New Children’s Book on the Black Pioneer of Time Travel

A new children's book scheduled to be released this summer will chronicle the life of Dr. Ronald L. Mallett. Ronald Mallett is one of very few tenured, full professors of physics in the country. What makes him even more rare is that he is one of even fewer tenured, full professors of physics who is African American. 

While his credentials are impressive enough, what is truly newsworthy is that Dr. Mallett is one of the world leaders in time travel research. He currently has a patent on a time travel machine. Like many people, Ronald Mallett became fascinated by the idea of time travel as a child. However, his interest was surprisingly practical. Ronald's father died when he was very young. After learning about time travel through fiction, he thought that building a time machine would be a way to travel back in time and save his father's life. His childhood fantasy grew into a reality of sorts. While he is not likely to be traveling back in time to save his father, he has certainly advanced our understanding of time travel and substantially advanced time travel technology. 

The forthcoming children's book, Ronnie's Great Idea, is a biographical fiction that presents key events in Dr. Mallett's life through a fictionalized story. The book begins with Ronald as a young child and ends with him as a university professor. The story describes challenges faced by the main character. In the face of these challenges, it is his drive to create a time machine and the support of his family that help him to persist. 

Stories like that of Dr. Mallett are too little known. It is difficult to see the power and potential we have as a race when our heroes are not shown and their stories are not told. Ronnie's Great Idea is a powerful departure from the norm. It is a valuable resource for Black children and adults alike.

Ronnie's Great Idea is scheduled to be released this summer. Parents and educators who are interested in this and other titles can visit www.BlackKidsRead.com and sign-up to join the Black Kids Read family. Members of the Black Kids Read family can also choose to receive the Blacks in Science Mini-Course on Dr. Ronald L. Mallett. The mini-course is free of charge. It includes: word puzzles, coloring pages, interviews with practicing scientists, and articles that can be used to help children of all ages learn more about Blacks in science.

Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also the author of Ronnie’s Great Idea. To learn more about this or other science-related books and educational material for Black children, visit Black Kids Read at: www.JomoMutegi.com.

Courage, Dignity and the Parenting of Black Children: Part Four

Reason #4: We are often ashamed of our condition as a people.

“I am flawed”
“I am weak”
“I am ugly”
“I am evil”
“I am not good enough”
“I am insignificant”
“I am unwanted”
“I am worthless”

These are the types of statements that reflect a mindset riddled with shame. These statements also reflect the constant messaging that we as parents (and our children) receive about ourselves as African people.

Guilt is the emotion most people feel when they believe that they have done something bad. Shame is the emotion most people feel when they believe that they are something bad. In the world we live in currently, shame is deeply implanted in our psyche as people of African descent. We are constantly told how inadequate we are: how we are poorer than everyone else; how we are less educated than everyone else; how we are more criminal than everyone else; how we have fewer marriages than everyone else. Even so-called compliments are many times little more than veiled insults. “Oh, I just love Edward. He’s so articulate.” Translation: “Edward is Black, and he can speak English.” What this also means is that we cannot speak as well as everyone else.

The reality is that we should feel neither guilty nor ashamed, in response to these half-truths. If we are poorer than anyone, it is because in the job market we are constantly exploited. We are not hired at the same rates, neither are we paid the same amount as others, even when we are more qualified.

If we are less educated than anyone, it is because in the public school system we are constantly exploited. Our schools are funded at lower rates than others even when they draw from the same tax base. Our children are suspended and expelled more frequently even when they commit less egregious offenses. Our children are given fewer educational opportunities, even when they demonstrate the same academic potential.

If we are more criminal than anyone, it because in the criminal injustice system, we are constantly exploited. We are more likely to be victims of police brutality, and we are more likely to receive excessively harsh sentences.

The complete truth is that whites have created a world that is structured to make us poor, keep us uneducated, criminalize us, and in many other ways stifle our potential. And as an additional indignity, they convince us that we are at fault for the condition that they have created. However, in spite of their misdeeds, we still survive and a few of us even thrive. We have agency. We are not helpless people. Just as hard as others work to keep us poor, we can work to reclaim our wealth. Just as hard as others work to keep us uneducated, we can work to realize our inherent genius. Just as hard as others work to criminalize us, we can shine the light of truth on the real criminals.

If there is one thing that I could impress upon you (and one thing that you should impress upon your children), it is that we should not internalize these negative criticisms. We should hold our heads high, with the knowledge that our circumstances do not define us. We should hold our heads high, with the knowledge that if we are not watchful, the evil-doers are always ready to do evil.

Knowing that there are others working to instill a spirit of shame in our children, we should work that much harder to instill them with a spirit of dignity and pride. We cannot sugarcoat the reality of racism. Tell the truth and shame the devil. Otherwise, our children will be the ones living with shame.

And as always... Have Fun!


Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)2 Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

Courage, Dignity and the Parenting of Black Children: Part Three

When my son was in pre-k, his mother and I made the mistakes of enrolling him a very expensive (mistake #1) all white (mistake #2) school. His time there was horrible for all of us. He was regularly accosted by his 4- and 5-year-old peers. They teased him about his complexion, about his hair texture, and about the way he spoke. His teachers offered no support whatsoever. He fought often, only to be chided by the teachers for not “using his words.” On one occasion he told his teacher that, “those words aren’t working.” All I could think when I learned of that response in a parent teacher conference was, “Good for you!” Needless to say, we made a hasty exit from that hot mess of a so-called school.

For a number of years after that experience, my son would often ask, “Why did the kids at ‘Hot Mess of a So-Called School’ make fun of me?” This is the point at which many parents fold. This is also reason #3 that many of us as Black parents do not teach our children about racism.

Reason #3: I don’t know what to tell them.
The reality is, we do know what to say. We are just afraid to say it. Remember, ultimately most of us avoid discussion of racism out of fear and shame. We should not be ashamed of the truth. These are our children. We owe them truthful representations of the world in which we live. Fortunately, we have a number of resources that we can use to help us say what we are uncomfortable saying.

First, there are documentary and film resources. There are a few films that all Black parents should watch with their children. Here are five of these must watch films.

• Roots – I can speak definitively about the version with LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte. I have not yet seen the new version.
• Ethnic Notions – This is a documentary narrated by Esther Rolle, which reviews the popular archetypes that are used to misrepresent people of African descent in media.
• Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind
• Black Wall Street – Tulsa Oklahoma
• Racism: A History – This is a three-part BBC documentary series that originally aired in 2007.

There are many more good films, but these five provide a nice start. As you watch these films with your children resist the temptation to justify the misbehavior of the white antagonists. These are factual retellings of history. Help your children to become familiar with these historical figures and events. This will give them a context for understanding the racism that they are likely to see in their own lives.

Second, there are book resources. Here again there are too many books to list them all. So, I will suggest five that will give parents a start.

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X – Alex Haley
• Black Spark, White Fire – Richard Poe
• Negroes with Guns – Robert F. Williams
• The Irritated Genie – Jacob H. Carruthers
• The Miseducation of the Negro – Carter G. Woodson

These books are written in straightforward and easy to understand styles. I have read at least 3 of these books with middle school-aged children. As you read these with your young readers, be sure to encourage questions. Also, stop and take time to talk through particular details of the text.

Third, there are museum resources. My wife and I like to visit museums. When we travel, we often look for local museums to visit. We have visited the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati on at least two occasions. When we were there, we could not find one mention of Nat Turner or Harriett Tubman. You cannot credibly talk about the history of enslaved Africans fighting for freedom without at the very least covering the work of Nat Turner and Harriett Tubman. I say this to emphasize that many “African American” history museums are set up as propaganda tools against us. So here are a few that we have found, which provide a consistently accurate and useful presentation of African people.

• The Great Blacks in Wax Museum – Baltimore, MD
• Lest We Forget Black Holocaust Museum – Philadelphia, PA
• DuSable Museum of African American History – Chicago, IL
• Muhammad Ali Center – Louisville, KY

If you know of any other good museums, let me know. I will work to visit them and add them to the list. As you begin to have these discussions with your children, write back and let me know how things go. Also, be sure to visit the Black Kids Read Bookstore. Take a look at our growing library of books written specifically for Black children.

And as always... Have Fun!


Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)2 Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

Courage, Dignity and the Parenting of Black Children: Part Two

I was at a luncheon not long ago and there were several African American parents sitting at my table. The discussion moved to a recent racially charged event that had been in the news. After some time, one of the parents asked the group, "How have you all discussed this event with your children?” A few of us shared our approaches for addressing racism with our sons and daughters. What really surprised me, however, was the number of parents who said that they don't talk about racism with their children at all. One of the parents asked me, "Jomo, do you think I should teach my daughter about racism?"

The question reminded me of a proverb that a friend once shared. He said, "A mother rabbit has to teach her baby bunnies about being a rabbit. But she also has to teach them about the wolf." This simple proverb makes the answer very obvious. If we want our children to survive and to thrive in this life, we certainly have to teach them about racism!

“Should we talk to our children about Racism?” If we love them, we will!

I believe there are two core reasons that we as Black parents avoid teaching our children about racism: fear and shame. People do not typically admit to being fearful or ashamed. There are four other reasons often given for not dealing with racism. As we strive to parent with courage and dignity, we should be aware of these four reasons, and find better reasons to face our fears. I addressed the first reason last week: I do not want to teach my child to hate white people. This week I will exam the second reason.



Reason #2: I hope that things will change.
I had a doctoral student who spent a number of years working as an engineer for a government agency. One day over lunch, I asked her why she left her engineering career to pursue a doctoral degree. She explained that the racism she faced every day on her job was unbearable. As she shared some of the incidents of racism, she also pointed out that her father had worked in that same department for most of her life. She could not understand why he had not prepared her for the type of racism she would face as an adult. When asked about this, her father replied, “I had hoped things would change by the time you were an adult.”

Hearing this we both shook our heads and agreed that, hope is not a strategy. I don’t need to recount the history of Africans suffering at the hands of whites. I will say however, that it has lasted for nearly 500 years. We are not going to wish it away in the 10 to 20 years, while our children transition from childhood to adulthood. More important than that, racism does not have to be eliminated in order for our children to thrive. But our children do need to develop strategies for navigating racism in institutions in order to thrive.

We can all help our children to navigate these institutions. Here’s how. First, be honest about the prevalence of racism. Don’t paint the world full of rainbows and unicorns. They will not believe you and you will lose credibility. Our children watch television. They listen to music. They go to school every day, and they watch us. They are very aware of racial bias and disparity. We can help them to recognize racism in specific acts and practices. We can help them to make sense of their experiences with racism. We can even teach them how to respond to racist assault. The one thing we cannot do is pretend that it does not exist.

Second, share your strategies for dealing with racism. Be honest about those strategies that worked and those that have not worked. Stories are powerful and memorable tools for teaching. Your “war stories” will be very useful points of reference for your children. They will encounter similar people and similar situations. Your stories will help them to avoid a good number of pitfalls.

Third, model the process of fighting racism by doing it with them. As your children are growing, they will have conflict some of which will be race-based conflict. You too will have conflict. It might be in a school, in the community, in a store or a restaurant. If it is safe and reasonable, have your children standing by your side when you address it. Children will learn a great deal by watching us. They will develop a sense of when to be the nice guy, when to raise their voice, when to go over someone’s head, when to call folks out, and when to use allies. Let them see your complete toolkit, and when the time is right, explain to them what you are doing (or what you did) and why.

I know the feeling of helplessness that confronts us. Sometimes it feels as though the weight of a whole society is against us. In those times it is easy to feel defeated. It is easy to rely on hope. But we are not a helpless people. Our whole history is a history of overcoming tremendous odds… and winning. We need to immerse ourselves in stories of victory, both real and imagined!

The Black Kids Read books and curriculum products are a very useful in this respect. Many of our stories feature Black families working together to address problems in Black communities. One example can be found in the series, Rebekah’s Healing Garden. In this series the main character, Rebekah, learns that she lives in a food desert. So she works with her parents and grandparents to start a garden in order to provide fresh produce for the neighborhood. This is a simple story. That helps our children see that they too can identify and solve problems facing our community. You will love this resource! Learn more about this series at the Black Kids Read website or visit BKR Books to purchase these titles.

And as always... Have Fun!


Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)2 Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

Courage, Dignity and the Parenting of Black Children: Part One

I was at a luncheon not long ago and there were several African American parents sitting at my table. The discussion moved to a recent racially charged event that had been in the news. After some time, one of the parents asked the group, “How have you all discussed this event with your children?” A few of us shared our approaches for addressing racism with our sons and daughters. What really surprised me, however, was the number of parents who said that they don't talk about racism with their children at all. One of the parents asked me, “Jomo, do you think I should teach my daughter about racism?”

The question reminded me of a proverb that a friend once shared. He said, “A mother rabbit has to teach her baby bunnies about being a rabbit. But she also has to teach them about the wolf.” This simple proverb makes the answer very obvious. If we want our children to survive and to thrive in this life, we certainly have to teach them about racism! 

Many of the parents who avoided discussing racism with their children gave reasons for their avoidance. But what I learned from that lunchtime conversation was that all of the reasons given, ultimately came down to fear and shame. This blog is about parenting with courage and with dignity. Over the next four months, I will share four of the specific reasons parents gave as well as a few encouragements. My hope is that parents in the BKR Family will overcome fear and shame to courageously and with proud dignity address the realities of racism. We do not only want our children to survive, we want them to thrive. I will also point out ways that Black Kids Read books and curriculum products can support parents and children in learning to successfully navigate racism in our society.

Reason #1: I do not want to teach my child to hate white people.
In our popular discourse, “hate” gets a bad rap. Hatred is a normal human emotion like love, fear, joy, apprehension, and excitement. All of these emotions serve valuable functions in our survival. Where hatred is concerned, humans typically hate those things that are detrimental (or appear to be detrimental) to us. Conversely, we typically love those things that are beneficial (or that appear to be beneficial). That being said, we cannot teach an emotion. We can (and should) help our children to identify benefits and detriments. Whether or not our children develop an emotional response to those benefits and detriments is out of our hands.

You might also have noticed that as people have less control in a situation, they tend to have stronger emotional reactions. This is especially important for parents who don’t want their children to grow up “hating white people.” One way to position our children not to have strong negative emotions towards whites, is to teach them strategies that will help them to (a) understand and anticipate the behavior of whites, and (b) have a high degree of control over their own lives (and self-determination) where whites are concerned.

The Black Kids Read books and curriculum products are a very useful starting point for teaching these strategies. All of the products include a component aimed at helping children to think about the challenges facing Black communities as well as ways that they can exert maximum control over their own lives. One example can be found in the series, Kayla’s First Chickens. In this series the main character, Kayla, learns that she can actually raise and process chickens for herself. Children reading this series should be encouraged to consider ways that they (like Kayla) can control their lives even in the face of challenges that they may face. Each book also provides parents discussion questions that push children to think more deeply. Learn more about this series at the Black Kids Read website or visit BKR Books to purchase these titles. As you begin to have these discussions with your children, write back and let me know how things go.

And as always... Have Fun!

Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)2 Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

Why is race in the title? Why can’t it just be "All Kids Read"?

We received these questions posted as a comment on the Black Kids Read Facebook page. This blog entry is written as an open message to the poster, Tiffany Ellington, and also to like-minded people.

Tiffany, your questions are good ones, unfortunately you are asking the wrong people. You should ask the publishers at Simon & Schuster why they do not publish more books that feature Black children and families as protagonists. Ask the publishers at Random House why they don’t have more African American authors and illustrators among their list of published authors. Ask the publishers at HarperCollins why only 3% of the books published in 2013 were about Black people. Ask the people at Scholastic why of the few books they do publish, which feature Black people, they give us self-hating and false images of Blacks as happy slaves.

Black people have for centuries, shamelessly begged white people for decent treatment: to not be enslaved, to not be murdered by police, to not be miseducated, to not have our image desecrated, and yes to not be ignored in children’s books. Unfortunately, all the available evidence shows that white people are either unable or unwilling to treat us with the requested decency.

So here we are. I am working peaceably at home; minding my own business; and trying to produce good quality books for Black children. Then you come along trolling my page harassing me. Tiffany, I have a question for you. Why do you hate Black people? Why does it bother you that we want to have something nice for ourselves? If you don’t hate Black people, then show us by your actions. Here are three things that you can do.

1. Purchase 10 copies of Black Kids Read books and mail one book to each of ten elementary schools in your local area with a letter demanding that they make these books and others like them available to their students.
2. Get 10 friends to commit to doing the same.
3. Identify 10 independent African American authors or illustrators and thank them for committing themselves to the task of providing high quality books to Black children.

And as always... Have Fun!

Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also a member of the (ES)² Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.