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Welcome to our KEPTA REJ Connections Page! Each month our REJ committee will provide our Kenmore Cub community with family read alouds, activities, short videos and resources to assist our community growth in racial literacy, cultural competency and equitable education. We hope these monthly resources will inspire courageous conversations about racial injustice, equity and youth activism in our homes. We are KENMORE–nurturing brave, inclusive, and empathetic children alongside one another!
KEPTA REJ Monthly Connections: January: Self-Care & Self-Love
These themes are about understanding self-care through a racial lens. Self-care focuses on centering race and thinking about how it intersects with power and oppression. There are connections here to self-preservation and self-reflection. It is also about taking care of each other, specifically holding up people in your community and striving for collective justice for everyone. Self-care and Self-love also focuses on love, well-being, joy, mutual aid and the need to resist further oppression. Self-care and self-love do not look the same for everybody. While we all aim to nurture our communities, people with power must also think about how they hold power and privilege, which requires awareness, accountability and acting for and with others who need to be centered.
-Melissa Riley, Assistant Director of Equity Pedagogy, NSD
-Ayva Thomas, Assistant Director of Racial and Educational Justice
-Ranna Harb, Racial and Educational Justice Specialist
Family Activity
Featured Children’s Book Read Aloud
I Can Do Hard Things, by Gabi Garcia
Family Activity
I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids, A Discussion & Activity Guide by Gabi Garcia
Children’s Example:
Family Connections:
Our family talked about when your inner voice doesn’t match up to what the world is telling you. For example, the BLM movement–how does a person of color feel when current events are showing them that their lives matter less than others? How important is self-love and self-care for someone whose self-worth appears to be tethered to skin color? How do we change the narrative and put empathy into action: “I chose kindness” and “I can speak up when it is easier to stay quiet.”
Adult Resources
Watch
The Reflection in Me: A heartwarming 3 minute family film sharing themes of love, acceptance, and having a positive self-image.
Winter Well Being: Week 1 Self-Compassion: Dr. Mylien Duong
Cultivating Unconditional Self Worth: 15 min TEDx talk by Adia Gooden, Black Psychologist
Quick Read
Self-Care article from the Smithsonian
Listen
Brene Brown Unlocking Us podcast featuring the Sonya Renee Taylor the author of Your Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
Book
Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
Course
Enroll for Cher Anderton’s Anchored Families free course here using coupon code KENMORE; the first video module is on creating your Feel Good Plan and develop and model emotion regulation for ourselves so we can show up how we want to as parents.
LOVE, CARE AND JUSTICE IN ACTION LOOKS LIKE:
- Affirmation
- Belonging
- Community Building
- Connection
- Listening
- Learning
- Nurturing
- Making Space
- Teamwork
- Inclusion
Your voice matters! Join us.