Unless you've been living under a rock, you have heard about Beyoncé's stunning new visual album Lemonade. And if you have kids who are between the ages of 10 and, oh, 80 who are into pop music, it's safe to assume that they have too. There's been a lot of talk about the album as it relates to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's marriage with allegations of cheating as one of the central themes. But there are a lot of diversity themes for kids to talk about embedded throughout. Use it as a way to talk about any number of the themes below or within the context of your child's interests. Music is very powerful so use it to bond and learn with your child. I'm pretty sure they'll be listening to it anyway...
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Race: Queen Bey does not shy away from highlighting African-American culture in this album. She pays homage to the Black Lives Matter movement and specifically to the Black men who have been killed recently (e.g. Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin) and their families. She includes footage from a speech by Malcolm X. Even her much-discussed comment about 'Becky with the good hair' is a racial reference. It's not all about cheating - that line has to do with perceptions of beauty in society. An important discussion for any curly-haired girl. 

Gender: This album is really centered around Black women - just watch it through and that'll immediately become clear. Bey showcases female empowerment, but also female vulnerability. While this is important to talk about with the young women in your life, it should also be a topic of conversation with men and boys as well. The themes presented are just as important to them.

Region: This visual album appears to me to be distinctly Southern. I'm a proud New Yorker and even though I now live just south of the Mason-Dixon, Southern culture is not something I'm very familiar with. I know that New Orleans culture is featured pretty prominently with many of the traditions and festivals unique to the area on display in several songs. I definitely plan to learn more about some of the images I saw. Do the same with your teens & tweens!

Socioeconomic Status/Class: In one of the interludes between songs, a man talks about the significance of meeting the President. One of the things he mentions is that the President is from the 'hood just like him: Chi-Raq (aka Chicago & a Spike Lee movie). It appeared that it was important for Beyoncé to show the reality for people who don't necessarily have a lot of money, opportunity, or hope (as the man who met Obama described). 

Sexual Orientation: This one is brief in the visual album, but in 'All Night' Queen Bey shows examples of couples in love. A few of those are same-sex couples. This is done without fanfare (which can be even more powerful), but it's there.

Age: Beyoncé mostly showcases Black people, especially women, in the visual album and she shows women of all ages. There appears to be a celebration of females; from young girls to 90-year-old women - especially in the song 'Freedom'.

There are so many ways to go about actually talking about this album with your teen or tween. Here are some potential areas of interest. Pick your child's favorite and start the conversation:

• Fashion: The fashion in this album is incredible and varied. There are numerous influences from around the world. If your child is into fashion, talk to them about what they saw in the album and how they thought it contributed to the overall visuals of the album.
• Traditions: As previously mentioned, New Orleans' culture is shown throughout the album. Many traditions in NoLa are pretty different from the rest of America. The images of the funeral in 'Daddy Lessons' may be a good way to start.
• Music Genre: There are all kinds of different genres of music in this album: Pop, Rap, Rock, R&B, Country, and Reggae in my favorite song on the album: 'Hold Up'.
• Poetry: The poetry that Beyoncé reads in the interludes between her songs are the work of Warsan Shire, a Somali-British poet, born in Kenya and raised in London. In 2014 she was named the first Young Poet Laureate of London, so no newcomer. I fully intend to get to know more of her work and if you or your child is passionate about poetry, you may want to consider doing the same. 
• Celebrities: There are several celebrities that are featured in the album who need no more than a first name introduction: Serena, Amandla, Zendaya (don't know who they are? Don't worry - your kids do). Discuss with your child why Beyoncé may have decided to pick these particular women. And look beyond just their race - I theorize that the selection was very purposeful & has to do with the fact that these women are opinionated and outspoken.

So dive right in! It will definitely be entertaining and as you and your teen/tween continue to have discussions. You are sure to learn something together. Let me know how it goes. What was challenging? What interested your child the most? Where did you start? Most importantly, which was everyone's favorite song?!? Leave a comment below.

**A quick disclaimer: The lyrics of this album are quite explicit. There are sexual themes and profanity (in my opinion, not much worse than most PG-13 movies nowadays). If you are concerned about that, listen to the album beforehand. But keep in mind, that your child may be able to see the album even if you don't approve. Just something to consider...

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I.  Am.  Appalled.

This new Tennessee law is one of the most unbelievable pieces of legislation I've seen in awhile. Discriminatory laws always bother me, but this one really hits home. The law basically tells any mental health professional 'Sure, go ahead and violate your ethics. No problem - it's totally fine!' Ummm, except it's not.

I am a school psychologist so I am most familiar with my ethics as a psychologist and as a school psychologist (yes - there are 2 separate ones). I know what the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association for School Psychologists (NASP) have to say about ethics. I am less familiar with counselors, social workers, and other helping professionals. To my wonderful colleagues out there - if anything I say is incorrect or misleading, please comment below. But I'm pretty sure that ALL of us adhere to the same basic ethical principles. I believe that this law advocates breaking several ethical principles, but the one that stands out to me is:

Respect For People's Rights and Dignity
You see that this is respect for rights and dignity. Not or. Telling someone that something is wrong with them when they contact you for help is the counseling equivalent to kicking someone when they are down. Anyone who seeks therapy is emotionally vulnerable and telling them that you can't treat them because of who they are??  SO UNETHICAL.

If you want to read the entire ethics code for psychologists, you can access it here. How many other ethical violations do you see? Leave a comment below.

I am not implying that every counselor should have to treat every patient that walks through their door - this would also be unethical. You should only treat those who are within your areas of competence and expertise. But if the sole reason that a counselor is turning someone away is because they are gay or transgender, that's ethically, and I would argue morally, wrong.

If you live in Tennessee and you seek counseling and are turned away solely because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, please, please, please report that person to their respective national organization. That's right - skip right over the state organization and go national.  By causing distress based on discrimination they are breaking their ethics. That should be reported. Not sure which organization to report to? Here's a handy list:

Psychologist - American Psychological Association; http://www.apa.org/
Psychiatrist - American Psychiatric Association; https://www.psychiatry.org/
Counselor - American Counseling Association; https://www.counseling.org/
Social Worker - National Association of Social Workers; https://www.socialworkers.org/

At least one organization holds the same belief that I do. Here is ACA's statement about the new Tennessee law: https://www.counseling.org/news/updates/2016/03/03/counseling-profession-under-attack-in-tennessee

I couldn't find a direct response to the new law on APA's website, but this statement paper highlights similar concerns: http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/conscience-clause-brief.aspx

To you all, especially my colleagues in the trenches - what do you think about this law? Leave a comment below with your thoughts. 

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This is starting to become a pattern. And I don't like it...

I recently read another article about teachers that was frustrating, to say the least, but again not surprising. This article may actually help explain my previous post about teacher diversity and student outcomes. It turns out that White teachers appear to have lower expectations of their students of color, specifically Black boys, than students who are also White.  This worries me, and should worry everyone. I'll tell you why. This article highlights a significant problem that has been well documented. It's called the Pygmalion, or Rosenthal, Effect. Basically, it means that whatever someone's expectation is of you, that is the expectation that you will live up to. So if someone thinks you are a genius and will have your pick of Ivy League schools to attend then you are much more likely to live up to that standard. It also has a negative effect though. If the significant adults in your life think that you are much more likely to go to prison than to college, you are primed to live up to that standard too.

The School-to-Prison pipeline is real, people. Really really real.

This finding needs to matter to everyone - not just parents with kids of color. The way a teacher feels about his or her students impacts the way a classroom is run. It impacts how friendships are formed. It impacts the overall culture of the classroom. If the class subtly becomes an "us-vs-them" environment, there will be less collaboration and cooperation. Students won't learn as much from each other as they would in a more cohesive classroom environment. This matters for ALL students - not just Black and Brown.

So, I'm going to ask the obvious question: What the heck is going on? Are all White teachers racist and bad people? Should only Black people be teachers? Umm, no - looking at things that way is much too simplistic. If the answers to these questions were yes, then it would be a pretty easy problem to solve. But it's not. It's really really not.

In my opinion, I think a good place to start is to look at teacher training programs. How is diversity discussed? How is cultural competence developed in these programs? This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I wrote my dissertation on the multicultural competence development of school psychologists and let me just give you a quick nugget. My participants felt that their training programs did basically nothing to help them develop cultural competence. They felt they learned it on the job - almost entirely. But my participants worked in significantly diverse schools and school districts. What about those school psychologists who work in schools with very little diversity? How do they develop their cultural competence? And now the scarier question: Do they ever?

The same can and should be asked of our teachers. I am by no means blaming teachers - they, quite easily, have the hardest job on Earth and I don't fault them for much. And simply blaming teachers would, again, be much too simplistic. The problem is more complicated than that, but this is clearly an area that must be addressed. All teachers are expected to walk into a classroom with the basic skills to impart knowledge. But as the article articulates, they also need to walk in and know how to inspire and have faith in all of their students. Because according to the Pygmalion Effect, their students' success - ALL of their students - depends on it.

What do you think about this finding? Is it what you see in your child's school? Leave a comment below about what you have seen or heard.

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Our newest feature, Just For Fun Fridays, launches tomorrow! I am incredibly excited to share it with you all. Some of you may be wondering, what is Just For Fun Fridays? Is it helpful? How can I use it? Will it be complicated? Is it really fun? Really?

So, to answer all your burning questions (because I know you have 'em!), here's a quick guide all about these videos and how to use them for you and your family:

• It was born out of suggestions from you: In conversation and on the survey, I received a lot of feedback that talking about diversity was hard. To a lot of people, it feels awkward and forced. They didn't know what to say or how to say it. Just For Fun Fridays was born to make this easy - even fun - so it will be something you want to do. Not just something that you have to do.
• The videos are short: They are almost always 5 minutes or less (which is a small miracle because I am a quintessential New Yorker - I like to talk a lot). Everyone needs mental breaks throughout the workday. Watch the latest JFFF as you are sipping a cup of coffee and planning out what you'll be doing this weekend.
• A free one-page guide is always included: It includes a rating of each item based on its ability to learn something new and spark conversation, questions, comments, games, and/or activities to do with the item, the appropriate age range, and ways to continue the conversation.
• All kinds of items are included: This week's item is not right for your kiddo? Check back next week! We mix it up a lot. Books, TV shows, art materials, movies, toys, the list goes on and on...
• Your direct participation is not always required: The idea is to engage with your kids, but sometimes we just want - need - to get things done. No worries, there are some things that many kids can do independently as well.
• It's all about the questions - not having all the answers: It's ok not to know the answer or know what to say all the time. the most important thing is to encourage questions and interest. Perfection is not required!
• Comments, questions, & suggestions ALWAYS welcome: And highly encouraged. I want to hear from you. What you like, what you don't like, additional suggestions, or items to review. Let me know what you think!

Does it sound easy, fun, and doable? That's because it is! Don't miss a post - sign up to get Just For Fun Fridays delivered to you every week! It'll give you some great ideas for things to do with your kids over the weekend or anytime.

I know several women of color that I'm fairly certain will one day rule the world. There are my girlfriends: fast-moving, fast-thinking, and super dynamic. My mother and sister: brilliant and level-headed. They are always calm in any crisis (a gene that seems to have skipped me). My daughter and nieces: Don't be fooled because they are ridiculously cute. These ladies will be your boss one day and trust me - working for them will not be a walk in the park. But apparently, the odds are against all of them - myself included.

We talk a lot about the issues women face in the workplace. Women make 79 cents to every man's dollar. Women are woefully underrepresented in leadership positions. But this is not equitable for all women. Specifically, women of color. 

Women of color make so much less than men, it's crazy. According to this article, Black women make 60 cents to every White man's dollar and Hispanic women/Latinas make 55 cents to every White man's dollar. That's almost half as much. HALF. Now, 79 cents is not ok, but 55 cents?? That is so unbelievably unacceptable.

While White women make up 24.3% of private sector executive positions in the U.S., Black and Hispanic women make up 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively. And if you are wondering, no - that isn't representative of their numbers in the workforce. And certainly not representative of their numbers in the general population. For more information, check out this chart. If you're not in the U.S., I'd love to hear some of your numbers. Are these numbers the same in other countries? Better? Worse? Leave a comment below.

If we're going to talk about equal pay for equal work and helping women to reach their potential in the work world, we need to talk about the whole picture. The 79 cents to every dollar quote that we hear thrown around is really just not accurate. If you are going to say 79 cents, you need to talk about White women as compared to White men, because the picture looks entirely different if you are a person of color. That 79 cents number does not represent me. Or my aforementioned girlfriends. Or my mother and sister. Or my daughter and nieces. The gap that applies to us is much more significant.

So, you better believe that I'll be teaching my daughter (and my son for that matter - look closely at the chart - this applies to all women and anyone of color) that she will need to demand that she is paid what she is worth. Or better yet, start your own company and grow it until you are the boss. What will you teach your daughter/niece/cousin/friend? Leave a comment below.

Either way I have no doubt that my little girl will become a force to be reckoned with - a serious #ladyboss. Because that apple does not fall far from its tree...

I wanted to share the following article, but I admit I'm frustrated by it as well. The results, though important, seem incredibly obvious to me. A lack of teacher diversity negatively impacts students of color. Is anyone surprised by this finding? But I know that we need to start somewhere and this is a good starting point. My hope is that it's not the ending point. There are always more questions to be asked. I believe that some of those questions are: how does a lack of racial diversity impact Caucasian students? How does this lack of diversity impact students who are not racial/ethnic minorities but rather sexual, religious, or linguistic minorities? When looking at teacher diversity, are we only interested in racial/ethnic diversity or does other diversity matter as well?

What questions would you want answered next? What about the children in your life? An article like this is a great way to help them develop critical thinking skills. It is short and sweet and you could ask your child(ren) what additional questions they would ask. This could also be a great exercise to use in a classroom to inspire discussion. Educators - how might you use this article in your classroom? Parents - how would you use this for conversations with your kids? Leave a comment below.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/further-research-finds-lack-teacher-diversity-negatively-impacts-minority-students-1256084765

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