an ally to support students.

The presentation coincides with the recently released “Addressing ANTI-BLACK RACISM & ITS IMPACT: A Well-Being Toolkit for Families” created by the DDSB Inclusive Student Services (ISS) Department (Social Work and Psychological Services staff) that identify as members of the Black, Latinx and White communities.

The webinar has been posted online. Those interested can view the webinar by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyygYSgAR6k.