Photo: Getty Images
A Washington, D.C. elementary school gave its preschoolers an anti-racism lesson assigning them to identify racist family members at home, Fox News reports.
Janney Elementary School invited "anti-racism facilitator" Doylin Richards to lead an "Anti-Racism Fight Club" presentation for their Pre-K through third-grade students. Richards' "Anti-Racism Fight Club Fistbook for Kids" teaches students how to recognize racism and white privilege.
Danielle Singh, Janney Elementary principal, said in a November 30 letter to parents, "As part of this work, each student has a fist book to help continue the dialogue at school and home."
Singh continued, "We recognize that any time we engage topics such as race and equity, we may experience a variety of emotions. This is a normal part of the learning and growing process." She added, "As a school community we want to continue the dialogue with our students and understand this is just the beginning."
Richards' "Fistbook for Kids" says anti-racism requires "being loud, uncomfortable, confrontational and visible to ensure change is made."
The anti-racism guide asks kids, "Where do you see racism in yourself? This requires true soul-searching. Be real with yourself, don’t feel guilt/shame, and own it. It’s the first step in becoming an anti-racist."
In the "how to deal with racism from loved ones" portion of the book, children are told, "just because someone is older than you doesn’t mean that they’re right all of the time."
"If someone doesn’t believe that people should be treated equally based on the color of their skin, then they are the problem. Parents need to stop making excuses for that behavior if they truly believe in anti-racism," the book reads.
After Richards' presentation, the elementary school sent parents a link to the original "Anti-Racism Fight Club Fistbook" for adults, which employs harsher language towards racism.
"Racism is as American as apple pie and baseball," the adult version reads.
The school district didn't release a statement regarding whether the antiracism presentation was a requirement for the four to nine-year-old students per Fox News.
On the "DC Urban Moms and Dads" online forum, parents reportedly complained about the contents of the Nov. 30 presentation.
"Anyone else’s Kindergarten kid freaked out by an anti-racism assembly today? My kid needed to sleep with a light on and the door open tonight," an anonymous post reads.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.