They didn't know the answers...
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Posted By: Dorthea Taylor on March 01, 2005 Recently I performed programs in five elementary schools in honor of Black History Month. I gave a lecture recital on Spirituals and how they were used during slavery. Well, we sang Wade in the Water as an example of a "coded song." When I asked the children what the song was about, the children at four of the schools answered without any problem, "Escape!" The same was the case when I sang Go Down Moses. However, I was really disturbed when at one school, it took about 15 minutes before they could form the connection between Pharoah and the slave owner. (This was after I told them that Moses was like Harriet Tubman.) At every other school, this question had been answered by children, black and white, Pre-K thru 3rd grades. After the program the Jazz teacher came up to me and said, "Thank you for coming because they don't know any of this." This was the first time this school had ever had a program honoring Black History Month. By the way, three of the five prinicpals are black, this one was not. We have to educate our own, because if we don't, no one is going to do it for us. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Dorthea Taylor
From Greenville, NC Bennett College class of 1999 Member Since July 2003 |
Comments
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I really believe that this is true. I teach 10-1th graders and some of them do not realize what some of their culture means. It is like they do not have a care in the world and everyone is going to cater to them and that they do not have to confirm to any standards. I always tell them, that if they do not understand anything when they leave my class is to realize that they are minorities, and they have to work twice as hard to get where they are going. And it will not be a breeze in the wind but will require understanding and intelligence. Tuesday, March 1st 2005 at 6:58PM |
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The reason that they don't know is because lots of us (black people) think that we have arrived and there is no need to teach our children about a past that we think can never happen again. The sad part is that if our children don't know their real history...despite the shame or the hateful feelings that can be generated by that past, there is a real possibility that it can happen again. At the rate that we are moving backward, I think that in 2-3 generations we will be fighting the civil rights movement all over again but this time it will be much more violent & oh! so memorable for those who survive it.
Wednesday, March 2nd 2005 at 12:05AM |
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