As a parent who’s experienced racism, I’m struck by the ongoing challenges my son faces just days into his school year.
I’m a father to two wonderful children, Jaden, my nine-year-old son, and Ava, my five-year-old daughter. Yesterday marked World Afro Day, a day that holds special significance for me. As someone who faced racism in my youth, I had hoped that over time, things would improve – especially when it comes to how children of different backgrounds are seen in school.
However, just one week into my son’s first days at school, I was reminded that the progress we long for is still slow. My son came home in tears, upset because he didn’t like his hair. “Why can’t my hair be like everyone else’s?” he asked. He felt different, and that feeling of exclusion and indirect racism, which I experienced years ago, is now impacting him. It’s heartbreaking to realize that, even after all these years, my son is facing the same struggles I did.
