What We're Reading | Week of January 30, 2023
Timely reads from the MCC team about the ethics of watching violence on video, what kids learn from hard conversations, children’s books starring Black main characters, and the enduring legacy of Sesame Street.
New York Times | The Responsibility of Watching
What is our moral obligation when confronted with violence on video, as in the tragic case of Tyre Nichols? Are we bearing witness to Black suffering? Or are we simply spectators? A.O. Scott writes, "We aren’t bearing witness so much as experiencing our own complicity, and taking account of that is perhaps where the work of watching these videos should begin."
The Atlantic | What Kids Learn from Hard Conversations
These days, there's no shortage of difficult conversations to be had with kids. Though these conversations can't be avoided, they can help shape our kids' worldview. We appreciated this piece by Bushra Seddique that links to stories of parents grappling with how to have some of the very hardest conversations with their children.
Romper | 35 Children’s Books Starring Black Characters
We love this list of children's books starring Black characters, compiled by Ashley Jones.
"A child's bookshelf can model the equality you want your child to see and to foster in the world," Jones writes. "When parents expose their non-Black kids to Black characters without making too big of a deal about it, they help them unlearn their own racial biases. And when Black children see themselves represented in books and other pop culture references as positive characters, it can directly affect how they see themselves."
Smithsonian Magazine | Lloyd Morrisett, Co-Creator of Sesame Street, Dies at 93
With the recent passing of Sesame Workshop co-founder Lloyd Morrisett, we were reminded what a gift Sesame Street has been for generations of kids. We—and our kids—are grateful for his lifetime of creativity, compassion, and joy.
