With the death of the Queen, there has been much interest in Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK. Like many, I have been deeply saddened by the accounts of how Meghan Markle has been racially targeted for being a woman of colour. Worse yet are Harry and Meghan’s concerns that their children will be discriminated against because of the colour of their skin.
I’ve spent more than 20 years working on the front line as a child psychologist with children who have some form of difference: mental health challenges, developmental/learning challenges, changing families, variances in sexual and gender orientation or race, and so on. I have heard countless heartbreaking accounts of bullying, prejudice and discrimination.
We must never be complacent. We must always fight for what is right. We must stand for equality, fairness, respect, and kindness. We can never take our values for granted. We must unite in our fight for social justice. We need to live the way we want the world to be. We know we must. But how do we actually do it"
I find myself thinking as a psychologist again?and particularly as a developmental psychologist. If we are going to truly make a difference in the world, we need to start in our own homes, in our own families, and with our children.
There are key steps for raising children who embrace inclusion and fight racism:
1. Start talking with your children about racism, prejudice, and discrimination as early as possible.
2. Model inclusive values...