The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #158: Black Lives Matter for Middle Schoolers

Novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes and her husband Brad have been talking about race and discrimination since way before they became parents. Jewell’s black, and her husband is white. And as the mom of two biracial children, Jewell’s worked hard to make her kids aware of reality of racism, while also instilling them with hope for change.

But Jewell knows that not all families talk openly about these things, especially if they’re not forced into it by facing discrimination themselves. Jewell’s latest novel, Ghost Boys, is about a police shooting of an unarmed twelve-year-old black boy. It’s meant to give middle-schoolers a starting point to talk about racial violence and injustice.

Tune in to hear about the history and family experiences that inspired Jewell to write Ghost Boys, and why she has so much hope in pubescent kids.

Win a Copy of Ghost Boys!
We’re giving away five signed copies of Jewell’s book! To find out how to enter, head over to LST’s Instagram and look for the post with the Ghost Boys book cover.

Resources for talking about race
Check out our list of books, articles, videos and organizations to help you – and your kids – talk about race and racism.