I am not good with words, so I will leave it to Cleo Wade, a poet and author of a book called Where To Begin: A Small Book About Your Power To Create Big Change In Our Crazy World. If you are feeling angry, fed-up, lost, helpless, looking for hope, please listen below.
"To begin.
To start
with one small act
and
qualify ourselves."
-Cleo Wade
If you did not get the chance to listen/watch the clip above, Cleo Wade shares:
"When the world asks us
big questions
that
require big answers,
We have two options:
One:
To Feel so overwhelmed
or
unqualified
we do
nothing.
Two:
To begin.
To start
with one small act
and
qualify ourselves."
I choose option two... "To begin. To start with one small act and qualify" myself. Because Black Lives Matter. Because Black Wellbeing Matters. Because Black Children Matter. Because I can do better and be better as an educator, a friend, and a human.
Humble Warrior Yoga is founded on love, compassion and kindness. During these dark times, I will not only continue to do just that but continue to process, learn, and find ways to be better and do better. I believe there is a lot room for growth, knowledge and love. With this new knowledge, growth and love I will continue the dialogue and spread what I have learned; all through a lens of respect and love.
So how can we talk to young children about this? Well, this is going to look different for everyone. Being aware of what details young children see and hear are of most important. Most images and dialogue are not age appropriate for most families in this community but we can definitely start the conversation. Studies show that is is never too early to talk to your children about race (click here for information) and if you haven't started the conversation yet, it's not too late. We can start with books, (below are a few lists of books that address these issues) or even conversation starters such as "I am sad because people of color are not treated like me and you." Or "What do you think are some ways we can make sure we treat all people with kindness and respect?"
Many organizations have shared excellent resources for families and children. I also know many of you have already started researching but if you are looking (for more), I have compiled a very short list below. If there are resources you and your family have benefited from, please respond below or to yoga@humblewarriorsf.com. I'd love to learn more, start a dialogue with our community, and create a safe space where we can share thoughts and resources.
Please comment below if you would like to share your experiences, thoughts, questions, additional resources, or simply just to connect.
I'd like to end the same way Cleo Wade ended her TedTalk above...
"Be good to as many people as possible."
-Gene, Where To Begin
With a heavy heart and hope for change,
Jerika
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