CMA’s Commitment to Our Community

“It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” -L.R. Knost

At Children’s Museum of Atlanta we know that the children of today represent the world of tomorrow. And what tomorrow looks like is in the hands of those adults who are nurturing and guiding our youngest citizens. The messages our children hear and the world they experience are shaping them in ways that will become apparent in the years to come. What is the world that we wish for our children to inherit and to ultimately lead?

Longstanding issues and the deep pain of systemic racism plague our communities which have reached a culminating point over the past weeks with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We cannot separate ourselves from the ongoing struggle that families of color endure every day. Our children are watching and they are looking to us to explain and to give them a path forward. Children’s Museum of Atlanta is committed to the full and healthy development and well-being of young children and their families.

Play is critical to full development and to helping young children connect the dots and navigate a sometimes scary world. Playing in an environment that introduces children and their families to different people, new ideas, beliefs, and customs teaches them to appreciate and understand our differences and to celebrate our commonalities.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta serves as a town square where all families are able to safely gather, connect, and learn together. We have always and will continue to present exhibits and create programs that foster mutual understanding and respect, opportunities for open communication and exploration, and equitable outcomes for children and families of all racial and ethnic groups.

We are committed to being a safe haven for all families by inviting exploration and discovery, and the joy that results from the warm embrace of mutual understanding.

Parent Resources

Advice from Other Parents
Cup of Jo: Raising Race-Conscious Children
Alamo City Moms: Talking With Young Kids About Racial Injustice

Parenting Tool-kits
Beyond the Golden Rule: A Teaching Tolerance Publication
How to Talk to Kids About Race and Racism

Helpful Articles from Reputable Organizations
National Museum of African American History & Culture: Talking About Race
NPR: Talking Race with Young Children
Embrace Race: How Kids Learn About Race
National Education Association: Creating the Space to Talk About Race in Your School
Early Learning Nation: Roots of Empathy – Where Children Learn the Language of Getting Along

Ways to Show Support
Support Black-Owned Businesses & Restaurants (3 great lists): Shoppe Black | American Library Assoc. | AJC
Purchase Diverse Books for Your Kids | 99 Books About Black Mighty Girls & Women
(thanks to The Mom Trotter and A Mighty Girl for the lists)

Is there something you would like us to add to this list? Email [email protected]

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