Applying the Evidence We Have: Support for Having Race Conversations in White U.S. Families

Abstract

Popular press articles have advocated for parent–child conversations about race and racism to prevent children from developing racial biases, yet empirical investigations of the impact of racial socialization in White U.S. families are scarce. In an article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science in 2020, Scott et al. warned that, given the lack of empirical evidence, parents might actually do more harm than good by talking to their children about race. In this comment, we draw upon the literature on (a) racial socialization, (b) parenting and parent–child discourse, and (c) the role of nonverbal communication in parental socialization to inform our understanding of parents’ ability to engage in race-related conversations in the absence of empirical guidance. We also highlight emerging evidence of the potential benefits of these conversations (even if parents are uncomfortable). In sum, the wealth of existing literature suggests that parents can successfully navigate challenging conversations with their children—which tends to result in better outcomes for children than avoiding those conversations. Thus, although we support Scott et al.’s call for researchers to develop more empirical research, we part with the authors’ assertion that researchers need to wait for more sufficient evidence before providing recommendations to White parents—we believe that the time for White families to begin talking about race and racism is now.

Racial Socialization Messages in White Parents' Discussions of Current Events Involving Racism With Their Adolescents

“…A clear next step is to identify intervention points that will help to redirect White parents toward more color-conscious conversations (Perry et al, 2021(Perry et al, , 2022. Our results indicate that at least some White parents are capable of acknowledging both the current reality and the long-standing history of racism in the context of current events.…”

“…Intervention science should be applied to refine and improve the impact of family conversations over time; interventions targeting parent-child discussions of sexual health provide a promising precedent for this approach (for a review, see Coakley et al, 2017). Family interventions have the additional benefits of taking place within an established caregiver-child relationship and targeting multiple generations at once (Perry et al, 2022). But before interventions can be designed, tested, and implemented, we must understand the problem we are solving.…”

Developmental origins of anti-Black bias in White children in the United States: Exposure to and beliefs about racial inequality

“…The present results are consistent with the idea that, as children observe inequalities in the world around them, those who endorse the myths about intrinsic differences in turn develop biases that reinforce racist systems, whereas those who recognize the extrinsic factors underlying racial inequalities develop more egalitarian attitudes. Broadly speaking, these results highlight the importance of teaching children—and White children in particular—about the extrinsic, systemic factors that underlie racial disparities and support calls to address problematic beliefs about racial inequalities early in development ( 18 , 19 , 34 , 35 ). Early intervention may be especially important given that beliefs are often more malleable as they are emerging ( 23 ).…”

“Will talking about race make my child racist?” dispelling myths to encourage honest white U.S. parent-child conversations about race and racism

“…First, given that by the age of 3-years-old, White children already start forming negative attitudes about racial minorities [42], White parents should begin discussing the existence of race (e.g., acknowledging the diversity of skin tones that their children observe in the world) and racism (e.g., explaining why racial inequality exists) with their children as early as possible [43]. Second, White parents should talk about race and racism using a color conscious approach [12,44], by discussing the history of racism and how racism continues to impact society, today [45,46]. Third, White parents should help their children create positive associations with people of color by modeling and encouraging positive interracial contact and friendships, and exposing them to positive role models of color [47,48].…”