Parents Teach Kids About Dangers of Racism After Finding White Supremacy Propaganda Pamphlets in Greendale

racism White Supremacy Hate Messages Dangers of Racism Importance of Racism Conversation with Kids

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Oct 03, 08:09 pm

A family found almost 80 propaganda pamphlets about white supremacy distributed in their neighborhood in Greendale.

The Kendall family had always described their Greendale neighborhood as a friendly, quiet, and happy place.

Thus, when they went out last Sunday morning to walk their dog, they were horrified to find a hateful message of racism near their doorstep and were about to find out soon that numerous more were placed in their neighbors' homes, TMJ4 News reported.

The message was placed inside a plastic bag with rice in it.

Sarah Kendall, a mother, stated that the whole message was about "white supremacy," and the family did not feel good about it. They were also so certain they did not want this kind of hate in their neighborhood, so they took action and went around the area to get all the messages. They collected almost 80 bags, and Michael, Kendall's husband, took to Facebook to share what happened to his neighbors and friends.

'Wake-up call' to parents

The Kendalls' 5th-grade son, 10-year-old Griffin, said these hate messages made him so mad because there are people who just want to spread hate in a place that is filled with happiness.

The Kendalls, though frustrated and worried, especially since their children's school is just a few blocks away from the neighborhood, made sure to turn the situation into a learning moment for their kids, realizing that what happened was a "wake-up" call for parents to teach their children about the dangers of racism and the beauty of loving and respecting each other.

Michael said they explained how and why the messages were wrong, aiming to make the kids better equipped to recognize similar patterns in the future.

"There's the history you learn in school but that's not always enough nuanced and detailed to speak about systemic racism that's happening. We need to be proactive about it and educate our kids- have those important conversations so that they can be part of the next generation that's healthier and more supportive," Sarah declared.

Racism conversation: The earlier, the better

It can be difficult to talk to kids about racism. One of the reasons can be parents' fear of exposing their children to such a very serious issue at a very young age.

Conversations about racism and discrimination will be of different processes for every family. There will be no "one-size-fits-all approach." Yet, being silent about it is never an option, UNICEF insisted.

Science is clear - parents should make the racism conversation with their kids as early as possible.

Babies can already notice physical differences such as skin color as early as six months. By age 5, according to studies, kids can already show signs of racial bias, as simple as treating people around them from one racial group more favorably than the other.

Avoiding and not prioritizing the topic is leaving the children exposed to real and existing biases. It is leaving the kids unprotected.

Children, who become victims of racism, on the other hand, can be left feeling lost as they try to process alone the pain and curiosity of being treated differently than others. This can have a serious, long-term impact on their development and well-being.