SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — The family of an 11-year-old Black girl who was injured in what they say was a racially-motivated attack in Kansas said Thursday it is important to talk to children about racism.
“We’ve seen a problem, and we’re here to give solutions and ask the community to come together to address this problem,” attorney La Ronna Lassiter Saunders told reporters.
Nevaeh Thomas was visiting friends in Shawnee when a 12-year-old white boy called the Black girls racial slurs, KCUR-FM reported. The boy allegedly hit Thomas on the head, leaving her unconscious. She received eight stitches and is recovering from a concussion nearly a week later.
“I think kids need to get together and talk about racism. It’s okay if we’re different or we have different opinions. But it’s not okay to hate and judge each other on their color and their skin,” Thomas said.
The boy has been charged with aggravated battery.
Thomas’ mother said she hopes the boy and the community can both learn from this incident.
“It is so important that we talk to our children about racism. We need to tell them how expressions of hate can make others feel and how they can leave scars that last a lifetime,” Brandi Stewart said.
