"Let Freedom Ring!" These are words that were so passionately expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a world that was ready for change during the August 28, 1963 freedom march speech in Washington D.C. What do the youth know and understand about this dream? How are the school systems teaching the youth about the dream? And what are the results of what has been taught about the dream? Perhaps if the youth fully understood the significance of the dream, there would not be so much hate, crime, and murder amongst the youth across our nation today.
A world of segregation into integration is where we stand as a country and world--still divided. Unbalanced in justice, education, and ethics. The history of African Americans divided from history in a whole, leaving the children to look in to the history books to ask the question why? Isn't history, history----so why separate the two--"Black History" from history in a whole? How will the dream be fulfilled with a void, a lie, whitewash? The watering down of the true facts of history. The separation of equal education. Where suburban children are taught in state of the art facilities, urban and inner city children receive "Hand me downs" or nothing at all. How will the dream be fulfilled when children celebrate Dr. King's birthday with only acknowledging "A Day Out Of School" ignorantly not understanding the dream? Although we have come so far still there is much work to do," are the words spoken by young anonymous successful entrepreneur in an interview on Chicago city streets.
As the world begins to move forward towards an equal and balanced world, our youth are somewhat left behind because there is a shortage of information that is being distributed in the history books in schools nation wide, the youth are not being taught the full truths about history. Although some parents do teach their children at home about "The Dream" and the history of African Americans, still a very large number of American children don't understand what major contribution Dr. King and many Africans/African Americans have contributed to society---the many contributions that has paved the way to science, medicine, sports, modern technology, the corporate world, education, etc. And with there only being one month dedicated to reviewing or understanding the history of "Black Folks" some would even call such an indication of history a mockery, simply because black history should be a celebration of history in a whole, not just an acknowledgment based on one month of the year. Not only should we reflect on the past of Africans/African Americans through out the year but as well further become pursuant in teaching children of every race the full history of Africans/African Americans so that there is a better understanding of the rights of equality. In the words of Maya Angelou in an interview with Henry Louis Gates Jr. "Heritage is so complex that we have to consider ourselves global and no human being could be more human than another."
(See
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/index.html... Maya Angelou's birthday is April 4th, the same day and month that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
The history of Africans/African Americans should be a reflection of history in a whole in order that the world may continuously work on ways to fulfill "The Dream." The major part of the dream that has been disconnected from the youth in schools, their communities and in many homes has caused a major downfall in society resulting in crime infested inner cities across our nation with youth who don't have a clue as to where they come from and where they are going. Making children bitter and confused about diversity and coming together in unity.
Some of the most conventional ways that children can be taught about black history would be through parents, teachers and community resources. Parental family lineage/root searches which consist of DNA and genealogy information gives a thorough connection to the roots of the child, (see
http://www.theroot.com/id/44162) showing children scrap books of ancestors, reading old folk tale books, showing movies about the history of slavery and how the ancestors of Africans/African Americans fought for freedom in order to allow the youth to understand the significance of education. Teachers could show movies in class, take field trips to African cultural museums, create lesson plans that contain information about the many contributions and history of Africans/African Americans in correspondents to the history that is being taught in the history books in schools nation wide, not just during black history month but through out the year. Another option would be to simple ask for a revision of history books in order that the books may be a reflection of history in a whole and not cut out most of the greatest contributions of Africans/African Americans.
In an interview with Henry Louis Gates Jr. in the series of "African American Lives 2" which entails a series of documentaries that unveil the truth behind the extraordinary legacy of "Black Folks" Chris Rock mentions that if he would have received the information that he knows today as a small child about his ancestors it would have taken away the inevitability of believing that he was never going to be anything in life. (See
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/index.html... PBS also has a segment on their website that gives lessons, and information for parents and teachers to enhance the educational background of the youth about the history of African/African American people.
The dream that Dr. King had, was built on the world working together in unity to create a balance of equality, freedom and justice for all, and without these freedoms our world suffers. Without allowing a child to fully understand their lineage is disconnecting them from who they really are and what they are to become. For if a child doesn't understand fully his past how does he/she work to make the future better, a future of change, positive change in order to fulfill "The Dream?"
Posted By: Talibah Bakhit
Thursday, February 18th 2010 at 5:11PM
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