Talking About Race: The Preston Foster Ogletrees

Meet the Preston Foster Ogletree family: Mom Lauren, dad Jack, big brother Trey, twins Henrik and Dries, and baby Lucienne. In this video, they’re discussing fairness, justice, coping strategies, and hopes for their future. They’re talking about racism, respect, fairness, justice, and resilience in direct, age-appropriate, and honest ways.

Lauren and Jack also share how they talk to their boys about staying safe around police officers.

Watch the video yourself before deciding whether to share with children. Think about the conversations you’ve had with your own children around race and racism, and notice if there are any similarities.

As you watch, you might jot down:

• what you might say in your own conversations
• ideas you want to try
• new information you hadn’t considered
• things you’d like to think more about or discuss with other adults

After you watch, you might think about:

• How would such a conversation look in your home? How would you want it to be the same or different?
• What is this family doing that you might want to do more of in your family? Is there something else you might want to do?
• The family talked about what makes them proud of their family, how they are unique. How about yours?
• The family talked about their “happiness toolkit.” How do you take care of yourself (as an individual and as a family) when race-related stress gets to you? How do you help children learn to take care of themselves? What else can you do to help yourself feel strong?