“It’s not enough to not be racist, you have to be actively anti-racist if you want society to change.”
Armed with a 3.4-million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health, Tulane Associate Dean for Research, Dr. David Chae is developing the application to help parents and kids bridge the gap of discussing race and racism.
Chae says one of the reasons parents give for not talking about race and racism is the belief that their kids are too young.
But kids notice race starting from age 2, if not earlier.
“Children are very observant and notice that there are racial inequities,” Chae says. “In addition to educating parents we also provide them with exercises. One of the first is just asking their kids ‘do you know what race you are?’, ‘do you know what race daddy is?’, ‘do you know what race mommy is?’, ‘do you know what some other race groups are?’”
Chae points out the app engages history to help explain race and racism:
“One is to talk about race, but to also talk about racism. Throughout the module, we talk about history and we can’t necessarily undo history, but we can talk to children about history.”
The app is reportedly among the first of its kind.
“We’re hoping that the lessons that parents learn through the app will continue to beyond the term of the project.”
With that, the app helps kids recognize racism and helps them form an attitude of anti-racism.
“We emphasize in our program the importance of continuing to have discussions throughout childhood as well as these lessons are the foundation from which different things can be taught in adolescence as well as young adulthood.”
Summing up the aim of the app and its desired effect on society, Chae quotes James Baldwin, the noted African American essayist, writer, and activist: “‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’ I feel like we as a society has not fully faced the realities of racism.”