The Embrace Race Podcast

On this last episode of Season 1, EmbraceRace co-founders and co-hosts Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas go back to where it all began. They invite a few friends and neighbors over - all parents, and one educator among them - to talk about their own learning journeys as caregivers trying to guide children around race back when EmbraceRace started in early 2016 vs. now. What have they all learned? How has parenting and caregiver changed in the intervening years? They gather with Farah Ameen, Khama Ennis and Dana Kadish (read more about them below!). We hope this episode inspires you to start your own kids and race support group! The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

In this conversation, we continue to counter the myth that if our kids express racist ideas they must have gotten them at home, from their caregivers. There are so many sources from which kids learn about race. Last episode we looked at one source: children’s media. On today’s episode, we look at another source of children’s racial learning: the racial inequality kids see all around them. Melissa and Andrew are lucky to be in conversation with developmental psychologist Marjorie Rhodes for this episode. Among her research interests, Marjorie has studied how kids make sense of systems of racial inequality. She and her colleagues have found that when trying to make sense of these systems, kids are inclined, developmentally, to come to wrong conclusions on their own. She explains why and shares helpful language for helping kids understand systemic inequality. Learn more about this episode and find related tools and resources on our website.  The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

(Part 1: A look at what children’s media teaches kids about race)It’s easy to think that racist behaviors start at home. But the truth is, how a person sees, maneuvers, and behaves in the world is more complicated. On today's episode, hosts Melissa and Andrew speak with Courtney Wong Chin, Senior Director of Research at Nickelodeon’s Noggin, about the role the media plays in shaping the way kids think about and understand race. What do kids learn from media? And how can the adults in their lives guide them to be critical of problematic messages about race and embrace healthy racial attitudes about themselves and about others? Learn more about this episode and find related tools and resources on our website.  The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

One child says to another: “Your skin is darker than mine” or “Why are your eyes that shape?” You overhear them. How do you react? Too often, adults shush kids when they talk about race because they don’t want them to “say things that are racist.” In this episode, hosts Melissa and Andrew speak with Brigitte Vittrup, a developmental psychologist who studies how kids are socialized around race, about why avoiding conversations about race is actually harmful for all kids. They talk about how kids learn about race, why guiding children on matters of race is necessary, and give tips on how to do it. Professor Brigitte Vittrup is a developmental psychologist and chair of the Department of Human Development, Family Studies and Counseling at Texas Woman’s University. Her research deals with child and family issues, including racial socialization, racial attitudes, and media influences on children. The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

On this episode, hosts Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas speak with Gina Miranda Samuels, Professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, about why “multiracial” kids are often seen as part of the solution to our racial conflicts. How does that belief affect those kids and how might we respond as caregivers?Head to our website to learn more about Gina Miranda Samuels and to find all the links and resources we have related to this episode. The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

On this episode, hosts Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas speak with Candis Watts Smith, Professor of Political Science at Duke University, about the widespread belief that “racism will die off as older generations do.” Candis has studied this question and lays out why it’s untrue, lasting and harmful. Like other enduring myths about race, this one confuses people and is a real block to understanding and acting in ways that promote racial justice. Head to our website to learn more about Candis Watts Smith and to find all the links and resources we have related to this episode. The EmbraceRace Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

Welcome to the first episode of the Embrace Race podcast! It’s a show about how to raise kids who are thoughtful, informed and brave about race, brought to you by EmbraceRace, an organization created to support you to do just that. On this episode, hosts Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas tell you the backstory of EmbraceRace, and then dive into a conversation with developmental psychologist Tara Mandalaywala about what we know about whether and how babies and young children perceive racial differences. Most importantly, they talk about how to translate that understanding  into everyday parenting and caregiving choices. We have many resources related to this topic on our website. Find those resources, and learn more about Tara and this episode there.The Embrace Race Podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too. At EmbraceRace, we create and curate the tools, community spaces, and networks we all need to raise a generation of kids who are resilient, empathetic, critical thinkers on race and who are committed to racial justice.

The EmbraceRace podcast brings you the best and latest advice on how to guide kids around race through informative conversations with researchers and practitioners. This season, we counter long-standing myths about race and kids and talk about How Kids ACTUALLY Learn About Race. The podcast is hosted by co-parents and EmbraceRace co-directors, Melissa Giraud and Andrew Grant-Thomas. Listen to this preview of the season now! The first episode drops February 12th, wherever you listen.The podcast is an extension of the work of EmbraceRace, a community of support for caregivers, parents, educators, and other adults in the lives of kids who strive to be informed, thoughtful and brave about race so that their kids can be too.