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.