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What Local Parents Teach Their Children About Racial Bias

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued a first-time-ever policy statement that encourages pediatricians to educate themselves about racial bias because of the devastating long-term impact racism has on children. During a series of recent interviews outside Martha Gaskins Elementary School in East Birmingham, many local parents agreed with the AAP and said the new policy will help pediatricians better serve their patients and communities. But they also stressed the role parents must play.

Published

7 years ago

September 14, 2019

Oakland Post

Photo by: birminghamtimes.com

By Ameera Steward

Wayne Richardson teaches his four children that everyone is the same. He tells them, “Know that you can’t look at any race, religion, creed and categorize it because, across the board, we all have our differences one way or another.”

As the mother of a 5-year-old boy, Tracey Hill tells her son the need to work hard and be the best he can be “even though someone may not like you or may talk about you. … You can’t allow that to stop you from doing what you know what’s right to do.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued a first-time-ever policy statement that encourages pediatricians to educate themselves about racial bias because of the devastating long-term impact racism has on children.

During a series of recent interviews outside Martha Gaskins Elementary School in East Birmingham, many local parents agreed with the AAP and said the new policy will help pediatricians better serve their patients and communities. But they also stressed the role parents must play.

Words of Wisdom

“It’s vital that [children are] aware of their surroundings and know how to react … when they’re confronted with racism,” said Richardson, a parent of two boys, ages 12 and 4, and two girls, ages 9 and 6.

Marjorie Collins, who has seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, said it’s important to teach children about racism so they won’t grow up with it inside of them and “they learn at an early age that people should be treated the same, equally.”

“Most of all, [I tell them] to get an education so they can get good jobs and try to better themselves,” she added. “That’s the most important thing, I feel.”

Michele Bossie, a parent of two girls, ages 26 and 20, and two boys, 24 and 5, said teaching children about race at a young age helps them identify who they are and where they fall on the racism scale.

“[It] helps them be able to [recognize] if they’re being treated a certain way because of their color,” she said, adding that it mainly helps them “identify who they are, their families, their culture, and different cultures. [It teaches them] how we are different people, but we should be … one love.”

She added that she tries to teach her children the significance of being well-educated, in addition to teaching them about themselves and showing them how to be leaders as opposed to followers.

“A lot of times, with kids … in our culture, African American culture, we have a lot to worry about [with] our kids being followers and following the wrong crowd,” Bossie said. “So, I teach [my 5-year-old son] that it’s very important to be a leader now. It’s OK to be yourself. [Even] if no one else wants to hang out with you, it’s OK to be who you are. Don’t feel like you have to do things to fit in, to be a part of a crew. It’s OK to be an individual leader.”

Alice Love-Blair, a parent of two girls, ages 13 and 11, said it is critical to teach children about racism, so it won’t surprise them when or if they encounter it.

“Make sure they’re aware and know the proper etiquette about how to react toward it,” she said. “[If you don’t] teach your children something and somebody comes at them the wrong way, it can lead to bad results. They can end up [in] physical altercations and get hurt or hurt another child because of that.”

Overall, Love-Blair makes it a duty to tell her children, “Know who you are and know your worth.”

Even Before Birth

The AAP policy statement—the first time the group has explicitly focused on racism—draws from hundreds of studies to alert doctors about the impact of racism on children. Maria Trent, MD, lead author of the policy statement, said, “Racism affects children before they’re even born … and continues to affect them across their lifespan. It affects them in the places they live, the institutions they interact with, including schools and law enforcement.”

Joanna Henderson, a parent of two girls, ages 15 and 5, agreed, adding that things such as income, access to healthy food, and environment affect everything.

“Other communities might have better health clinics, so they get better medicine,” she said. “They also can afford more.”

Hill noted that healthy food can be a big issue, considering that isn’t an option in many minority or urban areas, whereas it is readily available in other communities.

“A lot of black families or families, in general, especially different ethnic groups, have to go where they … can to get the most for the cheapest price,” she said. “That could also affect a child’s health and a child’s well-being.”

Some children are raised in stressed environments, Bossie said.

“If the parents are stressed out because they’re not making ends meet, it affects the child in the long run. It sometimes has an emotional effect on kids that we, as parents, don’t understand, or it may be hard for us to pay that much attention because we have to focus on the necessities when it comes to financial issues and taking care of them,” she said.

Due to the stress, parents can struggle with being fully attentive or parenting effectively, Bossie explained.

“You’re less patient, you’re [quicker] to fly off the handle, … you have a different way of handling things when you’re stressed. It doesn’t make you a bad parent, it just makes you a parent that has limited resources, [which can] affect your ability to be the best parent you possibly can because you have to deal with [so many different] things,” she said. “It definitely has an impact on the quality time, the training we could possibly give them. … It’s just like a domino effect.”

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled

BLACKPRESS USA NEWSWIRE — “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”
The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 day ago

June 8, 2026

Oakland Post

By National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual State Child Care Assistance Policies report, finding that the number of children placed on waiting lists for federally funded child care assistance nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025 — and that number has only continued to grow.

The report serves as a key resource for state lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers by tracking state child care assistance policies and identifying where states are strengthening support for families and early educators — or falling behind.

“This deeply troubling increase in the number of children on child care waiting lists is the result of a failure to invest in this crucial sector,” said Karen Schulman, senior director of state child care policy and author of the report. “Since the expiration of tens of billions of dollars in federal child care funding in 2023 and 2024, an already fragile child care system has been pushed even closer to the brink.”

Key findings in the report related to waiting lists for child care assistance include:

• 17 states had waiting lists or a freeze on intake for child care assistance in February 2025, up from 13 states in February 2024.

• Approximately 106,700 children nationwide were added to waiting lists between February 2024 and February 2025, bringing the total to 225,500 children in February 2025 — a 90 percent increase compared to February 2024.

• The numbers climbed even further between February 2025 and summer/fall 2025, with more than 175,000 additional children added to state waiting lists in just a few months — a 78 percent increase.

• At least seven states newly began placing families on waiting lists or freezing intake, while at least 10 additional states saw their waiting lists grow, after February 2025.

The report also includes state-by-state data on key child care assistance policies, including income eligibility limits, parent copayments, provider payment rates, and eligibility policies for parents searching for work.

Click the link to learn more: Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025.

The post Study: Waiting Lists for Child Care Assistance Nearly Doubled appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy

ROLLING OUT — Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport.
The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

The seven-time major champion read frustration, not a real goodbye, in the world No. 1’s words

By David Kesiena | Rolling Out

When the world’s top-ranked player said she wanted to walk away from the sport, Venus Williams chose empathy over alarm.

Aryna Sabalenka’s blunt remark after her French Open quarterfinal collapse rattled plenty of fans, but Williams heard something different in it. The seven-time Grand Slam champion treated the comment as the raw reaction of a hurting athlete rather than a serious signal about her future.

The collapse that triggered the comment

Sabalenka looked headed for a routine win over Diana Shnaider. She took the opening set 6-3 and built a commanding lead in the second, climbing to 4-1 and later serving for the match at 5-4 while sitting just two points from victory.

Then everything unraveled. Shnaider stormed back to steal the second set 7-5 and bageled the world No. 1 in the third, with Sabalenka dropping 12 of the final 13 games in gusty conditions that reached around 26 mph. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 result sent Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal and extended Sabalenka’s long wait for a maiden Roland Garros title.

In the aftermath, Sabalenka did not soften her feelings. She told reporters she had no thoughts and no emotions left and felt like quitting on the spot. She described being stuck in a deep, dark mental hole during the match, unable to find her way back.

What Venus Williams said about Sabalenka

Williams reacted with understanding. She admitted the moment made her sad and said she had been swept up in Sabalenka’s emotions, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She praised the Belarusian for laying everything bare on court, where every feeling shows.

Crucially, Williams did not read the comment as a real farewell. She said she did not believe Sabalenka truly wanted to leave, calling such an outcome a loss for both the player and the sport. Rather than scold her, Williams offered a gentle observation about the rhythm of professional tennis. She suggested players might benefit from a little more time to gather themselves before stepping in front of the cameras, a quiet acknowledgment that athletes are routinely asked to dissect painful defeats before the sting has faded.

Sabalenka walks it back

The story did not end on that bleak note. Within days, Sabalenka signaled she was not actually quitting, framing the press-conference outburst as heat-of-the-moment honesty rather than a plan. At the time of the loss she had also left the door open, saying she would see how she felt in a few days and hoped to get back on track mentally. The walk-back lined up with how Williams had read the situation from the start.

It is not the first time a Paris quarterfinal has pushed Sabalenka to her limit. In 2024 she exited at the same stage and skipped her press conference entirely because of illness, with the tour later releasing her quotes on her behalf. The pattern underscores how heavily this particular tournament has weighed on her despite deep runs in recent years.

For now, attention shifts to the grass. Wimbledon offers Sabalenka a quick chance to reset, and a strong showing there would turn this French Open meltdown into a footnote rather than a turning point.

Originally published by Rolling Out — https://rollingout.com.

The post Venus Williams Calls a Sabalenka Exit a Tragedy appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue

THE CAROLINIAN — Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.
The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

June 7, 2026

Oakland Post

By Judaea Ingram | Special to The Carolinian

RALEIGH, N.C. – Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.

At the center of the event stood a simple but powerful reminder:

“You Matter.”

For Darkness RISING, those words represent far more than a slogan. They reflect the organization’s mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community while creating spaces centered on healing, honesty, and hope.

Operating at the intersection of the arts and mental health, Darkness RISING uses music, storytelling, wellness programming, and community engagement to inspire healing while addressing barriers that have historically prevented many Black Americans from accessing mental health support.

The organization hosts a variety of programs and events throughout the year, including block parties, wellness workshops, mixers, kickoff events, community classes, and Darkness RISING: Live — a free annual arts and wellness festival now celebrating its ninth year.

The festival combines entertainment with healing-centered resources, featuring live music, dancing, singing, food trucks, Black vendors, children’s activities, mental health resources, wellness spaces, and opportunities for open conversations about mental health.

While the events may feel celebratory on the surface, organizers say the deeper purpose is creating safe spaces where people can feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of judgment.

Darkness RISING also provides free nationwide resources, including a Black Mental Health Resource Packet, a Black Mental Health Provider Database, and its “Find Me a Therapist” initiative, which helps connect individuals with culturally competent care.

The organization’s work is rooted in addressing longstanding inequities that continue impacting mental health access within Black communities.

Historically, segregation, redlining, racial discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and unequal healthcare access have contributed to higher rates of behavioral health challenges while simultaneously limiting access to proper treatment and support. Darkness RISING approaches those issues through what organizers describe as a transformative justice lens, focusing on healing rather than punishment and creating equitable wellness opportunities for marginalized communities.

Its REBUILD program specifically supports justice-involved and formerly incarcerated people of color through free therapy and wellness support, while the REBUILD Youth program focuses on young people impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs.

For Rudolph, therapy became life-changing after decades of incarceration and years of rejection after returning home.

“Came home in 2015, started my own computer company, investing in real estate, did the normal thing and got some jobs here and there and was met with rejection after rejection and people telling me I am not a good person,” Rudolph shared. “Even had a rejection in church.”

He said one of the hardest battles became overcoming the mental barriers created during incarceration.

“I got in touch with a couple of friends, and they explained to me how I had to get over the mental hurdles and get rid of the way my prison mindset was in order to survive and become successful,” he said.

Rudolph later moved to North Carolina hoping for a fresh start, but the struggle continued.

“Things were looking bad,” he said. “Could not get a job. The struggle was real.”

Eventually, therapy and support through organizations like Darkness RISING helped begin his healing process. He said working alongside other justice-involved men through therapy gave him the ability to rebuild mentally while finding community with people who understood his experiences.

Stories like Rudolph’s reflect the foundation behind Darkness RISING’s mission: ensuring people feel seen, supported, and worthy of healing regardless of their background or circumstances.

Community members who attend the organization’s events often describe them as emotionally transformative.

Some participants say Darkness RISING encouraged them to seek therapy for the first time, while others say the organization gave them a safe space to openly discuss struggles they previously kept hidden.

“I have been encouraged by the beautiful, generous, brave and open individuals who come together and use their talents to create art, share personal experiences and provide hope to those who may be struggling with mental health,” one participant shared.

By combining art, wellness, education, and community outreach, Darkness RISING continues changing how mental health conversations happen within the Black community.

Not through silence.

But through healing, honesty, connection, and joy.

Originally published by The Carolinian — https://caro.news.

The post COMMENTARY: Using Art, Healing, And Community to Transform Mental Health Dialogue appeared first on BlackPressUSA.