These days are not easy. We have had to deal with a pandemic the likes of which we haven't seen for 100 years. Then our lives were upended again after the unjust and violent murder of George Floyd after a policeman inexplicably kneeled on his neck in Minneapolis.

Perhaps it was the fact that so many of us are at home watching television and we were so outraged and dismayed by this act of violence captured on video that could not be denied. Why this act of police brutality against a black man seemed to be a tipping point I cannot explain, but it set off shockwaves that have echoed throughout the world.

This moment in history also impacts our children, and it is important that we speak to them about it. In an article entitled “Talking to Kids About George Floyd”, Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz of the Child Mind Institute writes, “It is critically important that we talk to our children about racism, the death of George Floyd and the continued violence and protests that have spread across the country. The stress of the coronavirus crisis has already brought a feeling of hopelessness to American life — particularly for adolescents.”

He suggests that parents not avoid discussing racism while trying to remain calm and factual. He also recommends you validate your child's feelings and encourage questions “and don't worry if you can't answer them.” His complete article is found at childmind.org/blog/talking-to-kids-about-george-floyd/.

For younger children, Sesame Street partnered with CNN to create “Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism” and this powerful town hall is available to stream on HBO, Prime Video, Hulu or online at CNN at www.cnn.com/2020/06/06/app-news-section/cnn-sesame-street-race-town-hall-app-june-6-2020-app/index.html.

CNN also has posted a very useful article on how to talk to your children about protests and racism at www.cnn.com/

2020/06/01/health/protests-racism-talk-to-children-wellness/index.html. They reference Common Sense Media, a great online resource that helps parents sort through books, movies and TV shows for their children. I know my daughter relies on their evaluations of movies and shows for my granddaughter.

The online site Romper also has a great list of children's books that can help fight racism at www.romper.com/p/10-childrens-books-that-help-white-kids-understand-what-children-of-color-are-up-against-15238 . Among the titles are Patricia Polacco's marvelous “Pink and Say”, Andrew Clements' “The Jacket”, and “The Story of Ruby Bridges” by Robert Cole.

Literature and art are formidable ways to communicate universal truths and these resources exist to help fight racism.

A powerful song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific exposes the cruelty of racism. It is sung by an angry and disillusioned Lieutenant Cable, a young officer who has fallen in love with a native woman while stationed on an island in the Pacific in World War II. The song, first performed in 1949, was very controversial in its time because its lyrics are timeless and brutally honest.

“You've got to be taught to hate and fear/You've got to be taught from year to year/

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear/You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid/Of people whose eyes are oddly made/

And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade/You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late/Before you are six or seven or eight/

To hate all the people your relatives hate/You've got to be carefully taught.”

I pray that these are not the lessons that our children are learning today as we work together to end systemic racism in our society.