Conversations About Race and Racism
Overview
Research shows that having conversations with children about the history of race and racism in the United States can reduce racial bias, but many White parents fail to have these discussions. What happens when parents do engage in these critical conversations with their kids?
Featured Expert(s)
Sylvia Perry
IPR psychologist Sylvia Perry investigates how racial bias awareness develops and the implications of bias awareness for reducing prejudice reduction.
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Research Roundup
Guided Conversations Between Parents and Children Can Reduce Subtle Racism
Parents fear discussing racism may worsen biases in their children, but a study by IPR psychologist Sylvia Perry shows that guided discussions that acknowledge racism effectively reduce anti-Black bias in both White parents and their children.How Did White Parents Talk to Their Children About Race After the Death of George Floyd?
After the murder of George Floyd, more parents discussed race and racism with their children. IPR psychologist Sylvia Perry finds that the rates of discussions about race and racism between parents and their children in 2020 were double those in 2019. Despite this finding, color-conscious messages, which show awareness of racism, were less common in 2020 than in 2019, and color-blind messages, which deny race and racism are real or important, were prevalent in 2019 and 2020.Keep Reading
- On WBEZ, Perry discusses her recent study showing that when parents talk to their kids about race, it can reduce bias.
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