Raising Multicultural Kids: Insights & Tips - Page 3 of 4

A Welcoming Workplace Culture: 5 Steps to Building Connection Across Differences

October 15, 2024

Lucretia Berry • October 15, 2024 Diversity in the workplace has been shown to foster innovation, improve decision-making, and increase profitability. Yet, simply having a diverse workforce does not guarantee that employees feel welcome or that they truly belong. Research reveals a gap between diversity and inclusivity—while more companies are prioritizing hiring diverse talent, many workers still report feeling excluded or

Legacy of Sacrifice: Visiting the Medgar & Myrlie Evers National Monument

October 8, 2024

Laura Marti – October 08, 2024 This past summer, my husband and I had an opportunity to travel across the South and took the time to visit a few important places from the civil rights era. One stop was the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Jackson, Mississippi, which had officially become a part of the National Park Service

King: A Life

September 24, 2024

Tracey McKee – September 24, 2024 I had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., this summer. While there, I walked the trail of monuments and memorials, ending the day at the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial. As people came and went, I watched as each took a moment to gaze up at King’s face. Some faces were filled with recognition, some

From Cartoons to Conspiracies: The Dangerous Power of Racist Urban Legends

September 20, 2024

Laura Marti – September 20, 2024 Although we often pride ourselves on being a nation of immigrants, I wonder if that’s where the pride ends. The recent political discourse after the 2024 presidential debate, particularly around Haitian immigrants in Ohio, has made me reflect on our conflicting attitudes toward immigration. How can we honor our immigrant ancestors while simultaneously expressing hatred

Expanding Horizons: 5 Ways to Build Cultural Competence

September 12, 2024

Lucretia Berry • September 12, 2024 This summer, our family visited the Masai Mara to witness the great migration of the wildebeest. While our goal was to also see lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, elephants, and more in their naturally wild habitat, I was even more excited to connect with the people of Kenya. Connecting with people who do life over

We Are Justice

September 3, 2024

Lance Phillips • September 03, 2024 I just returned from a week at the beach. From a week watching the ocean encroach on the sand in the guise of its emissaries, the waves. It never fails. Every time I spend time beside the ocean a couple of things come to mind: a poem called “The Idea of Order at Key

An Exclusive Offer for Advocates of Racial Healing

August 27, 2024

Lucretia Berry • August 27, 2024 Years ago, a podcaster posed a question that tickled me: “Who in the world sits down to design a course like this… who has the audacity?” At the time, neither of us knew of any course like What LIES Between Us – Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing (2016) that was available to the

60 Years Apart: From Fannie Lou Hamer to Kamala Harris

August 22, 2024

Brownicity • August 22 2024 On August 22, 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer delivered a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention that changed the landscape of American politics. Hamer, a Black sharecropper from Mississippi turned civil rights activist, spoke with unwavering courage about the brutal voter suppression and racial violence she and other Black citizens faced in the South. Her testimony

Cultivating Community in the Classroom: 3 Key Lessons for the First Days of School

August 13, 2024

Lucretia Berry • August 13, 2024 As the school year begins, creating a sense of community in the classroom is vital. Establishing a welcoming and belonging environment from the very first days can set the tone for a successful year. One effective way to build this community is by engaging students in activities that honor their social identities, celebrate their

Developing Certified Instructors who Lead with Love for Liberation

July 30, 2024

Lucretia Berry • July 30, 2024 In 2020, I was asked to design a certification program to support those inspired to help their communities and organizations take their first steps toward racial healing using the What LIES Between Us and Foundations curricula specifically designed for those needing an introductory course. The request was a cry for help from people who

A Time to Bloom

July 23, 2024

Get ready to rebuild Lucretia Berry • July 23, 2024 Originally published May 24, 2024 by THE REDBUD HYPHEN “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” Isaiah 2:4 As parents, educators, scholars, creatives, and teacher leaders, we are advantaged to strategically foster education that inspires a culture of authentic liberation, justice, and belonging for

Why & How to Build Racial Literacy with Kids

July 16, 2024

from Dr. Jennifer Harvey’s 12 Days of Antiracist Action Lucretia Berry • July 16, 2024 Last month, I got the unique opportunity to contribute a lesson on building racial literacy with children for Dr. Jennifer Harvey‘s free course, 12 Days of Antiracist Action, in partnership with other leading antiracist thinkers, including Chris Crass, and Chanté Griffin. Each day, an email with a short video

How to Start the New School Year with Summer Camp

July 9, 2024

5 Days of ‘Hues of You’ Fun Lucretia Berry • July 9, 2024 Teachers and school leaders, I can imagine that you are thinking, ‘launching the new school year with summer camp’ makes no sense. To clarify, Dr. Tehia Starker Glass and I recommend that you start each school year with a few of these lessons from Hues Of You

Working at the intersections of Asian American identity, mental health, and racial trauma

July 5, 2024

Laura Marti – July 05, 2024 The US has experienced multiple waves of immigration as policies changed over decades. One of the waves was in 1965, when Congress replaced the national origins system with a preference system designed to unite immigrant families and attract skilled immigrants to the United States. This bill drastically shifted the source countries of immigrants away from

How has being white shaped my life?

June 27, 2024

Tracey McKee – April 23, 2024 I, like most white people, can spot flagrant, inhuman acts towards people of color as racist. And most of us know that snide remarks and intentional slights cross the line. But what about the less obvious forms racism can take, like trying to relate to a Black person by sharing how you have felt oppressed

The Future of Cultural Pedagogy: Why reframing our understanding of culture is urgent

June 18, 2024

Jyoti Gupta – June 18, 2024 As a social justice educator, I’ve been teaching children for years about inclusion and belonging. I went on to incorporate what they — and I — surmised from these workshops into my critically acclaimed children’s book “Different Differenter: An Activity Book About Skin Color.” Now, I’m working on the follow-up, “Yesterday, Nexterday: An Activity Book

How Can We Help?

June 11, 2024

Dan Berry • June 11, 2024 How many times have people asked this question without understanding what they are asking? Good intentions lead us into the ask, but in reality, most of the time we secretly hope we don’t have to get involved or be faced with the answer. In the last decade when horrific racial events would happen, I

How the Loving v. Virginia Decision Inspires Us to Dismantle Race/ism and Celebrate Love

June 5, 2024

Lucretia Berry • June 5, 2024 “Is she doing this because she feels guilty for marrying a white man?” a couple of Black women asked in 2016 when I met with a group to guide them through the What LIES Between Us course. I thought the comment was ironic considering I’d been invited to lead this multi-racial group of neighbors

A Letter of Appreciation to Co-creators of Justice & Belonging

May 14, 2024

RE: Mental Health Awareness Month Lucretia Berry • May 14, 2024 Dear co-creators of justice and belonging, First, I want you to know that I appreciate the seeds you are boldly and consistently sowing toward cultivating a more love-inspired community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. It’s been a journey, hasn’t it? The road of anti-racism work is

Decolonizing The Great Commission

April 30, 2024

Laura Marti – April 30, 2024 If you grew up in church like I did, my title could sound sacrilegious. At a recent conference that I attended on “Decolonizing The Great Commission,” speakers highlighted the urgent call to reexamine the ways in which Christianity has been complicit in systems of oppression and violence. Over the course of the two days, it

The Path to Understanding Race: Curiosity, Respect, and Humility

April 23, 2024

Tracey McKee – April 23, 2024 I have been learning about race and racism for about five years now. Police shootings, Black Lives Matter marches, and Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem made me stop and wonder what was happening in our country. I was born white in 1970 in the South, and because racism seemed better than

The Journey Beyond Diversity

April 16, 2024

Dan Berry • April 16, 2024 In athletics there is a phrase that has always floated around… “Where there is no pain, there is no gain.” I quickly learned that with any victory stand celebration there was always a journey behind the scenes. A journey that could be painful and overwhelming at times. A journey that could be exhausting, and I

America’s Legacy of Exclusion

April 2, 2024

Laura Marti – April 02, 2024 In the intricate tapestry of United States history, threads of exclusion and marginalization are deeply woven, casting shadows on the American ideals of equality and justice. From the early colonial period to contemporary times, exclusionary practices have permeated society, targeting various people groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other identities. Understanding this history is

Women’s History Month Spotlight: Lynette Youson

March 26, 2024

Preserving Gullah Geechee Tradition Tracey McKee – March 26, 2024 Drawing to mind magnificent Southern live oak trees draped with Spanish moss, the coastlines along the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida are steeped in history and culture. An intersection point of Native Americans, European settlers, and enslaved Africans during the early days of our nation, these coastlines are a testament to the

The Most Important Question: WHY?

March 19, 2024

Dan Berry • March 19, 2024 Over the last several years Brownicity has labored to provide an educational platform for those who were longing to find answers to the racial divides that plague our human experience. As recent racialized events began to manifest, deep within our souls we began to wonder why we are still so divided. In a time when racism should

Septima Poinsette Clark: Cultivating Liberation Through Education

March 16, 2024

Lucretia Berry • March 16, 2024 I was drawn to the book’s cover featuring the profile of a mature, Black woman with gray hair sectioned into a few braids, her hand positioned as a pedestal upon which her chin lightly rested. She was stunning. Because the image personified dignity, wisdom and humility, I gifted the book to my mother. A

I’m Glad God’s Not Colorblind

March 7, 2024

by Xochitl Dixon • March 7, 2022 I turned to my husband and smiled when we walked into the sanctuary of our new church. As a first-generation Mexican American married to an African American, and a mother of two sons, I’d been praying for a diverse church family. We lived in another town, but for three months we returned and

Reflections on Black History Month: Connecting Past, Present, and Future

February 27, 2024

Laura Marti – February 27, 2024 In reflecting on what Black History Month means to me, I realized that, unfortunately, Black History Month was never part of my education. I went through school in the 70s and college in the 80s, but everything I know about Black history I have learned in the past decade. It was not taught to me

Black History Month: Celebrating the American Ideal

February 20, 2024

Tracey McKee • February 20, 2024 I am white, I am 53 years old, and for a good deal of my life, I thought of Black History Month as set aside for the Black Community. It never occurred to me that creating the month was a determined undertaking to fill in tremendous gaps in our country’s historical narrative – a

Beyond the Noise: A White Male’s Perspective on Black History Month

February 13, 2024

Dan Berry • February 13, 2024 “Black History Month.” As I sat here and reflected on that title, I began to wonder why there is so much controversy around efforts to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black individuals throughout our history. Was it Black history itself? Was it the word “month?” What is it that has continually ignited some level

My Favorite Black History Month Lesson

February 7, 2024

Lucretia Berry • February 6, 2024 I teach an Antiracism 101 elective for high school students. The elective is meticulously designed to enhance students’ capacity to comprehend racism in its institutional and structural dimensions. The course intentionally departs from traditional narratives centered on personal biases, and delves into a comprehensive analysis of racism’s historical, cultural, and systemic underpinnings including the

Hues of You PLAYshop

February 4, 2024

Ever feel unsure about how to talk with kids about our skin tones, race, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds, or what makes each of us unique—without it feeling heavy or complicated? Join Dr. Lucretia Carter Berry for the Hues of You PLAYshop—a playful, heart-centered experience that gives grown-ups simple tools and children the space to wonder, explore, and connect. With her vibrant

How a Cultural Assessment Revealed My Capacity to Grow

January 30, 2024

by Ted Goins • January 30, 2024 When I became president of Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) in 2010, I was determined to use my position to make a difference. LSC started much of its modern diversity efforts with action, not just words. In 2001, LSC leased-to-purchase an old, for-profit nursing home in the heavily African-American area of east Winston-Salem. Lutheran

NPR’s Throughline: My Favorite Resource for Learning On-The-Go

January 23, 2024

Photo credit for feature image: Q&A With Hosts of NPR’s “Throughline” Laura Marti – January 23, 2024 Embarking on a journey of understanding race and racism requires a commitment to learning, unlearning, and embracing diverse perspectives. In this pursuit, Brownicity encourages exploring various resources that foster a deeper comprehension of our shared history. Every day I read, listen to, or watch

The Must-Have Game In My Educator/Caregiver Toolkit

January 18, 2024

Lucretia Berry • January 18, 2024 Imagine your favorite childhood board games sprinkled with eye-opening lessons about bias and inequity. In June of 2018, I flew from Charlotte, NC to NYC to spend a whole day training to become a Senior Consultant Facilitator for The American Dream Game. You are probably wondering why anyone would need official training to facilitate

The Right Choice for Anyone: Enduring Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

January 14, 2024

Tania Romanova • January 14, 2023 The Power of Nonviolent Protest Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister turned social activist, stands as a monumental figure in American history. His commitment to nonviolent resistance and his unwavering belief in the inherent equality of all human beings forever altered the landscape of the Civil Rights movement and left an indelible mark

“The plant of freedom has grown only a bud and not yet a flower.” An MLK Day Reflection

January 11, 2024

Lucretia Berry • Jan 12, 2024 (original version first published by incourag.me, Jan 17, 2022) Recently, I was listening to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1967 speech addressed to members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and titled, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? The title sounds ripe for today, doesn’t it? In the speech, Dr. King continues

Essential Resources for Building Race & Racism Awareness

January 9, 2024

Tracey McKee • January 09, 2024 Happy New Year! I hope this post finds you well and excited about the possibilities this upcoming year might hold! As I was reviewing past posts I had written to prepare for writing this year’s posts, I came across a great resource that I have used that I wanted to share with you. There

Nurturing Curiosity & Belonging with b.Kids ‘Let’s Learn About’ 5-Lesson Course

December 28, 2023

Brownicity • December 28 2023 Caregivers, teachers, and advocates of children,Welcome to the educational adventure tailored for preschool and elementary-aged children, Brownicity’s bkids “Let’s Learn About” 5-Lesson Course. Curated with love by Brownicity moms, educators, and artists, this course is more than just lessons; it’s a journey to foster belonging, understanding, and connection in children. Family Feedback My two-year-old son,

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