When our son was an infant, my husband and I chose a childcare center that was both income and racially diverse. We were aware of our privileges, and we wanted to ensure his formative years involved positive experiences with classmates with different backgrounds. However, when we moved, those options in our small Indiana town for elementary school are virtually nonexistent. In Indiana, 83.59% White, 9.33% Black, 2.18% Asian, and 2.45% two or more races. While we continue to have conversations at home, I know it's not enough to undo the systemic racist messages he undoubtedly encounters through American culture.

I knew that as the Black Lives Matters protests began to sweep our nation, I was going to take him to one. However, as someone who closely follows the public health industry, I was also aware of the risk. I wanted the choice to be easy, but honestly, I wrestled with my decision for days and even minutes before we left for the protest. While contemplating how to enrage my son beyond conversation, I started researching ways to protest with children safely. Below is a summary of what I found, as well as a few tips I picked up from our experience.