Blog
Mom Designs Alphabet Poster to Help Adults Talk to Kids About Racism
Taimani Reed of Portland, Oregon, is a photographer, brand designer and illustrator. Recently, the mother of two launched a project called “A is for Ally,” which focuses on the ABC’s of acceptance and words associated with oppression in order to teach her children about racism.
“I just couldn’t figure out how to talk to my kids,” Reed told Good Morning America.
“I was watching George Floyd yelling for his mama and my own kid was like, ‘Mama, what’s wrong?’ That was such an emotional moment. I didn’t want to tell him, ‘The world is horrible,’ but I also didn’t want him to grow up not knowing.”
Through Reed’s company, Emerald Creative, she offers posters and tote bags with the alphabet on them. The “A is for Ally” poster is her most popular product. Each letter of the alphabet on the posters relates to words like ally, Black, colonization, diversity, equality, fragility, gentrification and much more. Reed chose the ABC model since her 3-year-old and 1-year-old are practicing their ABC’s.
She developed this project by asking teachers, principals and BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) families in her area what words they felt were important to include on this project.
“I wanted to create something soft enough to talk about scary subjects,” Reed told ABC News. “And specifically white women and mothers [asking], ‘How are you teaching your kids and what tools do you need to teach diversity and anti-racism?'”she continued.
Reed’s poster became favored in her local Facebook groups. After making it available for parents at home, teachers began to reach out to have them in their classrooms. Reed is collaborating with Lillian Green, a former teacher and founder of Operation Back to School (OBS), an organization founded in honor of her sister, Kim Green Ellsworth, who was also a teacher.
OBS donates backpacks and school supplies to students in need. With this collaboration, Green will include “A is for Ally” posters in 447 backpacks for preschoolers, and 200 more are going to three local schools, foster care programs and daycare centers.
“I kind of [have], for a really long time, been in the shadows as far as advocating for Black people because of my privilege in who I’m married to,” Reed said, explaining that she’s married to a white man.
“I am a Black woman and a lot of people don’t see me that way because I am mixed,” she added. “I feel this movement meets everybody’s voice. ‘A is for Ally’ gave me and other people an opportunity to speak to their children at home and in their schools in areas where other types of protests, and language, might not be able to get into, in the same manner.”
Reed has raised over $3,000 to get “A is for Ally” posters to students in classrooms. Thank you, Mrs.Reed, for making this tough conversation a little bit easier!