We need to take some time to figure out how we can make amends, and keep on working to end the incredibly violent system of racism in the US.

White people need to remember that this is not our holiday. As human beings, we can all appreciate the hope and the lessons of a holiday that celebrates people obtaining freedom despite 12 generations of incredibly brutal repression. But we can't just take holiday pay for it and move on.

No white person alive right now is responsible for slavery, but all of us who are white do continue to benefit in some way from the legacy of slavery, and we can all do something to try to fix that.

The amount of money owed to Black people right now just in stolen wages during slavery is huge, like beyond the trillions. And that's not even counting reparations for kidnapping and torture.

And, especially if your kid is white or is often treated as white, after you talk about Ruby Bridges tell them about Pam Foreman Testroet, the white kindergartener who also walked through violent mobs to go to school with Ruby. Because even if you're 5, you can still be an ally or accomplice.

Teach them about Ruby Bridges because you want them to be well-informed or because it's the right thing to do, or just so that you can see the smile on their face when they find out that a kid like them can change the world.

😆

I recently read Cinderella is Dead and Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron. They're both about young women of color in fairy-tale worlds fighting terrible powerful men. They do get gruesome at times but I really liked both.

Personally I have just been listening to it on a loop and I think it is doing wonders for my mental health.

Technically it is children's music but honestly I think a lot of the lyrics are more for parents/caregivers/grownups. Also kids don't get mad if you listen to their music.