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Education insight for parents

Learning Center Avoid summer learning loss

We may not know exactly what format school will take this year, but we can be sure it will be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Teachers will be working outside their comfort zone, which means that parent involvement will be more critical than ever. So as we get closer to the beginning of school, parents may want to consider the following:

1. Plan to develop a strong relationship with your child’s

teacher. Even if you don’t see your child’s teacher in person often, staying in touch with the teacher is important for your child’s academic success. Don’t be afraid to email the teacher or set up a meeting when you have questions or concerns. When you reach out to a teacher, you are showing that teacher that often offer free help and supyou care. port if your child is struggling. 2. Have realistic expectations. As a parent, you know your child has unique strengths and weaknesses. While getting straight A’s might be a realistic goal for one child, it might not be reasonable for another. Knowing where your child is academically and helping them After-school homework help and counseling are great tools to help your child stay on track if needed. But the existence of such help doesn’t necessarily mean that your child will use it – you’ll need to confirm whether they need and are using the help, and if not, to discover why. by Patrick McNamara set attainable goals 4. Get outside is a huge part of helping help when it’s needed. your child be the best student he Some students need more help or she can be. And don’t forget than what teachers and schools to regularly acknowledge your can realistically offer, and many child’s efforts to achieve those students resist learning from goals. mom and dad. If the source of a 3. Utilize teachers and school resources. Schools student’s struggle is a failure to master foundational skills from prior grades, outside help is likely necessary. There are many tutors that can provide the personalized academic support that your child may need to succeed.

5. Develop a schedule that

works with your child. Kids thrive when they have a balanced schedule of enough sleep, exercise, downtime and quiet time to read and do homework. Work with your kids to come up with a schedule that works for everyone involved, then try to stick to it. 6. Practice goal setting. It’s easier for children to achieve their goals when they set specific goals and know what steps they need to take to reach them. Sit down with your child before school starts and help them

Continued on Page 19

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Triple Threat

parenting triplets in the Capital District

Acknowledging privilege

The path to equality starts when we accept we have a long way to go

Each time I see a car I saw for a few seconds, that pulled over and police these two men were sizing up lights flashing, I slow one another. Each man was down and look. I tired of being the bad guy. used to do this out of sheer Were they tired of wondering curiosity. Now I slow down if this traffic stop was going to and wonder if I should stop be the last for both of them? completely. I wonder if the Uncertainty was palpable in person being pulled over really those few moments. committed an offense worthy of being pulled over. I wonder I drove by and felt someif this traffic stop is thing that, I think, is my going to result in a white privilege. My battered driver, a passenger with bruises, or will it end with a fatality? Will this traffic stop be what puts Albany on the map with by Jennifer Steuer middle-aged, white woman privilege is not an absolute power, but it certainly could help me. I saw a young man sitting in the driver’s seat A recent traffic stop was cause for intense self-reflection as the author questioned whether the outcome might be different if the driver had been white. other cities that have and wondered what he had an officer-involved death? may have done to catch the washed my memories. What is slowing me down because I attention of the state trooper. I part of me could I pull out and wanted to bear witness for this

On my way home from growondered if this man has run really study to see if my life young man. I wanted to pull cery shopping recently, there a red light, was he speeding was any comparison to a Black over and start recording the was a car pulled over by a New or possibly was he driving a person? I had nothing. My interaction between the state York State Trooper. I slowed stolen car. Was I thinking this memories are white-washed trooper and driver. I wanted to down a little and looked; way because he is Black? Was I because I am white. I am part be a witness in case something rubber-necked like most of thinking this way because I am of the problem. went wrong. I thought that if I the other cars on the road. I’m white, like the trooper? Was could record what was hapgrateful that I am not the one all my white privilege oozing Those five seconds I was able pening I might be able to help pulled over. I’m grateful that I out of the minivan as I drove to see the two cars on the side that young man. Was he pulled am not the one trying to gauge by? Judging the driver and cop of the busy road on the hottest over for a serious infraction or the officer’s mood. I am wontook maybe all of five seconds. and longest day of the year. simply “driving while Black?” dering how the Black driver Judging my actions and reacI thought of something but Would I have been helping feels reaching for his insurance, tions is taking me so much didn’t act on it: Should I stop? him or would I be making it license and registration. I am longer and is so much scarier. Why would I stop, this is none worse? Back and forth in my looking at the driver of the car wondering if he is as scared as everyone else who gets pulled over, or is he more afraid because of the color of his skin. I noticed a look of desI am trying to identify what I felt seeing this traffic stop. I’m trying to unpack all the feelings I have about this because I want to believe that I am not racist. I am saying of my business? My brain whispered: This is your business. I wasn’t sure how to help. Would I make the situation worse? Would I be putting the kids in danger? I drove on. mind … this moment lasted all of five seconds … but this uncertainty of my reactions and my behavior keeps overwhelming me. I chose the coward’s way. I peration driving past the two “want to believe” because as Why would I stop? Again chose to spare my kids from stopped cars. The driver looked much as I am sure I am not with a whisper: Use your priviseeing what might happen. like he was afraid. The police racist, maybe there are parts lege. I have no idea what the I chose to keep them away officer was afraid. Neither of me that don’t see the light whispering part of my mind from bullets that might fly. I wants to become the next of day. Am I guilty of microthinks I could do. I am one chose to keep my family out story to fly across our country aggressions? The pent up emoperson with no idea how to of harm’s way. This is white (possibly the world) faster than tions start to come forward change this world. My middleprivilege. The fact that I had a California wildfire in July. and I wonder if I have whiteaged, white woman privilege Continued on Page 9

n Triple Threat continued from Page 8 a CHOICE whether or not I would stop is white privilege.

For the next few days I looked in the newspaper and watched the local news to see if there were any reports of a traffic stop gone wrong. I didn’t see anything but that doesn’t mean no one was hurt. It could mean that nothing was reported. Wait and see, maybe it will get better, maybe next year, maybe in the next decade … maybe never. I want to believe that the times are changing, but it is taking too long.

The desire to help Black Lives Matter shouldn’t mean we march around about yelling “No justice. No peace” for a few days and then go about our busy lives … until the next time. And we all know that there will be a next time. The very fact that Black children, Black men and Black women are being shot in their homes, beaten on the street or having their life squeezed out by a choke hold or knee is unacceptable. A pervasive fear of violence by the very people who are supposed to be protecting society must be terrifying. The call to arms for Black Lives Matter should not make the white men, women and children afraid. Black Lives Matter should empower all of us with the realization we continue to need to push for equal rights because the rights of Blacks and whites are NOT equal.

“We the people” in the U.S. Constitution is for ALL of us or it is for none of us. When a Black man, woman or child makes the assertions that our society has held them to alternate standards, those in power lay out all that has been done to make our country equal. Our country is not equal. We do not protect all the people. Too often, blame is placed squarely on the shoulders of Black citizens. Every fatality is analyzed and the victim is blamed in some fashion.

When Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president in the United States the world was alive with the possibilities! We thought we were so enlightened and so progressive. We were wrong. For eight years there were challenges about where he was born and roadblock after roadblock was tossed in President Obama’s path. He met each of them with style and pushed them all away.

My white privilege encompasses every part of my life. My white privilege follows me when I go to the mall or grocery store. When I lay my head at night, I rest in a cocoon of white privilege. When I put my children to bed for the night, I can bet that no one will enter my home and spray bullets. I can bet that my home will not be on the receiving end of a no-knock warrant. My family goes to bed with no idea that across town, a family is sleeping on the floor so that stray bullets don’t find them. Mothers, fathers, wives and husbands are burying their loved ones because of the color of their skin.

Black Lives Matter. Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca are being raised the same way Harlan and I were raised: Everyone is equal. Black Lives Matter is not just a moment or a movement; it is reality that some folks just don’t understand. We must stand shoulder to shoulder (but 6 feet apart with a mask on!) and fight for equality. We must examine our white privilege and choose how to use it: for the good of the people or to keep oppressing. I choose to keep examining my life, use what I learn to do better and be better.

Jennifer Steuer is an Albany mom whose busy household includes her husband, Harlan, and 12-year-old triplets Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca. Follow her on Instagram: jennifersteuer.

To all of our ESSENTIAL WORKERS

A

Heartfelt Thank You!

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Activism

Let’s talk about this

Young adults across the country are schooling up on racism through ARE Project, whose co-founder is a recent Shaker grad

James Baldwin, an Ameridigital age; over 90 percent of can novelist, poet and the group found out about its activist, once said, “The existence through Instagram. paradox of education is The ARE Project hopes to that as one begins to aggregate resources on racism become conscious, one begins from those qualified to teach to examine the society in which on it and amplify Black voices he is being educated.” A group through its digital meetings. of students have founded The Anti-Racism Education Project (ARE Project) to lean into this paradox. As the group has examined racial discrimination, they have started to question the society that educated them in the first place. The ARE Project chooses its monthly content based on a theme. From there, a book, television show episode, movie, podcast episode, article and poem collection is chosen. Wang said the different media are offered to cater to all types

The ARE Project, now a of learners; each participant global organization, has its only picks one piece of content roots right here in Albany with a recent Shaker High School alumna. At just under a month old, the ARE Project has amassed almost 500 members in 17 countries with over 115 organizers. All are students of the to analyze, as more people are able to dedicate time to one part of the picture. After

“Our main goal is to make digital age; over 90 percent of the group found out about its existence digesting the material, group continuously educating through Instagram. members meet on one of four ourselves feasible through aphour-long meetings a month proachable content,” co-lead founder Hannah Wang, a 2020 Shaker High School graduate, said. Wang added because participants are located in different approach, the ARE Project has people translating content into different languages. The group’s other objectives participants how to use their knowledge later in life when they may be in positions of power. (each accommodating different time zones) to discuss the works. The first 10 minutes of the meetings are dedicated to establishing a baseline of everyone’s countries, group members do include giving participants tools At just under a month old, cultural norms around the topic. not assume anyone’s knowledge to have educated discussions, the ARE Project has amassed From there, members break off of anti-Blackness. Along with a provide materials to examine almost 500 members in 17 into their respective content palatable way to digest mateanti-Blackness within members’ countries with over 115 orgachoices to analyze. For the last rial many would deem hard to communities and showing nizers. All are students of the Continued on Page 11

by Kaitlin Lembo and Jackie Gold

We’re online!

Now Family CAPITAL DISTRICT GENERATIONS TOGETHER

Be sure to visit our website… cdFamilyNow.com

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n Let’s talk continued from Page 10 20 minutes, group members converge to discuss the theme as a whole. Most content is from Black creators.

“Our project is a testament to the power of social media and our generation’s willingness to learn and fight for positive change, Wang said. “Everyone is contributing in their own ways, whether it be using their training in discussion moderating, 3D-printing pins to fundraise, or sharing their premium Zoom account with us. We have over 50 groups working on everything from maintaining our Instagram to developing community guidelines.”

From Media to Movement

The ARE Project started as an idea for a book club run by Sasha Ronaghi, a recent high school graduate in Southern California. Ronaghi had posted on her Instagram story about starting a book club to amplify Black voices. “The whole purpose of using [Instagram] is that it is sustainable and approachable,” Ronaghi said.

It certainly was approachable for Wang, who saw Ronaghi’s Instagram and was inspired to repost it to her New York followers. From there, it was reposted on several other accounts including those of international students. Today, Wang and Ronaghi run the ARE Project’s meetings and have created a worldwide campaign started with the simple idea of a book club.

Anastasia Farronan also tirelessly helps the group in its early stages to create a website. Farronan had never designed or created a website before the ARE Project, but taught herself web design and continues to maintain the impressive website. Her hard work is a testament to the character of the group, who all recognize the need to learn new skills in order

Education and reforming how school curricula address race and issues of racial injustice are some of the main purposes of the ARE Project. However, Ronaghi, a rising college freshman, wanted to make sure the education did not stop at social media. “Social media is helpful with spreading the message, but it can almost feel like a trend or a fad.” The group now provides something social media posts do not offer: discussions.

The ARE Project aims to bring people together from all backgrounds to share their own experiences and learn from others. According to the ARE Project’s website, “We are not hoping to learn about the Black experience from our peers, but with our peers because it would provide different perspectives and experiences.” These discussions are what several members have said they learned the most from. Wang said the discussions change participants’ perspectives after educating themselves and listening to others.

‘Pray the Racism Away’

Discussions are a large reason why Amari Parker joined the ARE Project. She said as a Black woman, she wanted to join difficult conversations and develop skills to use in everyday life. Parker also expressed her concerns about social media. She said, “It doesn’t provide much of a space for discussion, but this group provides learning, discussion, and educating yourselves on implicit biases.”

The ARE Project’s reach goes beyond the blue states of New York and California. Parker is from Georgia and Luke Akhalaya is from Indiana. Both are current high school students who say even today, they can easily identify racism in their communities.

Parker talked about visiting plantations during school trips in Georgia and feeling like she did not get the full picture in school. Akhalaya spoke of a member of the group reached history classes where his white out to Cogburn about speaking classmates made anti-Semitic to the ARE Project. Cogburn is jokes and “goofed off” during set to speak over Zoom on Monslavery readings. day. Through the ARE Project,

“The teacher just rolled his to educate herself, her peers and eyes,” Akhalaya said. He joined further her passion. the ARE Project to gain new Parker has been given the chance perspectives and hear viewpoints from outside of his hometown. ‘What We Didn’t Learn’ “While these conversations are happening inside our

Parker attends a Catholic homes, there is still a lot of School in Georgia. After the anti-Blackness in our commudeath of George Floyd, her nity,” Maryam Ahmad, another school sent out a letter conShaker student, said. “When demning the violence and urgI was in India, we had a face ing students to pray. Parker said cream that was advertised to this letter was not what she was make your skin lighter because hoping for. “I wanted to see they lighter is more beautiful in so were taking action,” she said. many people’s minds. There were advertisements everywhere

Instead, Parker has been takand so many people never really ing action of her own. She is regave it any thought.” On June sponsible for selecting the films 26, Unilever announced in a for the ARE Project’s screenings statement its controversial face and helps to participate in the cream, “Fair & Lovely,” popular group’s activism channel. This in India and other South Asian channel is used to set up calls countries, would be renamed. and emails to local legislators “We [recognize] that the use near the participants. “There’s of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and so many of us, it makes them ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal realize they need to do someof beauty that we don’t think thing,” Parker said. is right, and we want to address this,” Unilever’s president

Akhalaya echoed Parker’s of beauty and personal care, thoughts, saying, “We have to Sunny Jain, said in the compaput actions behind our words.” ny’s statement. “The evolution Akhalaya believes the best way to a more inclusive vision of to make a change is through beauty that celebrates and cares voting; however, he is under 18 for all skin tones, and no longer and, therefore, ineligible to do. uses the words ‘white/whitenFor Parker, this group has also been a way to learn from her role models. While doing a research paper for school on ing’, ‘light/lightening or ‘fair/ fairness’, will be a policy for all Unilever’s beauty [and] personal care brands,” Jain concluded. systemic racism, she found a Priti Rangnekar, a teen name that kept coming up: from San Jose, California, has Courtney Cogburn, Ph.D. worked behind the scenes since Cogburn is an associate professor at Columbia University and an award-winning researcher. Her research focuses on how racism and discrimination in society can physically the ARE Project’s conception. A friend of Ronaghi’s and no stranger to activism, she quickly joined to figure out how to market the group. For her, this group is a welcome change. affect minorities that ultimately “My school is very much lead to racial differences in Asian and white,” she exdiseases. Parker’s eyes lit up plained. “The topic of antiwith inspiration while talking Blackness only really came up about Cogburn. Parker wants in what I would call a ‘graded to become a cardiothoracic discussion,’ where it would surgeon and was thrilled when Continued on Page 17 August 2020 — cdFamilyNow.com 11