Uniting Against Racism: A Note From Our Founder

06/02/20

To Our BOKS Community,

I want to reach out on behalf of the entire BOKS team and acknowledge the pain and suffering that so many in the Black community,  as well as all communities battling injustice, are experiencing in the United States and across the globe. BOKS would not exist without you. We pledge to stand with you and most importantly to listen to you as we attempt to do better for the next generation.

As an organization that reaches so many children across the country, we feel we have a particular responsibility to make change when it comes to the racism we continue to witness. We pledge to continue in our efforts to use sport and fitness to change lives and hope you’ll communicate with us as we formulate more plans to use these as tools to educate and inspire kids today.

We’d also like to acknowledge the confusion that all parents and family members are feeling right now. On top of the stress that kids are under due to Covid-19 and resulting school closures, parents are now tasked with explaining recent tragic events, race and privilege to kids of all ages. We will not pretend to have all the answers but we did want to offer you a number of resources to help talk to your kids during this time. Please find them below:

If you have any thoughts or questions you want to share with our team at this time please reach out to us. We are listening.

Best,

Kathleen Tullie,

Founder & Executive Director, BOKS

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES & EDUCATORS:

 

The Conscious Kid (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/theconsciouskid/

Teaching kids about the complicated history of racism (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgluNlZxpfc&feature=youtu.be

How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism, Parent Toolkit: https://www.parenttoolkit.com/social-and-emotional-development/advice/social-awareness/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-race-and-racism

Beyond the Golden Rule, A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice: https://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/beyond_golden_rule.pdf

Resources for Talking About Race and Racism with Children, by P.R.I.D.E. Team: https://www.racepride.pitt.edu/resources-talking-about-race-racism-children/

EmbraceRace.org, 10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race (English and Spanish):

https://www.embracerace.org/assets/embraceracetipsenglish-(2).pdf

https://www.embracerace.org/assets/embraceracetipsspanish-(1).pdf

Why conversations about racism belong in the classroom, USC Rossier Online:

https://rossieronline.usc.edu/youth-and-racism/racism-in-the-classroom