Lemons for Sale Part II

So, you bought the lemon?  Or maybe you felt that you didn’t have a choice when you chose your child’s school.   You thought you were getting a good deal.   You thought that everything would work out well because your kid goes to the “good school”, your child has “good teachers,” and you live in a “good neighborhood.”    Sadly, none of these have anything to do with the quality of your child’s American History education.

Just like there are lemon laws that help car buyers get justice, there are ways that you as a parent can take a leadership role in getting your child the American History education that she needs and deserves.  Here are a few strategies.

Get Involved:  One of the worst things that you can do is be apathetic and disengaged.  Don’t shake your head and think, “This is just the way it is.”  It might be the way it is right now, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.   Commit to get involved in your child’s education or become involved in a deeper way.  Make it a priority to know what your child is learning at every educational stage.  Dialogue with your child about what he is learning in school and how the information is being presented in class.  The African American experience should not be relegated to the month of February, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or standard of learning.  The African American experience should be a normal part of every subject that is taught in American schools. 

If you notice that one of the only times that the African American experience is present in your child’s learning is during Black History Month or that Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Thurgood Marshall are the only representations of the African American experience, make it a priority to speak with your child’s teacher or principal about how you can help change this.

Set up an in-person conference or virtual meeting to talk with the teachers about what is being taught, what’s not being taught and how the information is being taught.  Ask to see the standards of learning for your child’s school or district so that you know how what is being taught in the classroom aligns with what the district has prioritized.  These standards can often be found on your state’s Department of Education website.  Some school districts invite parents to participate on committees that help to determine the textbooks that will be used.  Consider joining one of these committees.

Volunteer your time in the school to build a sense of community.  Offer to speak as a special guest in your child’s class or at an assembly.  If you are an African American parent, your involvement will speak volumes and can help move the needle toward normalizing the presence of African Americans in everyday life.  Propose the  implementation of grade level,  school wide and district wide programs that will help increase student’s understanding of historical and contemporary African American experiences in the United States. 

When my children were in elementary school, every week the school celebrated “Read Across America Week.”  There were announcements on the school’s website, flyers that came home, a call for volunteers to read in class and teachers spent extra time reading to students.  The students and staff dressed up in characters and wore silly socks to celebrate this national observance. 

Parts of the school were even decorated.  Why?  Because the school and in my children’s case, the county, made celebrating this week a priority which motivated parents and students to also make it a priority.   Of course, this week was not the only time that students read but it was a special time that the importance of reading was emphasized.  A similar approach can be applied to the teaching of accurate and truthful American History.

Educate Yourself:  As a parent, you may feel ignorant, unequipped, unqualified, and uncomfortable.  You may be asking, “Where do I start?”  Don’t despair.  There are scores of other parents who feel the same way.  Search online for groups of parents and/or educators that are like minded.  I invite you to check out my Facebook Group, The Learning Place, a group  for parents and educators.  If you belong to a church or community organization, bring up the idea of incorporating conversations, events, field trips and book clubs that include the African American experience. 

Or if you are feeling particularly brave, introduce the idea of structuring or restructuring  how the African American experience is included in the school curriculum at the next Parent Teacher Organization or Parent Advisory Council Meeting.  Learn what questions to ask and how to filter answers from community and school leadership. 

For instance, if you ask your child’s teacher or principal, “Do you celebrate diversity at this school?” the educator will probably say with a smile, “Yes” and feel very satisfied with her answer. 

If you ask “How do you ensure that the African American experience is included in your school’s philosophy and culture” this question may cause the educator to furrow her brow and she may not have an answer.  The latter question requires thought, action, and concrete evidence.  Neither of these questions are intended to stump an educator but they should provoke thought and encourage authentic and intentional action, not merely perpetuate the appearance of action.

There are many great books available that are excellent primers for understanding the African American experience in the United States and contextualizing it for yourself and your child.  Below are a few of my favorites.

The last book listed is simply a great book to empower yourself with knowledge about the  realities of the broken American education system. 

“Caste:  The Origins of Our Discontent” by Isabel Wilkerson

“The 400 Year Head Start” by Nikki Ace

“The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson

“White Fragility:  Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo

“Push Has Come to Shove: Getting Our Children the Education They Deserve – Even If It Means Picking a Fight”  by Dr. Steve Perry

Educate Your Children:  Once you have educated yourself, teach your children what you know in age appropriate ways.  Parents cannot depend on the school to teach accurate and authentic American History.  Take responsibility for equipping your child at home.  Expect resistance from your child especially if they are adolescents or teenagers or if they are not familiar with this information.  While some children may embrace the idea of learning about America’s history, other children will not understand the value of it and prefer not to participate.   They may be disinterested or ask uncomfortable questions or questions for which you have no answer.  Stick with it and be honest.  Let them know that you don’t have all the answers but that you will work to find them.  Keep teaching and planting seeds because your child and those in their spheres of influence will reap the benefits.

If after researching, you still don’t feel comfortable teaching or want support in your new quest, engage with an individual or organization that is already teaching. 

I facilitate virtual classes for children and adults through my program, “Conversations in the Community.”  These sessions help participants discuss a variety of issues including the African American experience in the United States through meaningful dialogue and personal reflection. Sessions include a five-day series about American History from an African American perspective, “What Was the Middle Passage?” “Slavery in the United States” “What Was a  Plantation? “What Was the Underground Railroad?”  “Who Were William and Ellen Craft? And “Who Is Ruby Bridges?” (conversationsinthecommunity@gmail.com)

Identify Your Tribe:  There is power in numbers.  Through meaningful conversations, religious affiliations, community groups, recreational activities, or social media, identify other parents and educators in your community who are likeminded and share your goals.  Locate community members who may already be doing the work upon which you are embarking or start your own group. 

If you start a new group, recognize that you will probably be its leader.  You may have group members who want to help but don’t feel equipped to lead.  Thankfully there are roles for everyone.  Decide how your group will work to effectively bring about change in your community. 

Will you hold town halls with other citizens?  Will you propose a new committee or after school organization at your child’s school?  Will you serve on the city council ?  Will you run for a school board position?  Will you speak at school board and civic association meetings?  How will you measure your success?  Will you use social media to spread the word and make the public aware of your work?   How will you engage members of your community?  Whatever you do, make sure that you are being effective.  Be wary of discussions that have little to no real impact.

Educate Your Community:  Sometimes it’s easy to assume that everybody knows something just because you know it.  There are countless people that don’t know about how Africans were forcefully enslaved in what would later become the United States of America.  Many people don’t know about the Middle Passage, Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, chattel slavery or the fact that 10 of the first 13 United States presidents were enslavers.  Many people don’t know that Thomas Jefferson, the United States third president and primary author of the Declaration of Independence enslaved hundreds of black men and women including his own black children whom he had with Sally Hemings, a woman whom he enslaved. 

Your knowledge has value.  Share what you learn with others.  Some people may resist the truth but others will embrace it.

Advocate for Change in Your Community:  Learn about how you can include the African American experience in your local community.  This can include work ranging from getting the name of a public library or school changed from the name of a confederate soldier to volunteering at your child’s school. Your voice and your presence have power.  Your passion and your perseverance have the power to shift cultures and change narratives.