jennifer-roberts Between the current occupant of the White House removing the painted words BLACK LIVES MATTER from the asphalt on Pennsylvania Avenue and signing executive orders to rid institutions like the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture of accurate accounts, experiences and contributions of Black Americans, it can be tempting to give into despair and feel helpless. I implore you to resist the urge to shake your head, shrug your shoulders and tune out. Black people are the keepers and pollinators of our history. It has always been our responsibility to preserve and protect our history. And as bleak as it may feel, this moment in time is no different.
While it is reasonable to think that the members of congress should be proactive and trust worthy allies in this fight; it simply isn’t true. After all, when has the American government ever been practice or reliable or proactive concerning the well-being of Black Americans? We know what it is like to fight fiercely for freedoms that are inherently ours and then fight again to hold the United States government accountable for creating, passing and interpreting laws that are supposed to offer Black people some level of protection. Tragically, this has been the abusive pattern of the relationship between Black Americans and the United States government.
We are rightfully tired, and battle worn. We are disgusted and infuriated by the incongruence in what we know to be true about Black people’s hellish experience in the United States and the sanitized stories that continue to be spoon fed to the world.
And while the fight to preserve and protect our history continues to be long and hard; it is indeed possible for us to be victorious if we prioritize learning and teaching African American history as well as building privately funded learning centers. We must stop minimizing and abandoning our own efforts to build cooperatively in favor of taking the sawdust that America offers. We must stop expecting the vulture that is the United States to behave like a dove. No one is coming to save us. We must save ourselves. We must invest in ourselves, not as a trend but as a generational lifestyle. Here are eight free or low-cost local options to learn and share our history today.
Local Legends: Talk to people in your neighborhood, at your child’s school or at church about African Americans who have made or are making positive contributions locally. You might be surprised who and what you find. Host in-person and virtual community conversations and lunch-n-learns with the person or about the person. Help children conduct interviews and research projects. Host a local legends fair at the local library or a Black owned business.
Cost: FREE
Black History Gifts: The next time relatives and friends ask you what you would like for your birthday or for Christmas or they ask you for gift ideas for your children, tell them, “Resources and experiences that inform me about Black people.”
Books, gifts or event tickets from Mahogany Books (www.mahoganybooks.com) or Sankofa Video, Books & Café (www.sankofa.com) make wonderful gifts. How about a gift card to The Culture Cup (www.culturecupva.com) in Haymarket, Virginia where African American culture is served up alongside delicious coffee, sandwiches and pastries in an beautifully curated space? Learning resources for young people from Bevy & Dave (www.bevyanddave.com), The Brown Toy Box (www.browntoybox.com), Urban Intellectuals (www.urbanintellectuals.com) and Brown Brilliance (www.brownbrilliance.com) make fantastic additions to children’s toy boxes and book shelves. A gift giver cannot go wrong with tickets to an invigorating Step Afrika! (www.stepafrika.com performance at Arena Stage or Strathmore Hall or a self-paced, Afrocentric, online class such as Your African History (www.yourafricanhistory.com). Adults can find community and knowledge in Tiffney T. Laing’s “Educating Black Children,” (www.tiffneytlaing.com) online course.
Cost: FREE (to the recipient of the gift)
Prince William County Public Libraries: The Prince William County Public Library System is a treasure trove of books, e-books, videos and other reference materials that provide accurate African American History. Prince William County residents as young as five years old can apply for a library card and anyone can enjoy visiting the public library. Many county libraries have study rooms and community rooms that patrons can reserve free of charge to meet and host events that teach community members about Black history. www.pwcgov.org/library
Cost: FREE
Jennie Dean Memorial: A visit to the Jennie Dean Memorial in Manassas, Virginia will leave you feeling inspired and empowered. Born into slavery, Ms. Dean secured her freedom after the Civil War. She believed in the transformative power of education and worked tirelessly to build the Manassas Industrial School which educated Black children. The outdoor memorial teaches about the many contributions Ms. Dean made to Black students and their families through the vehicle of education and is a reminder of the importance of community service and selfless leadership. Walk around the grounds, read the history, take a picture of and with the bronze statue of Ms. Dean. Sit and reflect on Ms. Dean’s life and how you can use your life to serve your community as she did.
Cost: FREE
Manassas Museum: This recently renovated gem is home to educational exhibits that share about the deep roots of African Americans in the city of Manassas and the surrounding area. Visitors can request guided tours for children in grades K-12 and is walking distance to other historical sites such as the train depot, the Candy Factory, local shops and restaurants. The museum also stewards other historical sites such as Liberia House and the Jennie Dean Memorial which both have significance to African Americans. Plan your visit at www.manassasgov.gov.
Cost: FREE
National Museum of African American History & Culture: For the time being at least, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is an organic experience that teaches about the experience of Black people in what would become the United States pre-1619 to modern times in a way that appeals to every human sense. The expansive museum which begs multiple visits to digest and process the breadth of history and culture also boasts Sweet Home Café which serves up African American regional fare as well as a culturally relevant gift shop. The museum is accessible by car, bus and train. Free, timed entry tickets are available on the Smithsonian’s website, https://nmaahc.si.edu.
Cost: FREE
Frederick Douglass Community Center & Playground: The community center is the former site of Douglass High School, Loudon County’s first and only all Black high school. Outdoor markers tell the history of the school giving visitors an accurate glimpse of the experience of Black administrators, teachers and students in Leesburg, Virginia between 1941 and 1968. The community center is also home to an expansive outdoor playground steeped in Black history and culture. The play structures are as educational as they are functional, offering children opportunities to learn about Black inventors, scientists, entrepreneurs and entertainers while they run, jump, climb and slide. One of the structures is modeled after the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Cost: FREE
Manumission Tours: You will never see Alexandria, Virginia the same after taking one or all of John Chapman’s walking Black History tours. Ninety-minute tours for children and adults are offered on Saturdays and Sundays and will leave you wanting to conduct further research on the experiences of Black Americans in Alexandria. Walking tours include “Freedom’s Fight in Alexandria,” “Duke Street Black History” and “Still’s Underground Railroad.” Tour guides are knowledgeable and engaged. Gift cards are also available for purchase.
Cost: $12-15
