It has always been part of Black culture for parents like actress Garcelle Beauvais to teach their kids about race, so she started early; educating her kids on race “since they were 3.”
Garcelle Beauvais shares two children with her ex-husband Mike Nilon, 12-year-old twins Jaid and Jax Nilon. In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Beauvais explained that since their father is White and she didn’t want anyone filling her kids’ heads with “negative connotations,” she made sure to educate her children about race as early as she could.
“I didn’t want anybody to put any negative connotation on the fact that I’m Black, their dad is White,” said Beauvais. “We talked about race early… since they were 3. It was just getting ahead of it and putting a positive spin on it before somebody else said something to them when they were 3. It’s trying not to scare them, but at the same time giving them enough information so they’re aware of what’s going on.”
Besides Jaid and Jax, Garcelle Beauvais also has an adult son, 29-year-old Oliver Saunders, with her first ex-husband Daniel Saunders. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) star became a grandmother in February 2020, when Oliver welcomed his baby boy, Oliver Saunders Jr. Beauvais adores her grandson and loves spending quality time with little Oliver Jr., though she has had to settle for communication through FaceTime due to coronavirus quarantines. “We text,” says Beauvais. “Oliver sends me tons of pictures and videos. That’s the hardest part.”
As for life at home during quarantine, Garcelle Beauvais keeps her boys busy with plenty of chores, which she says will make her kids self-sufficient in the future. “They definitely have chores. They have to do the dishes, set the table. I’m teaching them now how to do laundry,” says Beauvais. “I just want them to know so they can take care of themselves one day.”
