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What should we say when a young child expresses or experiences racial bias? Maybe it’s when a child makes a comment about somebody’s skin color being ‘too dark’ or how they don’t want to play with a child of a different race. Or maybe it’s when a child has experienced racial bullying or some other kind of racialized incident in the classroom. As adults, we may find ourselves reacting or freezing up in these moments. A healthier response is to prepare what early childhood education professor and scholar Dr. Rosemarie Allen calls “a treasure chest” of ready responses for disrupting racial bias in the moment.  Episode Discussion guide: https://files.apmcdn.org/production/73bf40c331d88de1e8cb76003aa9455c.pdf Guest: Dr. Rosemarie Allen MPR Dr. Rosemarie Allen, guest on Early Risers podcast Dr. Rosemarie Allen is a national leader around racial equity in early childhood. She’s an associate professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver and is founder, president and CEO of the Center for Equity and Excellence, a consulting firm specializing in racial equity and inclusion. Episode Resources: Dr. Allen has authored two children’s books about Black hair, “Stylish and Straight,” and “Cute and Curly.” She wrote these books in part, to provide white teachers with a window into the daily routines and lived experiences of Black children in their classrooms. Here are some other book titles and authors Dr. Allen recommends: How to Be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Dr. Allen describes this book as a must- read for all educators. Waking up White by Debby Irving – a chronicle of a white educator’s equity journey. The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad – a children’s book about a Muslim girl’s pride in wearing her hijab and how she responds to bullies at school. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry – a children’s book that celebrates the beauty of Black hair and a father’s love for his daughter. Spare the Kids by Dr. Stacey Patton – a book for adults that unpacks the harm of using corporeal punishment as a means of disciplining Black children. Dr. Allen also recommends Dr. Patton’s workshop on decolonizing Black parenting. Dr. Allen participated in a virtual panel discussion, “Teaching Anti-Racism: Making Sense of Race and Racism for Young Children” hosted by Minnesota Public Radio and Early Risers in June 2021. We also recommend Dr. Allen’s 2016 TEDx talk “School suspensions are an adult behavior,” where she talks about the epidemic of school suspensions in pre-school settings and how children of color are disproportionately impacted.

George Floyd Square in Minneapolis has become a creative memorial and gathering space for healing. It also tells a much bigger story about racism, policing, and the struggle for racial justice in this country and around the world. All of this can be complicated and confusing for a young child. So how can we help children make sense of this? In this episode, Early Risers host Dianne Haulcy visits George Floyd Square with early childhood education expert Sheila Williams Ridge. Together they unpack how parents and caregivers can prepare to bring young children here, including what to do and say to help children heal. Guest: Sheila Williams Ridge Sheila Williams Ridge is co-director of the Child Development Laboratory School at the University of Minnesota. She’s also co-author of “Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget.” Download the Discussion Guide https://files.apmcdn.org/production/245348fa8a040a803928bb7ec3c2f182.pdf More Resources: George Floyd Global Memorial George Floyd and Anti-Racist Street Art Archive From MPR News with Angela Davis: Coping with prolonged grief over George Floyd, mass shootings and the pandemic From NPR: Many know how George Floyd died. A new biography reveals how he lived

The human brain is hardwired to recognize patterns—that’s how we figure out the world, and why humans have been able to adapt and survive over millennia. But the brain’s ability to quickly form cognitive associations can also lead to racial biases, even in very young children. On the season two finale of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy speaks with University of Minnesota cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Damien Fair about how we can train our brains to recognize bias and why the first thousand days of a child’s life are so critical for brain development. Dr. Damien Fair studies the developing brain as a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota: He is a professor at the Institute of Child Development, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Redleaf Endowed Director at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain at the University of Minnesota. Download the Discussion Guidehttps://files.apmcdn.org/production/8f389b555922caf0eef5d88ffbe96ad8.pdf Resources: Dr. Fair was recognized as a MacArthur Fellow – also known as a ‘genius grant’ recipient in 2020. The MacArthur Foundation produced this video about Fair and his work. MPR News reported on Dr. Fair and the launch of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain at the University of Minnesota in 2021. In 2017, Fair gave a TEDx talk about his brain research, titled “Does the brain rest? New advances in studies of brain development.” Fair discusses the Harvard Implicit Association Test during this episode, which includes a variety of free online assessments where you can gain insight about your own implicit biases.

On this special episode of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy sits down with Minnesota’s 50th Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, for an in-person, intimate and wide-ranging conversation. They discuss how she’s been living through the challenges of this moment, including how her experience as an Indigenous woman, state official and parent have shaped how she thinks about issues of racial equity. This conversation was recorded for the 6th Little Moments Count annual meeting held November, 2021. Resources: The 6th Little Moments Count annual meeting includes video of Haulcy’s interview with Flanagan as well as a keynote address from University of Minnesota professor Anne Gearity, who studies the impact of childhood trauma. Watch the video of the full event. Little Moments Count is a statewide movement in Minnesota to help parents and the community understand the importance of talking, playing, reading and singing early and often with children.  Explore their racial justice resource page.

Bao Phi’s family came to Minnesota in the 1970s as refugees from Vietnam. He experienced both racism and feeling invisible growing up in Minneapolis. Once he became a parent, he wanted things to be different for his child, which inspired him to start writing stories that weren’t available to him when he was younger. In this episode of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy explores how Phi’s award-winning children’s books can be wonderful tools for opening conversations with young children about the experiences of immigrant and refugee families. Episode Resources: Bao Phi’s books for children include:“A Different Pond”“A Different Pond” received six starred reviews and won multiple awards, including a Caldecott Honor and the Charlotte Zolotow Award for excellence in children’s book writing. “My Footprints”“Hello, Mandarin Duck!” Phi reflects in this essay on George Floyd’s murder and the unrest that followed—and how he feels that sometimes “being Vietnamese in America is to be an argument.” “Untitled: A Reflection from a Vietnamese American in Minneapolis,” June 2020, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN) Phi has also won awards for his work as a spoken-word artist and poet. Many of his poems are autobiographical. “Cookies”“Refugeerequiem”“Broken/English” Recommended resources for learning and talking about the experiences of immigrant & refugee children & families from the Debra S. Fish Early Childhood Resource Library at Think Small

About a quarter of all children in the United States younger than five years old attend some kind of formalized childcare. Early childhood programs can be a great way for children to start learning about the world, including how to build relationships with other children and adults. But part of this learning also involves absorbing the implicit biases in their environment, including unconscious assumptions about race. However, Sheila Williams Ridge, co-director of the University of Minnesota’s Child Development Laboratory School and expert on nature–based learning, says these assumptions can be challenged when teachers are trained to recognize their own implicit biases. On this episode of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy speaks with Williams Ridge about how she’s training a new generation of early childhood educators to recognize their own implicit biases—and how teachers and parents can respond when racialized incidents happen in the classroom.  Download the Discussion Guidehttps://files.apmcdn.org/production/d2372d0f00e305e4c6d890c794e875e7.pdf Episode Resources: Sheila Williams Ridge is co-author of “Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget.” Her book includes play–based lesson plans and experiential activities that early childhood educators can use in a variety of settings. In this episode, Williams Ridge shares several book titles and videos she uses to introduce early childhood teachers to concepts around implicit bias, anti-racism and equity. They include: “Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom,” by Lisa Delpit “What if All the Kids are White: Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families,” by Louise Derman Sparks and Patricia Ramsey “White Teacher,” by Vivian Paley “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom,” by Bettina Love Introduction to implicit bias from UCLA’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion “Our Hidden Biases,” from Project ABC, an Early Childhood System of Care Community “Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism,” from The New York Times and POV Williams Ridge also recommends taking the Harvard Implicit Association Test, which includes a variety of free online assessments to get insight about your own implicit biases. Recommended resources about racism in the early childhood classroom from the Debra S. Fish Early Childhood Resource Library at Think Small

The Thanksgiving “pilgrim and Indian” stories that many of us were taught as children perpetuate harmful stereotypes and whitewash a painful history of violence and colonization that continues to impact Indigenous communities today. How can we have a more honest conversation with our children about this history? On this episode of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy speaks with early childhood educator and Dakota language activist Vanessa Goodthunder. She is the director of C̣aƞṡayapi Waḳaƞyeża Owayawa Oṭi, which is Dakota for “Lower Sioux Children Are Sacred School,” an early childhood program in the Lower Sioux Indian community in southwestern Minnesota where children learn Dakota history and language as their birthright. Goodthunder explains why every day is Indigenous People’s Day and how she uses language as a tool to heal from historical trauma. Download the discussion guidehttps://files.apmcdn.org/production/27a5993344cf6204aa47c08fb62d980d.pdf Episode Resources: Goodthunder and her colleagues have created an online repository of Dakota language resources for young children and their families. The repository includes links to videos featuring Dakota language children’s songs and activities, as well as children’s books such as “Goodnight Moon” being read aloud in Dakota. For guidance on teaching young children about Thanksgiving in a socially responsible way: “Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving,” from the National Museum of the American Indian ​​“Talking to Kids About Thanksgiving: Center Truth, Connection and Being Grateful,” from PBS SoCal Recommended books about Thanksgiving from American Indians in Children’s Literature “Native American Perspectives on Thanksgiving” from Project Archaeology Think Small has a free ParentPowered texting program where parents can receive weekly texts with facts, tips and hands-on activities parents can use to help prepare children ages 0-5 for kindergarten. Goodthunder discusses examples of historical and generational trauma, including the forced sterilization of Native women in the 1960s and 70s, and the abuse and neglect of Indigenous children at North American boarding schools, which were established by the U.S. government in the early 19th century to suppress Indigenous culture and enforce assimilation. In June 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland formally announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, with the mission to document the painful history of U.S. federal boarding school policies with a focus on cemeteries and possible burial sites with the remains of Indigenous children.  The acknowledgment by the U.S. government regarding forced sterilization from the National Library of Medicine, National Institute of HealthUnderstanding the history of forced sterilization Understanding the generational impact of child sexual abuse on Native children

Being able to talk about race is an important life skill for all parents, but especially for parents raising multiracial families. When a family adopts a child of a different race, questions about race and racism cannot be avoided. On this episode of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy speaks with transracial adoption expert Beth Hall, co-author of “Inside Transracial Adoption” and executive director of Pact, An Adoption Alliance in Oakland, California. Hall also has personal experience with transracial adoption, as the white adoptive parent of two adult children both born in the United States—a son who is African American and a daughter with roots in Guatemala. Through her personal and professional experiences, Hall has gathered valuable insights and advice for anyone who wants to talk about race with young children. Episode Resources: Beth Hall is co-author of “Inside Transracial Adoption,” originally published in 2000 and revised in 2013. The book was specifically written for the parents of transracially adopted children. Pact has a comprehensive resource library with links to articles and videos covering a wide range of topics addressing transracial adoption, including language and strategies for talking about race. Hall talks about the importance of lifting up the voices of transracial adoptees. Pact produced a 20-minute video documentary, “Adoptees Speak,” featuring the personal stories and reflections of transracially adopted youth. Download the discussion guide here: https://files.apmcdn.org/production/87265b0aac505a689fea3763c785f074.pdf

Young children are like sponges, absorbing information about the world around them. Children have already started to internalize racialized messages about their value and self-worth by the time they are three to four years old. Psychologist Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, an expert in racial identity development and the author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race” calls this “the smog we’re all breathing.”   In our Season 2 premiere of Early Risers, host Dianne Haulcy talks with Tatum about concrete steps parents and caregivers can take to proactively affirm children, including how to respond when children ask us questions about race and physical differences. Episode Resources: Tatum’s best-selling book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race” was first published in 1997. She released an updated 20th anniversary version in 2017. Tatum’s 2017 TedX Stanford talk, “Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk?” features stories and practical advice about talking to very young children about race, including addressing the painful history of chattel slavery.  Faith Ringgold’s “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky” is one of Dr. Tatum’s favorite books to use with young children to open conversation about the horrors of chattel slavery and the courage of people who resisted. She also suggests Jeanette Winter’s “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Tatum recommends Social Justice Books for discovering multicultural and social justice books for children. Download the discussion guide here: https://files.apmcdn.org/production/448f0d7d577747a626a63f920903014a.pdf

This special episode sounds a little different than our normal one-on-one conversations. This is an edited recording of the Early Risers event we hosted on June 17th called Teaching Anti-Racism. There is an incredible panel of experts on early childhood, racial identity and racism including Dr. Rose Marie Allen, Dianne Haulcy and Dr. Brigitte Vittrup. It’s a riveting conversation about common barriers to talking about race and racism with young children and what to say to get these conversations going. Guest Bios: Dr. Rose Marie Allen is President and CEO for the Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence. She’s a nationally respected teacher and trainer of implicit bias and culturally responsive practices. Dianne Haulcy is the host of the Early Risers podcast. She has been in the early childhood field for over 30 years as a leader and advocate for young children. Dr. Brigitte Vittrup is a Professor at Texas Women’s College. She studies how families talk - or don’t talk - about race and racism with their children and how that is changing over time. Duchesne [Dushawn] Drew has been in journalism for 25 years.  He was an education reporter in both Texas and Minnesota. He is now President of Minnesota Public Radio.

In schools and old children’s books, Native people are often talked about in terms of history. But Brook Lafloe has been creating toys and teaching tools to connect all children to contemporary Native culture in an authentic and respectful way.  In this conversation with podcast host Dianne Haulcy, Brook shares the traditional Anishinaabe teachings she learned about race and respect. And she shares how caregivers from all cultural backgrounds can adopt this approach to race and help their children connect with indigenous cultures. Resources: Brook’s company website: https://niniijaanis1of1s.com Bow Wow Pow Wow: https://shop.mnhs.org/products/bowwow-powwow Ninisidawenimaag: Ojibwe Language Series for Kids: https://www.riverfeetpress.com/product-page/ninisidawenimaag Minnesota based publisher of books by and about Anishinaabe people: http://www.blackbearsandblueberries.com/bookstore.html Minnesota Indian Education Association: https://minnesotaindianeducation.org/miea/ Download the Discussion Guide  

This week we’re asking a pretty fundamental question that parents might get from their kids: where does racism come from? In this deep and lively conversation host Dianne Haulcy speaks with Resmaa Menakem - therapist, coach and best selling author of My Grandmother’s Hands. He breaks down how racism is connected to generational trauma and he describes practices that can heal the trauma and strengthen anti-racist thinking and action.  Episode Resources: https://www.resmaa.com/movement https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-abolitionism https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/202006/the-trauma-racism Download the Discussion Guide