Kristin Weaver Tlili,
Bangor, ME
My sons are a beautiful combination of Ohio and North Africa living in New England. I never wanted to have to define their race as I wasn’t sure how to correctly capture the beauty of their heritage. There wasn’t a box to check for them on the pre-k enrollment form. I have always wanted to protect them from what I saw and experienced growing up in Ohio, then moving to Boston. My parents raised us in a Catholic but liberal household with values of taking care of people, loving the person for who they are, and making the world a better place. As a teacher in Cincinnati Public Schools in the 1990’s I learned a lot about racism and it’s impact. I wanted to give my students the opportunities I had. Now as a school counselor in Maine and the mom of 2 adult men, I hope to continue to learn from the experiences of others.
