Homeschooling Black History...
I shared this quote this week along with a response to some interview questions I asked of my ten-year-old son. While it is a powerful quote from a ten year old, I also found it disheartening because I understood it's full context.
He and I watched two movies last month that touched his naive core. We watched Selma followed by The Watson's Go To Birmingham. Each movie reenacted the 1963 church bombing in Alabama that killed four girls. Both were gut wrenching scenes. In the Watson's movie, one of the girls that went to the church was a girl he really likes from another show. I watched his face as he watched in horror. He said, "I just don't understand why anyone could hate anyone so bad." I thought to myself, I wish this was the worst of it.
About the movie Selma he said, "If I could, I would march. But I wouldn't want to get hurt. But I would want to march."
We talked about how people loved Martin Luther King, Jr. and how so many people hated him. He asked me if people hate our president this way. I said, "Unfortunately they do." I said he's not a civil rights activist like Martin Luther King, Jr. was but people hate him because he's black. I told him about the night he won the election and how united the country felt in the moment but it only lasted for a short time. He said, "I hope nobody kills him" followed by "I would never want to be President."
Little by little I am teaching him black history. The type of history he won't learn in school. I hate to tell him that in some ways as a race we haven't come far enough in 50 years. The talks we will have in the future when he leaves this house alone will be the same talks mother's of black sons had with their boys back then.
His life has not been personally affected by oppression but he will have to know it still exists.
I'm not sure how hate and prejudice are taught but I hope that I haven't changed his perception of what he can accomplish because of the color of his skin. But how can I not tell him that no matter who he grows up to be, he will always be black first. This is black awareness.
Today I had to write from my iPad so I set a timer for 10 minutes because it takes twice as long to type from it. Under normal (computer working circumstances)... this would be my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…
- Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
- Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. This is writing in the raw.
- Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
- Link your new posts to All Things Fadra (feel free to use her SOC Sunday graphic).