Holly Willoughby leads by example on what white parents can do to educate children about racism

Holly Willoughby is among some of the British celebrities leading by example on how white parents can talk to children about racism.

The TV star took to Instagram to tell her fans and followers what she’s planning on doing to educate her children following the death of George Floyd in the US.

George died after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death sparked a worldwide conversation about racism - not just about overt hate crimes or speech, but the structural inequalities that are present everywhere.

Resposting a print created by American activist, poet and artist Cleo Wade urging people to start the conversation about racism at their dinner table, Holly wrote, ‘For me it’s the responsibility I have as a parent that my children understand the importance of these words. ‘I know they do already, however these are important conversations to have. Conversations that can never be had and emphasised enough…’

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0X3oxn3rf

Cleo, who’s half black, made the print for her daughter’s room but is now selling it for the first time, with 100% of the proceeds going to The Antiracist Research & Policy Centre. The organisation’s mission is to help varied specialists find practical ways to understand, explain, and solve seemingly intractable problems of racial inequity and injustice.

Giovanna Fletcher also joined the conversation, sharing a post highlighting the importance of people educating themselves on the many ways racism affects black communities.

‘We must do better. Read. Watch. Learn. Donate. Sign petitions. And we must look at our own lives and have those difficult conversations. We aren’t meant to have all the answers, but we can listen, learn and adapt. #blacklivesmatter #justiceforgeorgefloyd #enoughisenough’, she wrote.

If you’d like to take action but don’t know where to start, there are a lot of resources online available on what your next steps should be.

Reading on the topic, signing petitions, donating to relevant organisations, supporting black-owned businesses (check out Jammi, a new discount card & discovery platform for Black British brands) are just some of the positive actions you can take right now if you’d like to help.