Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast

The Intersection of Healthy Masculinity and Anti-racist Parenting

There are moments in our lives that shift our perspectives on parenting, life and all the in-betweens. Tabitha here: I had one of those precious moments hearing Ashanti Branch [https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/?hl=en]speak at the Marketing to Men Summit in New York City. Ashanti Branch, Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, is a leader in youth mental health and education reform with 20+ years helping schools build safer, more connected communities. A 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Medallion recipient, 4x TEDx speaker, podcaster, and Fulbright Fellow, he champions healing and authenticity through workshops, media, and storytelling. When I heard Ashanti speak about healthy masculinity, his clarity, his work and his powerful presence were notable and I was left with a profound feeling that I needed to shift some of the ways I was parenting our son. Adam here: We’re parents to a young boy that we’re raising in the age of social media, toxic masculinity, and the impact of folks like Charlie Kirk. He’s being raised during a time when trad wives are being framed as the response to feminism, where white supremacy seeks to teach young men-particularly young white men- that they’re owed something by society and they have a right to be resentful against women and people of color when their expectations don’t get met. So when Tabitha met Ashanti, we knew we had to have him on the Raising Anti-racist Kids podcast to talk about the intersection between healthy masculinity and antiracist parenting. Take a listen to the episode and hear Ashanti talk about his upbringing by a single mother, his career pivot to education, and a simple but powerful tool he uses to help boys and young men get in touch with their emotions. Some links to check out: * Million Mask Movement [https://everforwardclub.org/millionmaskmovement] * Ever Forward Club [https://everforwardclub.org/] * Branch Speaks [https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/?hl=en] * unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/branch-speaks/] Thanks so much for listening. Let us know what’s coming up for you after you listen. Love up on your kids and enjoy your week, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe [https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Little Kids, Big Conversations

Having big conversations with little kids is a skill that none of our prenatal classes taught us. The art of breaking down big concepts into kid-appropriate language that kids actually understand is necessary whether you’re talking about why there’s no white history month or whether you’re teaching your little kiddo about pronouns. For kids, these conversations aren’t hard because they’re already focused on what’s fair and equitable in their own little worlds. For us adults, though, it’s helpful for us to use language and techniques that reach kids where they’re at. We always describe our antiracist parenting work as a journey. Sometimes we need to go to other parents to learn about how others are maneuvering raising kind, empathetic, justice-oriented children. So naturally, we wanted to chat with Ailen Arreaza, the co-founder and executive director of ParentsTogether [https://parents-together.org/], an organization that really gets it right with teaching us parents and caregivers how to talk with kids about just about anything. If you’re curious about how to have big convos with little kiddos and are looking for 3 direct steps on how to do this, plus a host of other really powerful guidance, take a listen. If you’re looking for more information on ParentsTogether, check out their: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/parentstogether/] Website [https://parents-together.org/] That’s it from us for today, friends. Thanks so much for being on this journey with us. Take good care of yourself and your kiddos and let us know how this episode landed for you, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe [https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities

We are in full back-to-school mode in our home, as are many parents and caregivers around the country. Our older kiddo is going to middle school and our little one is starting first grade. Amidst all the big feelings (from us and them!), we’ve been thinking about the ways in which us parents and caregivers can support school communities in infusing antiracism and equity throughout. So we invited two people we admire to talk about just this and be our very first guests on our podcast, The Raising Antiracist Kids Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-antiracist-kids-podcast/id1737487091]. Raising Antiracist Kids is a reader-supported publication so be sure to subscribe and share your thoughts with us. Andrews Lefkowits and Dr. Val Brown are the co-hosts of the Integrated Schools Podcast [https://integratedschools.org/podcasts/], an award-winning podcast which is a part of their work to prepare families with racial or economic privilege to commit to integrating their children, driving new narratives about education, and advocating for justice in our public schools. Integrated Schools now has 43 local chapters around the country and their podcast won a Signal Award and was nominated for 2 Ambies. Take a listen to the podcast episode here [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-antiracist-kids-podcast/id1737487091] and above. We referenced the following Integrated Schools Podcast episodes in our conversation: Gratitude and Validation: One Family's Journey Through Integrated Schools [https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s11e8-gratitude-and-validation-one-familys-journey-through-integrated-schools/?utm_source=listennotes.com&utm_campaign=Listen+Notes&utm_medium=website] What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on The Failures of Integration [https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s11e14-what-was-lost-noliwe-rooks-on-the-failures-of-integration/?utm_source=listennotes.com&utm_campaign=Listen+Notes&utm_medium=website] And be sure to dive into their other content for more deeply enriching and just incredible conversations that will shift the way we think about equity and schooling. As always, take good care of yourselves and your little ones. Try to get some fresh air this weekend, okay? Tabitha & Adam This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe [https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

7 Reminders For Raising Kids Amidst A War on Truth

RESOURCES FOR ADULTS: On Tyranny-Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder [https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny] Get banned books for you and your children. Find a list here. [https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?booklist=569834] FOR KIDS: We Care: A First Conversation About Justice by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli [https://bookshop.org/p/books/we-care-a-first-conversation-about-justice-megan-madison/20614329?ean=9780593750612] (ages 3-10) Stamped (graphic novel) by Ibram X. Kendi [https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped-graphic-novel] (pre-teen and teen) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe [https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Revolutionizing Storytime

The Gift of the Great Buffalo by New York Times bestselling author, Carole Lindstrom [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/gift-of-the-great-buffalo-9781547606887/] Black Boy, Rise by Brynne Barnes [https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/black-boy-rise] little big man by Varian Johnson [https://varianjohnson.com/2025/02/12/my-debut-picture-book/] My Hearing, My Way by Stacey Armas, Au.D. [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-hearing-my-way-stacey-armas-aud/1144714063] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe [https://www.raisingantiracistkids.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]