Juneteenth
‘What does it mean to be freed?': How parents are teaching their children about Juneteenth
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USA TODAY
- Amid Juneteenth celebrations, many children are asking probing questions about slavery.
- Mia Bynum, senior director for science, equity, diversity and inclusion at the American Psychological Association, said families can explore calm, age-appropriate conversations about U.S. history.
- Families who spoke with the USA TODAY say they are using Juneteenth as a ramp toward having deeper conversations around race.
"What does it mean to be freed?" one child asked a parent.
"Were people really that mean?" a mother recalled her children saying.
Amid the parades, pageants, carnivals and cookouts for Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America, many children are asking profound questions about the nation's history of enslaving Black people.