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| Get Into It! Spring - Summer 2008 |
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Encouraging Interest in African History
LEARNING about African history is crucial to our children understanding themselves and developing a healthy sense of self and purpose. Today our children are facing social alienation, alarming high school drop out rates, a disconnection with our cultural values, a lack of positive role models, and a school system that does not address their cultural needs.
Here are a few suggestions on how to encourage your child’s interest in their African heritage regardless of their age and how to make African heritage part of your family’s everyday lives.
SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW
Believe it or not, children learn a lot from their parents. They are listening, forming ideas and opinions about themselves and the world based on what they hear. Regularly share bits of African history and achievement with them, starting with your own family stories. Over dinner impart facts about Black inventions of things we use everyday such as the first working refrigerator, the traffic signal, or various products made from peanuts. Introduce them to the numerous personalities and events of our history -- Mansa Musa, Harriet Tubman, William Peyton Hubbard, slave uprisings, and the Atlantic slave trade.
LEARN WITH YOUR CHILD
Feel that you’re not too versed to teach your child? This is a great opportunity to learn our history yourself, along with your child. Research together and as you learn, talk to your child about the things you’ve read and find creative ways to share the information. This exercise will help children develop research, communication, and even presentation skills. They will also see from you that learning is a lifelong process.
BUY BOOKS AND BLACK ACHIEVEMENTS AND HISTORY
Create a library for your child that allows them to have their rich history at their fingertips. In the past fifteen years there has been a surge in Black-focused children’s literature for all ages. Essence has a great line of board books for Black infants and toddlers. For four to nine year olds there is a wide selection of picture books that cater to Black children, while older children can enjoy a variety books that pique their interests from biographies of well-known Black historical figures, musicians, and athletes, to fiction novels that deal with issues they may be facing. Books not only present historical facts, but can also be used as starting points for discussion and to inspire further reading interests.
SELECT SUITABLE TOYS
Studies show that by the age of three, many children gain an awareness of race, so it’s important that the toys and books around them reflect their image. Items that feature Black/brown faces should be prominent in a Black child’s playthings. They are powerful tools in helping our young children develop a sense of self-worth and racial pride, while countering the damage caused by the pervasive media images they are bombarded with. The more symbols of Black beauty and success your child sees, the less susceptible they will be to negative social messages and stereotypes.
MAKE USE OF MEDIA TECHNOLOGY
Instead of having your child spend countless hours watching television programming that spews negative images and is counter-productive, numerous media forms can be used to teach Black history and to expose our children to their cultural heritage.
Offer your child a selection of videos and DVD’s that further support your mission. Build a family collection that includes classics such as the Roots series, Malcolm X, documentaries like The Seven Wonders of Africa, and programs for younger ones like the Little Bill and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child series.
Today’s computer age can make learning about Black history an adventure for both you and your child while simultaneously educating and stimulating your child’s mind. Toronto-based Black Board International has developed an Afrocentric software line called Ashaware that includes a range of interactive games on the Black experience.
The internet is another source of wealthy information and enlightenment. Surf the web with your child. There are tons of websites tailored to educating African children about their history. Search for historical documents, pictures, and sound bites of famous speeches to bring history to life for your child.
USE THE COMMUNITY AS A CLASSROOM
There are many ways to extend your child’s learning beyond the boundaries of school and home. One way is to provide your child with the opportunity to interact with other African children in structured activities such as African dance or heritage classes.
Also, there’s probably a lot to see and do around your own city. Check community event listings regularly for events and special celebrations. In Toronto, visit the Royal Ontario Museum, which has a permanent exhibit on ancient Egypt and Nubia (plus it’s free on Friday evenings!).
Take a weekend or day trip to visit sites along Ontario’s African Canadian Heritage Tour trail like the North American Black History Museum in Amherstberg, the Buxton National Historical Site & Museum in North Buxton, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Josiah Henon House in Dresden, or the St. Catharines Museum at the Welland Canals Centre in St. Catharines.
It’s more important now than ever to make learning about our history part of the healthy development of our children. The more they know, the more empowered our children are to deal with social barriers and combat negative stereotypes. Knowledge of their abundant past enhances pride, self-worth, and a sense of belonging. It also gives our children the opportunity to set and pursue higher goals. Knowing what has been accomplished before them allows them to realize their dreams, thereby making positive contributions in the future.
Natasha Henry is the founder of Fundi Educational Resources, which specializes in African focused history resources, curriculum development, and educational workshops. You can contact Natasha by email at fundi_edu@hotmail.com or by phone at (416) 845-4949.
Click here to see PDF of this magazine exert. To order a subscription to BWAC, visit our subscription page.
