Black History Month

I recently read the novel, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.  The book had a quote in it that has really stuck with me, "You know the greatest lesson of history?  It's that history is whatever the victor says it is.  That's the lesson.  Whoever wins, that's who decides."  The particular quote referred to World War II and Nazi occupied France, but the quote holds true for more than just World War II.

When you look through our history books, you can see a very one-sided story.  The American Revolution is only told from the side of the colonist, the Civil War from the perspective of the North and so on and so on.  As teachers and parents we need to do a better job teaching history from all perspectives (Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Women, Native Americans etc.) and not just from the perspective of the so called "winner." We need to go beyond teaching Black History only in February during Black History Month and Women's History only in March.  The history of America's people, all of America's people needs to be taught day in and day out.

Luckily for us there are some great books out there that we can use to supplement our text books or other lessons so that our children can get a more complete and diverse view of history. One book in particular Heart and Soul: The Story of American and African Americans by Kadir Nelson is a must own in every classroom and home.  Nelson begins his book with the Declaration of Independence and ends with Civil Rights Movement and the March on Washington.  We are introduced to Pap, the narrator's grandfather who was captured in Africa and brought over on a slave ship.  His story is entwined with the story of America and other names we are familiar with like Lincoln, Fredrick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Joe Louis Barrow and Dr. Martin Luther King.  We learn about the the battles African Americans fought, the injustices they endured and the progress that was made.  He provides just enough detail and fact about each event, which is what makes this perfect for kids.

Nelson's story is paired with his beautiful illustrations. His illustrations alone can tell the story of the injustices history has imparted on African Americans.  The facial expressions convey every emotion and feeling: defeat, tiredness, anger, pride and determination- all words used to describe the history of  American and African Americans. Put all of it together and Nelson tells a story that needs to be heard by all American's because it is the

Here are a few:

Strikers

Brave Children, Little Rock, Arkansas

Southern Family Migrating North, circa 1940

So this February let's honor Black Americans for what they have contributed to our country but let's make sure to teach Black History (and Women History, Native American History, Hispanic History, Asian History and everything else) everyday of the year.

Happy Reading,
Laura