Raising strong African American daughters

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Transcription:

The challenge of raising strong black daughters is that people have expectations on how black women are - that we're aggressive, that we're loud, that we walk through the world with a chip on our shoulder. And it's really hard to raise daughters knowing that that's the way that some people are going to look at them. So there's a balance that you have to strike between letting them know that it's okay to be strong and it's okay to voice your opinion, but there's a way to do that that will make other people comfortable, that will help you to get your point across without people having to lean on a stereotype to dismiss your opinions and dismiss who you are. And so, you know, with my daughters we actually practice that. We do. I ask them their opinions, and they have to be able to express themselves in a way that I think would help them get their opinion across without people judging them for what their opinions are based on the mouth that it's coming out of. And it's helpful. It's helpful for girls period, but specifically for little black girls who may be misunderstood or treated in a different way because of the color of their skin.

Video Categories: ALL PARENTS, Family Life, Racial and Cultural Differences, ELEMENTARY, Bonding and Communication, Talking with Tweens, TEEN, Parenting Teens, Bonding with Teens

Denene Millner, Bestselling Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby, shares advice for parents on how to raise strong, smart African American daughters in America today

Transcript

Expert Bio

Denene Millner

Author & Founder of MyBrownBaby.com

New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner is a hotly sought after award-winning journalist whose insightful and captivating pieces have secured her foothold in the entertainment, parenting and book publishing industries. Millner spent the last decade working as a columnist, contributing editor and blogger for Parenting, a national magazine for which she provided witty, engaging, mom-to-mom advice on ethics and etiquette in everything from childrearing and marriage to work and friendship. Currently, she also is the founder and editor of MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed, award-winning blog that examines parenting and motherhood through the multi-cultural experience. Millner frequently contributes as an entertainment writer for Essence, the most well-read and respected magazine for African American women, and has written for a plethora of national publications and prestigious websites, including Parenting, Health, Ebony, Jet, Heart & Soul, Real Health, Money, iVillage, Parenting.com, TodayMoms, and The Root, among others. Her extensive television experience includes regular appearances on the The Today Show, CBS Early Show, The Nate Berkus Show, HLN, CNN, MSNBC, VH1, and the Rachel Ray show. Millner also is the author of 21 books. The former political reporter and entertainment journalist lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and their two daughters.