Ep. 74 - A Black Mother's Concerns & Responsibilities, with Sierra Dominguez

BIG PICTURE Social Emotional Learning Podcast

The most challenging conversations are often the most necessary… for life to move forward …. for everyone’s benefit.

Awakened awareness about the irrefutable fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER, and that Black lives in America continue to be crushingly disadvantaged in ways that are invisible to those of us who live in “White America” is the impetus for this conversation with Sierra Dominguez, a wise, loving, creative and courageous Black woman, married to a Mexican man, and the mother of their 2 children.

Normally I wouldn’t go into those details about Sierra’s Blackness, and her husband’s Brown-ness, but these are the days to name what is, without tippy-toeing …. by replacing color blindness with ‘color bravery’… one of the many things Sierra taught me in this conversation.

The Diversity Box: https://thediversitybox.net/

Color blind or color brave? | Mellody Hobson TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKtALHe3Y9Q

Kimberly Jones ~ How Can We Win: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llci8MVh8J4&t=17s This video is just under 7 minutes, and it’s the one Sierra and I were talking about: the conditions and restrictions that affect Black lives in America today. Kimberly expresses herself quite differently from the way that Sierra expresses herself, but hey … #DifferentIsGood, right?! (Warning: strong language.)

Raising Race Conscious Children (An online resource for talking about race with young children): http://www.raceconscious.org

New Kid, by Jerry Craft https://www.esowonbookstore.com/book/9780062691194: “New Kid tackles diversity and inclusion with humor and charm. Jordan Banks wants to go to art school, but his mother sends him to Riverdale, a predominantly white private school, to increase his opportunities. Jordan teams up with Liam and Drew and along the way starts to enjoy himself. Craft uses pop culture parody references to start each chapter and includes drawings by Jordan throughout the book. The graphic novel format is perfect for a kid who loves art and also serves to take the story deeper as the pictures add another layer. Highly recommended for new kids and old ones!” — Kathy Burnette, The Brain Lair, South Bend, IN

Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson https://www.esowonbookstore.com/book/9780147515827: A President Obama "O" Book Club pick "Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.”