Evy came to Jason this morning with a concern. It started with “I think this is racist.” We do not shy away from talking about real things in our home and want to encourage our kids to critically evaluate what they see around them and IN them in light of history. It is is the only way the narrative gets changed. We talked, asked questions, discussed history, & processed with her. We asked what action she wanted to take.
This was the result:
To Whom it may Concern at Lego,
My name is Evangeline Engstrom and I am nine years old. I love Legos, especially Lego Friends and Harry Potter sets. I enjoy playing with Legos with
my family.
I have noticed that all the Lego Friends characters have their own house except Andrea. This makes me sad and a little upset because Andrea is African American. I want to change that so all the Lego friends can have their own house. So I built my own custom house with some of my Legos. See the photos I have attached to this email. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures of the house.
I also went to the Lego website and searched and could not find a house for Andrea. I know in American history there has been much discrimination against African Americans owning their own homes and I think it is important for Lego to positively represent African Americans and not continue with this stereotype. My African American sister Rayne and I would love to help provide ideas and design help on Andrea’s house!
Thank you for spending your time to read this concern and consider my offer for help!
Sincerely,
Evangeline & Rayne Engstrom
She took pics of her design:
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