How can white parents raise anti‐racist children? Introducing the routes to effective anti‐racist parenting (REAP) model

Abstract

AbstractIn response to highly publicized instances of overt racial injustice, there has been a recent resurgence of interest and commitment to identifying processes through which anti‐racist behaviors develop among White individuals. One particularly important context in which anti‐racist behaviors can develop is within families and as a result of childrearing. Theories of anti‐racism typically neglect the role of families and family science research typically neglects a focus on anti‐racist parenting outcomes. To further research and applied work on fostering anti‐racism within White families, this paper introduces a new integrative model called routes to effective anti‐racist parenting (REAP). The model draws on theories from various fields, including family science and social psychology, and uses a metaphor of nurturing a plant to explain the nuanced, multi‐faceted approaches to anti‐racist parenting. The model incorporates factors related to the “pot” (i.e., fundamental values and structure necessary to contain more specific anti‐racist skills and behaviors), “soil” (i.e., characteristics that define anti‐racist commitment), “seeds” (i.e., direct transmission of anti‐racism skills), and “environment” (i.e., influential external factors). Finally, we describe the intended benefits that can be reaped from this intentional approach to anti‐racist parenting. The REAP model contributes to the family science literature by providing an empirically grounded theoretical model describing the roles that parents can play in children's anti‐racist development.