091: Do I have privilege?

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This episode is part of a series on understanding the intersection of race, privilege, and parenting.  Click here to view all the items in this series.


Each time I think I’m done with this series on the intersection of race and parenting, another great topic pops up!

Listener Ann reached out to me after she heard the beginning of the series to let me know about her own journey of learning about her White privilege. Ann and her husband were a ‘normal’ White couple who were vaguely aware of some of the things they could do to help others (Ann works at a nonprofit) and saw politics as an interesting hobby.

Then they adopted a Black daughter and had a (surprise!) biological daughter within a few months, and Ann found that she needed to learn about her privilege – and quickly. She’s had to learn about things like the features of a ‘high quality’ daycare for both of her daughters, how to keep them safe, and we get some feedback from Dr. Renee Engeln about how to help Black girls to see and be confident in their beauty.

Ann is openly not an expert on this topic, and does not speak for adoptive Black children, or even for all White adopting parents. But she finds herself far further along this journey of discovering her privilege than the vast majority of us – myself included, until I began researching this series of episodes.

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About the author, Jen

Jen Lumanlan (M.S., M.Ed.) hosts the Your Parenting Mojo podcast (www.YourParentingMojo.com), which examines scientific research related to child development through the lens of respectful parenting.

3 Comments

  1. GC on June 29, 2019 at 2:29 AM

    Would Ann be willing to share a list of favorite children’s books that she has bought for Alice?

    • Jen Lumanlan on July 2, 2019 at 3:39 AM

      Why, yes she would! Ann recommends the books below, and also follows the Instagram account We Need Diverse Books for more ideas. Hope this helps!

      Here are a few of our favorites:
      Last Stop on Market Street
      Lola at the library
      The Day you Begin
      We Are the Change: Words of Inspiration from Civil Rights Leaders
      Grace for President
      Jabari Jumps
      Juneteenth for Mazie
      Little Leaders in Black History
      Mae Among the Stars
      Amazing Grace
      I am Rosa Parks
      Ada Twist, Scientist
      The Library Book by Tom Chapin
      Hair Love by Matthew A Cherry
      Sesame Street – We’re Different, We’re the same

      • GC on August 26, 2019 at 8:18 PM

        Awesome, thank you so much to both of you! 😀

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