What to Tell Kids About the Storming of Capital Hill
It’s not a scene that we will ever forget.
Most of us have seen this type of scene, only it’s usually in “foreign countries” so we don’t think of it as something that can happen here.
But it can. And it did.
On January 6, 2021 rioters, committed to preventing the certification of the election results stormed the capital and proceeded to disrupt the American government for hours. Many watched in horror in disbelief because they were shocked that anyone could make it this far, or that they would want to.
But others, like myself, saw it for something different. The contrast between BLM and MAGA supporters was widely discussed on numerous media platforms.
Seeing this as a ‘race issue’ isn’t far fetched, but some will see it that way. I however believe it’s important for us to be honest and communicate with children about the factual evidence that we have, the historical context of the event and most importantly, their individual feelings and perceptions which leads to insight, perspective taking and so much more.
I encourage educators to utilize the four agreements as highlighted by Glenn Singleton when he wrote Courageous Conversations about Race You can share the image below with those who can benefit.
While it is true that we are not in the business of education to inject our beliefs on children, in the same way we wouldn’t turn a blind eye to a child who believes 2+2=5, we must also tell the truth about the realities of race, social justice and other inequities in this country.
Not only does it make ALL of our students critical thinkers, it helps SOME of our students feel seen and heard and most importantly safe.
Platitudes will not work today, my friends, we must speak truth.
Reflect emotion and sit with rawness in all forms. This job that we do is not easy, but it is so necessary. Many black and brown children will not see a counselor who looks like them, teach them to look for humanity, compassion and safety in all forms. Right now, some of them may see your white skin as a threat, I am sorry that is the case for you in this moment, but understand this has been created by centuries of untethered biases and well-meaning silence.
Make today the day you speak loud and clear.
You can check out sites like, Beyond the Stoplight, or the National Association of School Psychologists or my live video from this morning which have resources for ongoing support. I will be interested in seeing how the American School Counselor Association addresses this in their upcoming town hall on race and mental health, you can register at this link to join in as well.
In the meantime, here is my quick and easy intro into a meaningful conversation that you can have today. If you hit these points, you’re on the right track.
Yesterday a bad thing happened.
Today, we’re going to talk about why and how we feel.
You can excuse yourself from sharing or listening to feelings, but please stay present if you can.
We all have a choice in how we respond, what would you like to do?
Talking points I’d include are why it’s not appropriate to hurt people because we are angry and how we can express emotion in meaningful ways. As a trauma-informed and culturally competent counselor, I am vehemently opposed to using statements like it’s ‘never’ okay to hurt people or ‘we’re safe’. Fears at this time are valid and safety is not absolute. While we want children to know we are doing everything we can to keep them safe, please don’t undermine your credibility with them by trying to squash legitimate concerns.
Do your best to offer as much time, within reason, as possible for processing, allowing kids to validate feeling by showing a sign of agreement like an emoji in a chat box of a show of hands if you understand how someone is feeling.
Most importantly, let them lead the discussion, you are there for facilitation and guidance. This is their time and space and it’s so important that they have it. For a limited time, this empathy lesson is also available for free, if you can’t use it now, it may be a great place to start in the near future.
Be well my friends, what you do is so very important today.