No one is too young to talk about racism. We don’t have all the answers, but we wanted to offer a starting point for learning what you can do about racism whether you are 2 or 10 or 100. After a short discussion about racism, we will hear affirmations from our friend, Mia Saine.
Find additional resources for discussing racism with children in the show notes below.
Show Notes
If you are looking for additional resources to discuss race with young children, and engage in solutions, here are some places to start.
Sesame Street/CNN Racism Town Hall
On June 6, CNN and Sesame Street partnered to host a live broadcast on racism. I watched with my 3 and 6 year old and the both found it very engaging. If you missed it, you can find the full town hall online in 3 parts, by clicking the link above.
NYT – Talking to Kids About Racism
One of my favorite children’s book author/illustrators (Christian Robinson) and a school counselor, offer advice for talking to kids about racism in the article linked above.
Diversity and Representation on Your Bookshelf
Stories are a great way to engage young minds. There are a number of good resources for finding books by and about communities of color. Here are a few:
A Kids Book About Racism
This book by Jelani Memory is meant to serve as a launching point for generating conversation between adults and kids. A Kids Book About also has a series of books about other topics that can be difficult to begin a discussion about.
Anti-racism resources for white people
This Google Doc has been widely shared on social media, and features a long list of resources.
Where to Give
If you are looking for places to donate to organizations that support black children and/or educate & empower young people on race and justice, click above for a recent instagram post where we highlight a few organizations.
*Podcast Credits begin here*
Like You is listener supported. Learn how you can support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.
Please send us a voice memo, drawing, or letter at likeyoupod@gmail.com. We play a voice memo from a listener at the beginning of most episodes. If your child wants to be included, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us. Your child can introduce themself and then say a favorite affirmation, sing a line from a Like You song, say what they like about the show, or share whatever they feel! Keep it short (10-20 seconds), send it to our email, and then wait patiently. It is our goal to share every recording eventually!
Like You is written and produced by Noah Glenn. The show’s artwork was illustrated by Mia Saine, who also provided today’s affirmations.
Our social media feeds are managed by Noah and Lindsey Glenn.
This episode features original music by Noah Glenn, as well as additional music by IMAKEMADBEATS.
Find Like You online at likeyoupodcast.com.
This podcast is designed for kids, but our social media feeds are geared toward their parents. So grown-ups, give us a follow:
Transcript
Noah: Hello! I’m Noah, and this is Like You, a mindfulness podcast for kids. I’m very glad you’re here, and I want to thank you for spending this time with me. I always look forward to the time we get to spend together during this podcast. For the grownups listening, please consider joining us on Patreon to help us continue making episodes of Like You. And while I have the grownups’ attention, I hope you’ll stick around to listen along to this episode as we discuss some things happening in our world today. This episode talks about racism, and what you can do about it, whether you are 2 or 10, or 100 years old. So, grownups, kids, friends of all ages, it’s time to find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe. Remember when I ask you questions, or tell you to repeat something, you can speak out loud, or just think it quietly in your head. After the episode be sure to check the show notes for this episode at likeyoupodcast.com to find links to more resources for discussing racism with children.
Let’s start with a different kind of breath. Today, I want us all to let out a big big sigh. Like this [sigh]. Let’s all join each other in one big sigh on the count of three. 123. [sigh]. You know, a lot of times when I sigh like that, it is because I’ve had a rough day. It’s a sound I make when I’m frustrated or worn out. [sigh] Do you ever feel that way? I have a lot of friends who have been feeling that way this week. Maybe you or someone in your family has been feeling that way too. That feeling is one of the reasons I make this podcast. Because when you’re feeling frustrated and worn out, it is good to take a little time to unwind and recharge. I talked to a friend this week who called Like You “a soft place to land,” and I hope that’s what it is for you. Like when you’re so tired at the end of the day and you just drop into your warm cozy bed, and you get rested and ready for a new day. A brand new day.
If you have listened to many episodes of this podcast, you know that we talk a lot about liking yourself. In every episode I ask you to say “I like me.” In fact let’s say it together right now. I like me. And we always say affirmations so you can remind yourself how strong, and smart, and loved you are. I want you to like yourself exactly as you are. I want you to feel good about the kind of hair you have, the color of your eyes, the way you smile, and the color of your skin. From head to toe, I want you to feel proud to be you. Say “I’m proud to be me!” Say “I like me!”
I like you too. Exactly the way you are. It’s very good to love and value yourself. But loving yourself doesn’t mean that you can’t love other people who are different than you. In fact it is a very good thing to like people who are different than you – people who have different hair, different color skin, or who come from a different neighborhood. Each and every person is unique, and each and every person is important.
Unfortunately, in our world, there are some people who treat others differently because of the color of their skin – like they are not important, like they don’t matter, like they are less than fully human. This is called racism, and it is wrong. It is never ok to treat someone like they are less valuable than you because of the color of their skin. But it has been this way for a long time. Specifically, in the United States, where I live (and where many of you live), there has been a long history of people with black and brown skin being treated like they are less important than people with white skin. This happens in some very big ways, and also in many small ways. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
On this podcast, we talk a lot about feelings. And something I always remind you is that it is ok to feel all different types of feelings – happy, sad, scared, even angry. One of the things that makes me feel angry, is seeing racism in our world. It makes me angry, and it makes me sad. When you see something that you know is not right, Or when someone treats you in a way that is not right, rit is normal for that to make you angry. So what can you do?
The good news is that there are lots of other people in the world who feel the same as you and me. – who feel angry when they see racism or when they are the one being hurt by racism. And what we can all do, is to say something. When you see something that is wrong, you can speak up and say “that is not right, and it needs to change.” When all of us speak up, our voices join together, and it calls attention to the problem. And this is happening all around the world right now. People are speaking up. People are working to change things and make things better, so that everyone can be treated equally. It is important work. And it can be hard work. It can wear you out, and sometimes it will mean you have a rough day. So if you or someone in your life has had a rough week, so can breathe a big sigh [sigh]. And then be sure to find a soft place to land so you can get rested and ready for a new day. Together we can all work for a brand new day.
So remember to be proud of yourself and who you are, and when you meet someone different than you, be proud of who they are too. Love yourself, and love others.
Now let’s say some affirmations to help us feel proud of ourselves and proud of others. Welcome my friend, Mia.
Mia: Hi, I’m Mia. I’ll say each affirmation twice so you can listen, and then say it with me.
I like me
I am proud of me.
I deserve to be loved.
I am not alone in my feelings.
I speak up for what is right.
The world needs someone like me.
When something is wrong, I can change it.
I am part of the solution.
I love people who are different than me.
We are stronger when we work together.
If I fall, I will get back up again.
If you fall, I will help you up.
There is beauty in our differences.
Thank you Mia! Now I want to leave you all with a familiar song. While you listen you can take deep breaths, recharge, and think about the things you like about yourself and others.
I was just like you
And I just like you
Others you know feel what you feel inside you
It’s a very good day to just
Speak up and say
I like you
When you are laughing
When you feel lonely
Try to remember that you’re not the only
One who feels like you
Others can like you
Just as you are, just the way that you like you
It’s a very good day to just
Speak up and say
I like you
And her
And him
And me
And them
I like you
I can’t wait to spend some time together again soon! Until next time, I like you, I’m proud of you, and I’m glad we are friends. Have a happy and peaceful day.
For grownups looking for more ways to discuss racism, and engage in solutions, I will include links to some resources in the show notes for this episode at likeyoupodcast.com. Like You is written and produced by me, Noah Glenn. I also composed and performed the Like You theme music. The podcast artwork was illustrated by Mia Saine, who also shared today’s affirmations. This episode features additional music by IMAKEMADBEATS. To all the grown-ups listening, please consider supporting this podcast by visiting patreon.com/likeyoupodcast. It starts at as little as 3 dollars a month, which is less than a dollar per episode. If you’re unable to offer financial support, you can still show us some love by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and by telling your friends about the show. You can also send us voice memos, drawings and pictures by emailing likeyoupod@gmail.com. Be sure to follow us on instagram, Facebook, and twitter @likeyoupod. Thanks for listening!
