Authors Dr. Anjali and Justin Ferguson with their son at Author Talk and Holiday Shop.

Dr. Anjali and Justin Ferguson reading to the group

Dr. Anjali and Justin Ferguson's book, An Ordinary Day

Author Talk and Holiday Shop was designed to empower attendees to have conversations about race.

RICHMOND, VIRGINA, USA, December 28, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Local psychologist Dr. Anjali Ferguson, a culturally responsive psychologist, and children's book author, is empowering children to have conversations about race and help parents begin earlier conversations around microaggressions and systemic disadvantages through her children’s book, An Ordinary Day.

On December 11th, Dr. Ferguson and her partner and co-author, Justin Ferguson, visited Pop of Confetti, an intentional gift shop in Richmond Virginia, to read their self-authored book to an enthusiastic group of parents and children.

The event attracted around 25 parents and children and combined a fun interactive reading session with important conversations about racial socialization—teaching children how to think and talk about race openly and honestly. During the reading session, parents were invited to have their children discuss the themes in the story—which focus on developing empowering parents and children on how to broach discussions about racism and structural differences.

Dr. Ferguson's work is not only timely, but also educational as she brought along toolkits she designed, “How to Empower Kids to Talk About Race and Skin Color” and 3 fact sheets: “30 Million Word Gap,” “Preschool to Prison Pipeline,” and “Microaggression Impacts on Children,” to the reading. Through the book, the authors encourage the importance of a more inclusive dialogue between parents and their kids. “It’s so important to remember the power of storytelling when trying to reach younger generations,” said Dr. Ferguson following the event. “I hope that my work can be used as an educational resource for families looking for guidance on how to talk about these issues with kids."

An Ordinary Day provides a concrete resource for parents when discussing these topics. For those striving to become more culturally responsive, these discussions and knowledge help others have a deeper understanding of racial biases and encourage conversation. At the end of the book reading, Dr. Ferguson engaged in a guided question and response session at the end to help parents navigate these discussions at home and provide tools they can continue to put into practice.

Pop of Confetti welcomed the informative book reading experience. The gift shop supports community events and showcases over 20 woman-owned artisan businesses in its Carytown location. Founded by Allison Smith-Mackey, Pop of Confetti products are made by female artisans, with a mission to empower women in business locally, and artisans in marginalized communities abroad, by providing sustainable and socio-economic opportunities. Learn more at www.popofconfetti.com

Dr. Ferguson will continue to hold an educational book reading at various bookstores throughout Richmond, Va. To book Dr. Ferguson for an interactive author reading, please visit
https://draferguson.com or sign up there for Dr. Ferguson’s newsletter for future book readings. Copies of An Ordinary Day are on sale at https://draferguson.com/book/.

Julie Khanna
Khanna Connections
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