What I Said About Slavery

Here we are in black history month and a friend asked how she can explain slavery to her 4-year-old son. I told her how I've always explained complicated and potentially controversial topics to my daughters... I tell a story and I don't use any words that will sound bad if they are repeated out of context.

I think that last part is really key. You never know how much of what you say will be understood. You can pretty much count on the fact that some of it will be repeated. If there's a big disconnect between what is understood and what's repeated; there's potential for embarrassment.

Here's an example of how I have explained slavery (And remember, this is said in the same voice you use to tell exciting, engaging fairy tale stories.):

A long time ago there were a bunch of people who thought that it was ok to make some people do all the work while some people rested. And then, one day, this man named Martin Luther King said, "Wait! Everyone! Look around! It's not fair for some people to do all the work and some people to rest. Everyone should help and do the work together. If we do that, we'll get done fast and then we can all play together too!"

And some people heard him and said, "Good idea! I'll help." And some people heard him and said, "No. I want to rest. I don't want to share or take turns." And then one person, named Abraham Lincoln, said, "Wait! Everyone! I think Martin Luther King is right!"

And Abraham Lincoln was the president and so everyone had to listen to him. And he made it a new rule that everyone had to help and take turns and no one could rest while someone else did all the work. He said everyone had to be fair.

For a long time people argued because some people thought things should be fair and some people thought things should stay the same. But, after a while everyone decided to work together and to share and take turns and to play nicely together.

Everyone said, "Thank you Martin Luther King and thank you Abraham Lincoln. You two were really smart to show us how nice it is to be fair."