In researching how to talk to kids, especially very young kids about Juneteenth, I found this interview with Aisha White, director of the P.R.I.D.E. Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education) in the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development, to be a good start.

Too Young?

To talk about Juneteenth, you have to talk about slavery, she says, and this is a conversation that very young children may not be ready for. If a child is younger than 6, it may be too scary.

“I like to reference a TED Talk by author and scholar Beverly Daniel Tatum called “Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk?” The way she explained it to her son (who asked the question that became the title of her talk) was: A long time ago, before there were companies, stores and buildings, there were some people who needed to work the land in the United States. There was a need for smart, strong workers—and they went to Africa and brought them to the United States against their will which wasn’t OK. They were people but they were called slaves. Those people made them work, but never paid them and they were never allowed to leave the plantations where they worked; it was very unfair. But there were also good people who were working to end slavery, Black and White people, and they were eventually successful. Of course, this is an abbreviated version and you may need to add many more details, but you will have at least covered many of the main issues.”

Aisha White

June 19, or Juneteenth, is a holiday in memory of the day in 1896 that the last Confederate state, Texas, learned about the Emancipation Proclamation that marked the end of slavery in the United States.

The news about Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which outlawed slavery within Confederate states, and the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States, did not come to all the states at the same time. On June 19, 1865, about two months after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox, the Union General Granger came to Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and to tell African-Americans that slavery had ended and they were now free. The Civil War had ended.

Different Stories for Different Kids according to Race?

The story I described can be told to anyone. However, a White family might need to explain more explicitly that it was White people who enslaved Black people. White families should also make sure to describe how there were many White people who were allies in the struggle who helped to abolish slavery. And, it’s also important for White families to be prepared to answer questions if their children ask why White people enslaved Black people.

Aisha White

Conversations are important. People may not think they’re significant, but the absence of conversation is doing a whole lot of harm. Their child might have lots of questions they don’t know how to ask. If you open up the dialogue, you’ll be more likely to know more about what they’ve seen, what they’re thinking about, what they’re wondering about. 

For example, their child may be extremely afraid of what they’re seeing on the news. Even for parents who are very careful about what their children watch, they might come into the living room when you don’t expect it. … Parents might want to open up the conversation by saying to their child: “We’ve never talked about this before, but I think now we need to as a family. There are lots of things happening with people protesting here in our city and in the country and I really would like to know what you’re thinking or wondering about what’s going on.” Once they tell you, then, as a parent, you can help fill in the gaps, answer their questions and assure them that if they’re worried or afraid, you’ll help keep them as safe as possible

AIsha WHite