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Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain

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Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain

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Dear White People, your colleagues are probably not OK

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The likelihood that your Black colleague lost a family member to COVID-19 is painfully high. The chances that your Black colleague was triggered by the viral video of Amy Cooper because a white woman used her race and privilege and weaponized it against him is incredibly likely. The possibility that your Black colleague is afraid to go for a run, or terrified when her husband leaves the house, or just simply enraged by the incessant lies this country keeps telling us about equal liberties is so high you'll need a ladder to get it down.

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Dear White People, Your Black Colleagues Aren't Okay

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The likelihood that your Black colleague lost a family member to COVID-19 is painfully high. The chances that your Black colleague was triggered by the viral video of Amy Cooper because a white woman used her race and privilege and weaponized it against him is incredibly likely.

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People worldwide are joining Americans to demand justice George Floyd (Credit: L Becker1999 from Grove City, OH /CC BY -SA 2.0/Creativecommons.org)

Since May 26, 2020, cities across the US have been gripped by protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died in police custody on May 25, 2020. The incident has led to one of the biggest displays of unrest seen in America in 50 years and reignited the debate about law enforcement and race relations globally. From May 30 to June 1, 2020, thousands of demonstrators in cities across the world - from London to Berlin to Auckland to Brazil - marched in solidarity with their US counterparts to demand justice for Floyd and to protest against the mistreatment of minority groups in their respective countries.

Who was George Floyd?

Originally from Houston, TX, Floyd, 46, moved to Minneapolis, MN, in 2014 in search of new opportunities. After a brief stint at the downtown Salvation Army store, he landed a job as a security guard at Conga Latin Bistro, where he was known as "Big Floyd." The bistro's owner Jovanni Thunstrom describes the six foot six inches tall Floyd, as a cheerful man with a "good attitude." He also held a second job as a truck driver. Unfortunately, in the weeks leading to his death, Floyd had been laid off from both due to Minnesota's COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

George Floyd died on Memorial Day after being arrested and pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer (Credit: Lorie Shaull/CC-BY-SA 2.0/Flickr)

What happened on the night of May 25, 2020?

On the evening of May 25, 2020, Floyd purchased a pack of cigarettes with what an employee of Minnesota grocery store Cup Foods believed was a counterfeit $20 bill. When Floyd refused to return the merchandise, the employee called 9-1-1 and told the dispatcher that Floyd had given them "fake bills."

Soon after, a police car with four officers arrived and asked Floyd to step out of his vehicle. A video of the arrest, captured by a passerby, shows Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of the handcuffed Floyd, who is repeatedly pleading, "I can't breathe." By the time Chauvin lifted his knee - a full eight minutes and 46 seconds later - Floyd had lost consciousness. Shortly after, at 9:25 pm, the 46-year-old was pronounced dead by the paramedics called by the police. The footage of the unnecessary police brutality, released on social media, incited outrage nationwide.

The George Floyd Memorial outside Cup Foods at Chicago Ave and E 38th St in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Credit: Lorie Shaull/CC-BY-SA 2.0/Flickr)

What led to the protests?

To prevent the situation from escalating, Chauvin and the three other officers - Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng - who were present at the time of the arrest, were fired from the police force on May 26, 2020. However, that was not enough to appease Minneapolis residents, who wanted more accountability for Floyd's death. That evening thousands of people gathered at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where the incident had occurred to demand justice for Floyd. The protest, which began peacefully, escalated as the night went on, with demonstrators damaging police cars and burning down the precinct building where Chauvin was stationed.

On May 29, 2020, the officials once again tried to defuse the situation by charging Chauvin with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The accusations, which do not require prosecutors to prove that Chauvin intended to kill Floyd to get a conviction, carry a maximum sentence of up to 35 years. However, Minnesota's state guidelines usually recommend 12 1/2 years for a conviction on the murder charge and four years for manslaughter.

Hundreds of demonstrators stage a peaceful protest in Marin City, California (Credit: Aparna Bhudhrajs)

The charges, which many viewed as lenient, and the lack of accountability of the other officers, enraged the country. On May 30, 2020, residents of cities across America - from Seattle to New York City - joined Minnesotans in protesting against the police brutality. The demonstrations have since spread to over 200 cities throughout all 50 states. Characterized by loud, unified chants of Floyd's last words "I can't breathe," and "no justice, no peace," the protests have at times descended into violence with looting, vandalism, and fires, forcing cities to impose nightly curfews, with some starting as early as 6 pm.

Alarmed at the growing unrest, city officials and leaders are urging people to end the violence and seek out more peaceful ways to accomplish change. "There are many, many ways for us to work together in a constructive manner that empowers our community to speak up with a loud voice," says St. Paul, MN Mayor Melvin Carter, the city's first African American mayor.

George Floyd's brother, Terrence Floyd, is also pleading with protestors to end the destruction of their communities. "My brother wasn't about that. My brother was about peace," he says. "You'll hear a lot of people say he was a gentle giant."

Americans hope the protests will result in meaningful changes in the US justice system (Credit: Aparna Bhudhrajs)

What additional steps is Minnesota taking to rectify the injustice?

The large-scale demonstrations have not been in vain. On June 2, 2020, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced an investigation into the Minneapolis police policies and procedures over the past ten years to determine whether the department has engaged in discriminatory practices toward people of color. "This is not about holding people personally criminally liable," said Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, who will lead the investigation. "This is about systems change."

In yet another critical step for justice, on June 3, 2020, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison elevated the charges against Chauvin to second-degree murder, which carries a harsher sentence of about 40 years. The three other officers present have been charged with aiding and abetting murder.

How do we prevent such a situation again?

While Floyd may get the justice he deserves, other victims of police abuse have not been as fortunate. Over the years, there have been numerous incidents of police brutality against unarmed and innocent African Americans, many of whom have been killed while engaged in day-to-day activities. In most cases, the officers involved have been let go with a lenient sentence, or even worse, absolved of all wrongdoing. Hopefully, law enforcement officials across the US will re-examine their procedures and make the changes necessary to ensure equitable treatment of all individuals, regardless of color or creed.

George Floyd is survived by his six-year-old daughter Gianna, who lives with her mother in Houston, Texas, where he will be laid to rest on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

R.I.P George Floyd

Resources: latimes.com, Vox.com, CNN.com, www.aljazeera.com

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Americans Demand Justice For George Floyd

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Since May 26, 2020, cities across the US have been gripped by protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an unarmed African American man who died in police custody on May 25, 2020. The incident has led to one of the biggest displays of unrest seen in America in 50 years and reignited the debate about law enforcement and race relations globally.

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The Four Agreements to Courageous Conversations

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The Four Agreements to Courageous Conversations

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Ras Baraka Spoken Word Video--What We Want

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Ras Baraka Spoken Word Video--What We Want

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Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, released a passionate, timely new video for "What We Want," the title track to his 2019 EP.

Directed by Ayana Stafford-Morris and produced by Udi Aloni, the clip features Baraka onstage at Newark Symphony Hall, accompanied by a bongo drummer. He sends his powerful message through the microphone: "We want to praise our own God/And we want to see his reflection in our children's eyes," he declares. "We want to draw him blue/Like jazz/With long dreads/And thick lips."

Dancers with white face paint and berets fill the stage, representing internal struggle and oppression. "Free housing," "quality education," "equal pay" and more written are written across their cheeks. "We need freedom," Baraka says. "Not just the bill of rights/But rights to build our own lives."

"What We Want" was inspired by the slogans used by organizations during the civil rights movements of the Sixties. "It is from the perspective of how I was feeling," Baraka said. "What would I want if I was in a position to make demands and what would those demands be? Is it freedom, justice, equality?"

"The message is more relevant now with the unrest in the black community and the protest around equality and justice," he tells Rolling Stone. "We need more than justice in the moment - we need an overhaul of our systems. This is our opportunity as a people and world citizens to address the root of the larger issues that affect all our communities and the injustices that we deal with."

What We Want was produced by Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis. The title track is also the theme song to the upcoming documentary Why Is We Americans? co-directed by Stafford and Aloni. The film chronicles the Baraka family's social activism and poetry. It will premiere at the Lighthouse International Film Festival on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, on June 16th in drive-in format.

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Mayor Ras Baraka Drops Timely Spoken Word Video, 'What We Want'

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Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, released a passionate, timely new video for "What We Want," the title track to his 2019 EP. Directed by Ayana Stafford-Morris and produced by Udi Aloni, the clip features Baraka onstage at Newark Symphony Hall, accompanied by a bongo drummer.

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Stories That Build Character And More...

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All Different Now, Angela Johnson (Author)

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All The Way to America - Dan Yaccarino (School Project)

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Fry Bread. A Native American Family Story. Written by Kevin Noble Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez- ... Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates. ... Read Kevin Maillard Interview at Mrschureads.blogspot.​com ...

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Wangari Maathai | Seeds of Change | Audiobook

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Pete Seeger Reads 'Abiyoyo' on Reading Rainbow

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Miss Sofie's Story Time - Kids Books Read Aloud

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BRAIDS! by Robert Munsch | Kids Book Read Aloud | FULL BOOK READING BEDTIME STORY AUDIO

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Miss Sofie's Story Time - Kids Books Read Aloud

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BRAIDS! by Robert Munsch | Kids Book Read Aloud | FULL BOOK READING BEDTIME STORY AUDIO

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Team Building Activities, Challenges | Venture Team Building

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Cross Cultural Team Building | Two Quick Warm-Up Games

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Two easy-to-use, quick and fun games for cross cultural / intercultural team building sessions. Instructions, preparation, tips, and how to facilitate.

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Discovery site

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Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops' arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday. Juneteenth 2023 will occur on Monday, June 19.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas-until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

But in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't instantly free any enslaved people. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control. However, as Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many enslaved people fled behind Union lines.

Juneteenth and Slavery in Texas

In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.

After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger's arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas's 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn't happen overnight for everyone-in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season-celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.

The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.

In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

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Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked an effective end of slavery in the United States.

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Michael Jordan: Chicago Bulls Basketball Player

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Kids learn about Michael Jordan and his basketball career with the Chicago Bulls.

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Giving Thanks

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A River Ran Wild

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Cultural Diversity Articles for Teachers

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Cultural Diversity Articles for Teachers

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Preparing for Cultural Diversity: Resources for Teachers

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How can teachers prepare for diverse classrooms? There isn’t a definitive answer, but there is a wealth of resources online. Discover some helpful links for teachers.

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Nine-Year-Old Kenyan Boy Builds Hand Sanitizing Station To Help Fight COVID-19

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Stephen Wamukota, a nine-year-old from Mukwa village in Western Kenya, is making headlines worldwide for his ingenious hand washing machine. The young boy came up with the idea after watching village residents, who do not have easy access to running water, struggle to find an effective way to wash…

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Civil rights activist John Lewis and U.S. lawmaker John Lewis spent his entire life fighting for justice (Credit: Apple.com)

American civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA) passed away on July 17, 2020, following a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The 80-year-old dedicated his life to building what he called "The Beloved Community" in America - first as a civil rights leader and then as a lawmaker advocating, for reforms on issues from gun control to health care.

"The world is a better place because John Lewis spent his life pursuing freedom, justice, opportunity, love, and peace for all of humanity," Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop said during a House bipartisan remembrance for Mr. Lewis. "He inspired us as the conscience of Congress."

Republican Rep. Tom Graves added to the tribute, saying, "Our nation has indeed lost a giant. It's times like these that we must be reminded of the shoulders that we stand on, the shoulders of giants like John, I'm better off because of John Lewis. ... Our nation is so much better because of John Lewis."

John Lewis (fourth from left) and other civil rights leaders meet with President John F. Kennedy after the March on Washington, DC in 1963 (Credit: Cecil W. Stoughton / Public domain)

Born in 1940 in rural Alabama, Mr. Lewis was the son of sharecroppers - tenant farmers who gave a part of each crop as rent - during a time when African Americans were considered second-class citizens. Growing up, Mr. Lewis aspired to be a preacher. However, inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK, Jr.) and anger at the Jim Crow laws, which mandated segregation between whites and black Americans in schools and public places in the southern states, caused him to become a civil rights activist instead.

Mr. Lewis's first encounter with law enforcement came in February 1960, when he and several other black students got into a fight with white patrons while protesting racist policies by sitting at a department store "whites-only" lunch counter in Nashville.

"I didn't necessarily want to go to jail," he recalled in a 1973 interview for the Southern Oral History Program. "But we knew...it would help solidify the student community and the Black community as a whole. The student community did rally. The people heard that we had been arrested, and before the end of the day, five hundred students made it into the downtown area to occupy other stores and restaurants. At the end of the day, ninety-eight of us were in jail."

The peaceful sit-ins worked as hoped. By April that year, lunch counters in Nashville were open to all, but Mr. Lewis's efforts were just beginning.

The Obama family, Mr. Lewis, and hundreds of others walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday (Credit: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson/Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov)

The young activist rapidly emerged as one of the Big Six leaders of the civil rights movement - a group that included MLK Jr., James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young. He rose to national prominence on March 7, 1965. On that fateful day, Mr. Lewis led more than 600 civil rights advocates on a 54-mile march from Salem, Alabama, to the state capitol in Montgomery to urge lawmakers to allow African American citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The peaceful demonstrators, however, were stopped by a row of state troopers at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and ordered to return home. When they refused to budge, the officials used tear gas and batons, mercilessly injuring fifty activists including Mr. Lewis. However, their sacrifice did not go in vain. "Bloody Sunday", which was televised live, brought the nation's attention to the unjust law and instigated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark federal achievement of the civil rights movement.

Mr. Lewis's determination to bring reform to the country continued after he was elected the U.S. Representative of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District in 1986. The lawmaker, who was re-elected 16 times, spent his 33 years in Congress fighting for initiatives like better education and healthcare for the underprivileged, and gun control reform. He also co-wrote a series of graphic novels about the civil rights movement, for which he won the National Book Award in 2016. Former President Barack Obama recognized Mr. Lewis's relentless pursuit of justice by bestowing him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2011.

The civil rights icon will be laid to rest on July 30, 2020, at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, following a six-day "celebration of life." The themed memorials will include stops in Troy, Selma - where Mr. Lewis will cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge one last time - and Montgomery, Ala., as well as Washington, DC. His casket will be available for public viewing at each location, allowing fans to pay their respects to the civil rights hero one last time.

Mr. Lewis and Reverend C.T. Vivian, who also passed away on July 17, 2020, were both awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama (Credit: Official White House Photo/ Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov)

To honor his legacy, many Americans and politicians are urging lawmakers to restore Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. It required states and localities with a history of discrimination against minority voters to get a "pre-clearance" from the federal government before making any changes to their voting policies.

Reverend C.T. Vivian, another civil rights leader and one of Mr. Lewis's collaborators, also died on July 17, 2020, at the age of 95. Known by many as "The Quiet Warrior," he was a close friend and confidant of MLK Jr. and spent his life campaigning for equality and justice. The clergyman, who was considered one of the greatest preachers of his generation, was laid to rest at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, on July 23, 2020.

Though the activists may be gone, their fight for justice and equality for all must continue. As Mr. Lewis once said, "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble,"

R.I.P. Mr. John Lewis and Reverend C.T. Vivian

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Reflecting On The Life And Legacy of Civil Rights Icon John Lewis

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American civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA) passed away on July 17, 2020, following a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The 80-year-old dedicated his life to building what he called "The Beloved Community" in America - first as a civil rights leader and then as a lawmaker advocating, for reforms on issues from gun control to health care.

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Dust from the Sahara Desert, blown across the Atlantic Ocean, creates hazy skies in Puerto Rico (Credit: NSW Cleveland/Twitter)

A massive dust cloud that had been journeying 5,000 miles from the Sahara Desert across the Atlantic Ocean since June 15, 2020, finally hit the United States mainland on June 26, 2020. Nicknamed "Godzilla," the 3,500 mile-long plume broke into two chunks, thanks to the split in the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

One part drifted northwards towards the Plains States and the Midwest before moving up to the Canadian border on Monday, June 29, 2020. While cities like Minneapolis and Chicago witnessed hazier than usual skies over the past weekend, the dust had diffused and thinned out substantially by the time it reached the areas. However, the second batch of dust, which lingered over Texas, the Carolinas, and Florida for a couple of days, was thick enough to pose health risks to residents, causing authorities to recommend they stay indoors, if possible. Fortunately, the dust has since moved towards the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean, where it will eventually dump its swirling mass of particles.

The "Saharan Air Layer" is not an entirely unknown phenomenon. Each year, windstorms pick up182 million tons of sand - enough to fill 689,290 semi-trucks - from the Sahara Desert. The sand cloud's ultimate destination depends on the time of the year. In the winter and spring, the winds usually direct the dust plumes to land directly in the Amazon rainforest in South America. In the summer, it sends them towards North America.

This "true-color" composite animation of visible satellite imagery shows the movement of the Saharan Dust plume from June 15 to 25, 2020. It was captured by the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA/NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite. The bright streaks seen at regular intervals are due to sun glinting off the ocean surface (Credit: NASA/NOAA, Colin Seftor)

However, the dust layer, which begins about one mile into the atmosphere and extends upward for about two miles, typically disperses by the time it reaches the US coast, leaving little visible impact. But this year the cloud was unusually large both in volume and density. "In terms of concentration and density and size, it is the most dust we've seen in 50 or 60 years," Pablo Méndez Lázaro, an environmental health researcher at the University of Puerto Rico, told The Atlantic.

Though the massive amounts of sand can result in respiratory issues, especially among those that suffer from allergies, it does have some benefits. For one, it results in spectacular sunrises and sunsets. "Typically, you lose the blue sky for more hazy, milky sky," Dr. J Marshall Shepherd, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, told NPR. "You tend to see more vivid sunsets and sunrises because of the scattering properties of the dust interacting with the sunlight." The dry, dusty storms also help prevent massive hurricanes from forming over the Atlantic Ocean, by soaking up the moist, storm-friendly air.

And that is not all. The large amounts of minerals and nutrients in the sand help fuel the local ecosystems in which it lands. The Saharan dust storms are believed to be an essential source of phosphorus for plants in the Amazon rainforest, particularly those growing high up in the Amazon canopy. Some researchers believe the dust storms are also responsible for the beautiful coral reef that encrusts the Bahamas. They assert that the waters around the islands lack the nutrients to create such an oasis.

What is unclear, however, is the effect the current dust plume will have on Pacific Ocean ecosystems, given that they are typically untouched by the yearly sand migration. A 2001 study by the University of South Florida suggests that the deluge of nutrients, particularly iron, could result in a proliferation of algal blooms that cover the water's surface and deplete large areas of oxygen, causing harm to marine animals. Hopefully, that will not be the case!

Resources: TheAtlantic.com,NPR.org, ScientificAmerican.com,CBSnews.com

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"Godzilla" Dust Cloud From The Sahara Desert Blankets Parts Of The United States

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A massive dust cloud that had been journeying 5,000 miles from the Sahara Desert across the Atlantic Ocean since June 15, 2020, finally hit the United States mainland on June 26, 2020. Nicknamed "Godzilla," the 3,500 mile-long plume broke into two chunks, thanks to the split in the mid-levels of the atmosphere.

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Juneteenth is the oldest celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States (Credit:Galveston.com)

June 19, 2020, marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth - a mashup of June and nineteenth - the oldest-known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It was on this day in 1865 when the last American slaves - a group of people in Texas - finally learned that slavery had been abolished and that they were free.

The chain of events leading to this historic day began with on January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It stated: "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons."

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 (Credit: Battlefields.org)

The decree, issued amid the American Civil War (1861-1865), legally freed millions of enslaved people in the 11 Confederate States - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. However, the Union-loyal border states of Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky were exempted and continued to practice slavery. The 13th Amendment, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, closed the loophole, abolishing slavery across the United States.

The two laws freed all but the 250,000 enslaved people in Texas who had only heard unconfirmed rumors about the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It was not until June 19, 1865 - about three months after the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, and almost two and a half years since President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation - that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3.

It stated: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."

A portion from the handwritten General Order No. 3 issued by Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, that led to the Juneteenth holiday in Texas (National Archives/National Archives )

A year later, on June 19, 1866, the former slaves celebrated their new freedom with community cookouts, dances, and prayers, and Juneteenth was born. Over time, Emancipation Day, or Black Independence Day, as it is also called, has been observed in varying degrees in most US states and was even declared a holiday in Texas in 1980. However, it has been poorly understood outside of the African American community and overshadowed by the July 4th Independence Day celebration.

But the recent outcry against police abuse of African Americans and the growing awareness of systemic racism in US businesses and institutions has brought forth the national significance of Juneteenth. In the weeks leading to the day, many American companies, including Twitter and Nike, declared June 19 a paid holiday for all employees. Earlier this week, three governors - New York's Andrew Cuomo, Virginia's Ralph Northam, and Pennsylvania's Tom Wolf - signed orders making Juneteenth a holiday for state workers starting 2021. On June 19, 2020, New York Mayor de Blasio went one step further by making it a citywide and public school holiday starting next year. "We'll work with all the unions to work through the plan, give this day the importance and recognition it deserves," Mr. de Blasio said. "Every city worker, every student will have an opportunity to reflect the meaning of our history and the truth."

An Emancipation Day celebration in Richmond, Virginia, in 1905 (Credit: VCU Libraries / Public domain)

While this is a great start, it is not enough for 93-year-old Opal Lee, who has been campaigning to make Juneteenth a national holiday for over four decades. On Friday, June 19, 2020, the Fort Worth, Texas, resident continued her fight by marching 2.5 miles down West Lancaster Avenue - a distance symbolizing the 2.5 years it took for slaves in Texas to realize they had been freed. Lee has also taken her cause online with a petition for a million signatures on Change.org. So far, over 600,000 people have signed up, and the numbers are increasing by the minute.

Peniel Joseph, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affair is also a proponent of June 19 being a national holiday. In his June 13, 2020, op-ed for CNN, the expert wrote: "A national holiday commemorating Juneteenth would spur not only conversation about the origins of our current racial and political conflicts, but would also prompt vitally necessary education about white supremacy and its manifestations in policies and political actions that are anti-Black, anti-democratic and anti-human."

Resources: Vox.com, Patheous.com, LAtimes.com, NBCnews.com

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Understanding The Significance Of Juneteenth

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June 19, 2020, marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth - a mashup of June and nineteenth - the oldest-known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It was on this day in 1865 when the last American slaves - a group of people in Texas - finally learned that slavery had been abolished and that they were free.

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US cities and states are increasingly renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day (Credit: Kotatv.com)

Celebrated annually on the second Monday in October, Columbus Day honors Italian explorer Christopher Columbus's discovery of America. However, the federal holiday, which will be observed on October 14, 2019, has long drawn criticism due to the European settlers' brutal treatment of the Native American people. It has also been argued that America had already been "discovered" by the indigenous people when Columbus arrived.

Hence, Columbus Day, which has been unofficially celebrated since 1792 and a national holiday since 1934, has always been somewhat controversial. Some states like Oregon, Iowa, and Nebraska have never observed it. South Dakota renamed it "Native American Day" in 1990, while Hawaii has called the holiday "Discoverers' Day" - in honor of the state's Polynesian founders - since 1988. As public awareness has increased, numerous schools and universities across the country have also stopped marking the event. A 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that Columbus Day was the most inconsistently-observed US holiday.

New Mexico, Vermont, and Maine became the latest states to adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day (Credit: indianyouth.org)

Even so, many people were still upset that Columbus Day remained an official federal holiday. A 1977 delegation of Native nations at the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas proposed renaming Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples' Day." They believed renaming the holiday would help honor the victims of American colonization.

Though the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority, it took 15 years for the first city - Berkeley, CA - to rename Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992. The coastal city of Santa Cruz, CA, followed shortly after, in 1994. The movement lost steam again until 2014, when Minneapolis, MN, Grand Rapids, MN, and Seattle, WA, decided to adopt the change. Since then, over 70 cities and states, as well as numerous universities nationwide, have switched to the new name. In 2019, three more states -New Mexico, Vermont, and Maine - voted in the name change as well.

Dia De La Raza celebrates Hispanic heritage and culture (Credit: Sociedad Dominicana de Cardiologia/Facebook)

The movement has also gained ground in Latin America. Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and Uruguay have all renamed Columbus Day to "Dia de la Raza," or "Day of the Race." It celebrates Latin America's mixed indigenous and European heritage and culture. In Venezuela and Nicaragua, the day is referred to as"Dia de la Resistencia Indígena," or "Indigenous Resistance Day," in acknowledgment of the past and ongoing struggles of the indigenous population.

As would be expected, not everyone believes a name change is necessary. Italian Americans, who have made Columbus Day the centerpiece of Italian Heritage Month, celebrated throughout October, argue the holiday honors the history of immigration, not the explorer. They, therefore, believe the name should be retained or changed to something more suitable, like Italian Heritage Day. What do you think? Be sure to let us know by adding your comments below.

Resources: Wikipedia.org, Independent.com, History.com

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New Mexico, Vermont, And Maine Replace Columbus Day With Indigenous Peoples' Day

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Celebrated annually on the second Monday in October, Columbus Day honors Italian explorer Christopher Columbus's discovery of America. However, the federal holiday, which will be observed on October 14, 2019, has long drawn criticism due to the European settlers' brutal treatment of the Native American people.

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Statue of Christopher Columbus (Photo Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel (Public domain or CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

Columbus Day, which is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October to honor the Italian explorer credited with “discovering” the Americas, has always been somewhat of a controversial holiday. That’s because while Christopher Columbus stumbled upon what we now call the Caribbean on October 12, 1492, he never set foot on the mainland – even on his subsequent three journeys. Besides, North America had already been “discovered” by the Native Americans, who had been living there for many generations.

Critics also maintain that the explorer had not been out on a scientific “voyage of discovery,” as has often been portrayed, but on a mission to conquer and colonize new land. The Spanish army, which Columbus brought after the initial trip, ruthlessly killed millions of indigenous people who tried to resist. Those that survived were enslaved and forced to work in mines and plantations.

Indigenous Day celebrations in Berkeley, California (Photo Credit: By Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, CC by 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Hence, though the federal holiday has been on the American calendar since 1937, it has never been observed in Alaska and Oregon. In South Dakota, it is celebrated as “Native American Day,” while Hawaii calls it “Discoverers' Day,” in honor of the state’s Polynesian founders. As public awareness has increased, the popularity of Columbus Day has tapered off in other states as well, with only 25 currently listing it as an approved holiday. Numerous schools and universities across the country have also stopped celebrating the event. A 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that Columbus Day was the most inconsistently-observed US holiday.

Even so, many people were unhappy that the holiday was still named in honor of the Italian-born explorer. In 1977, a delegation of Native nations, at the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, proposed renaming Columbus Day to “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” They believed the change would give people the opportunity to honor the memory of the victims of the colonization, instead of glorifying the brutal conquest of the Native Americans. Though the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority, convincing cities to change the name of the holiday was not as easy.

San Francisco adopted Indigenous Day in January 2018 (Image Credit: #AbolishColumbusDay)

It took 15 years before the first city – Berkeley, CA – renamed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1992. While Santa Cruz, CA followed shortly after in 1994, it took another 22 years before Minneapolis, MN, Grand Rapids, MN, and Seattle, WA did the same in 2014. Since then, over 70 cities and states, as well as numerous universities nationwide, have switched to the new name. Among the latest to make the switch are San Francisco, CA, West Hartford, CT, and Lawton, OK.

The movement has also spread to Latin American countries. “Dia de la Raza,” or “Day of the Race,” as the day is called in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela, honors the people and cultural influences ushered in by Christopher Columbus, rather than the explorer. However, many feel it is a reminder of the past, and current, struggles faced by the indigenous population. To acknowledge their plight, Venezuela and Nicaragua call it “Day of the Indigenous Resistance.” Argentina renamed the holiday, “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity,” while Chile changed it to “Día del Descubrimiento de Dos Mundos,” or “Day of the Encounter Between the Two Worlds.”

Columbus Day Italian Heritage Parade In North Beach SF in 2011 (Photo Credit: Team at Carnaval.com Studios [CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons]

Not everyone agrees changing the name is necessary. Italian Americans, who have made Columbus Day the focal point of the Italian Heritage Month celebrated throughout October, argue that the holiday marks the history of immigration, not the explorer. They, therefore, believe the name should be retained or perhaps changed to something more suitable, like Italian Heritage Day. What do you think? Be sure to let us know by adding your comments below.

Resources: Wikipedia.org, Independent.com, History.com

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Columbus Day Or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? You Decide!

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Columbus Day, which is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October to honor the Italian explorer credited with “discovering” the Americas, has always been somewhat of a controversial holiday. That’s because while Christopher Columbus stumbled upon what we now call the Caribbean on October 12…

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Teaching for Change and Rethinking Schools collaborate to bring people's history to the classroom.

A dedicated website to encourage and support teaching about Central American history.

The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, YA, and educators.

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This October, mark Italian-American Heritage Month by recognizing the contributions and achievements of Italian-Americans. Over 26 million Americans of Italian descent currently reside in the U.S. - making up America's seventh largest ethnic group. The heritage month is in October to coincide with Columbus Day - the national holiday celebrated on the second Monday of the month. Italian-American Heritage Month celebrates the distinguished cultural contributions of Americans with Italian lineage.

​Italian-American Heritage Month timeline

A formal apology

President Clinton signed the Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act. This led to an official apology for the civil liberty violations Italian-Americans endured during World War II.

An Italian-American broke the gender barrier in U.S. politics

​Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman on a major party ticket, running for vice president alongside presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

​An Italian-American built a university.

​Giovanni Nobili founded the Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University).

​The Marines played Italian-inspired music.

​Thomas Jefferson recruited a group of musicians from Sicily to form a military band, later to become the nucleus of the U.S. Marine Band.

How to Observe ​Italian-American Heritage Month

Why ​Italian-American Heritage Month is Important

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​ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH - October 2020 | National Today

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This October, mark Italian-American Heritage Month by recognizing the contributions and achievements of Italian-Americans. Over 26 million Americans of Italian descent currently reside in the U.S. - making up America's seventh largest ethnic group. The heritage month is in October to coincide with Columbus Day - the national holiday celebrated on the second Monday of ...

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Michelle LaVaughn Robinson and her brother Craig grew up as part of a working class family on the South Side of Chicago. Some of their ancestors were slaves. Her father set an example for hard work. He had multiple sclerosis, but he almost never missed a day of work. Their mother worked hard to take care of the home and family. Both children were raised with an emphasis on education. Their parents taught them to read by the age of 4, and they both skipped second grade. She said, "I was just a typical South Side little black girl. Not a whole lot of money. Going to the circus once a year was a big deal. Getting pizza on Friday was a treat. Summers were long and fun."

Michelle went to public schools in Chicago. By sixth grade, she began going to classes for gifted children. She went to Chicago's first magnet high school even though the commute to school took more than an hour. She took advanced placement classes, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was treasurer of the student council. When Michelle graduated in 1981, she was the salutatorian of her class. This means she had the second highest average.

Michelle went to Princeton University. Her senior thesis was "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community." She joined the Third World Center, a group that supported minority students. She helped run their day care center and do tutoring. She studied sociology and African-American studies graduating with honors in 1985.

Next, she went to Harvard Law School where she earned her degree in 1988. She helped low-income people with housing problems while she worked for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She is only the third First Lady to earn an advanced college degree.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, she joined a Chicago law firm where she met Barack Obama. The firm asked her to be his adviser when he came there for a summer internship. They were married in 1992. This is how she describes his proposal: "We were at a restaurant having dinner to celebrate the fact that he had finished the bar. Then the waiter came over with the dessert and a tray. And there was the ring. And I was completely shocked."

Michelle left the law firm to work as an assistant to Chicago Mayor Daley, and then as an assistant commissioner of planning and development for Chicago. In 1993, she became executive director of non-profit program that helped young adults develop skills to be future leaders. In 1996, she took a job as associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago. She set up their first community-service program. In 2002, she became executive director of community relations and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Michelle and Barack Obama are raising their daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Natasha, known as Sasha (born 2001), according to the strong family values that Michelle learned as a child. Michelle's mother helps take care of the girls when both parents must campaign or be away for political reasons.

Michelle is an excellent campaign speaker who is known for her sense of fashion, her loving care of her family, and her excellent physical condition. As First Lady, Michelle has helped fight childhood obesity with her Let's Move! program. She and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the Vice President, also started Joining Forces to help military service members and their families with employment, education and better health care. Michelle often goes to public schools, to stress the importance of education and volunteer work. With student volunteers, she planted a 1,100-square-foot garden and set up beehives on the South Lawn of the White House. She wrote a book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, about the garden.

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Michelle LaVaughn Robinson and her brother Craig grew up as part of a working class family on the South Side of Chicago. Some of their ancestors were slaves. Her father set an example for hard work. He had multiple sclerosis, but he almost never missed a day of work.

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Few American artists loomed larger in the 20th century than Langston Hughes. He rode steamships to West Africa, toured the American South, traveled to Spain to cover the Civil War, rode the Trans-Siberian Railway, and saw his own reputation shift from Harlem Renaissance star in the 1920s to Communist activist poet in the 1930s to public figure in the 1960s. His literary output was similarly prodigious and unprecedented, and he was one of the first black poets to make a living solely from writing. He wrote novels, plays, short stories, films, librettos, children's verse, newspaper columns, translations, and memoirs and edited several important anthologies. But most of all, he remained a poet. In his poems, he explored social conscience and class difference with lyric beauty and music. He managed to capture, in deceptively simple poems, the wide range of African American experience-from the horrors of the Jim Crow South to the be-bop hustle of Harlem life-and significantly expanded the vocabulary of American poetry. These poems, arranged in order of publication date, represent just a small cross section of his varied work.

"The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
Hughes wrote this poem, one of his best known and most celebrated, on the back of an envelope when he just 17 years old. As he recounts in his autobiography The Big Sea, he was traveling to visit his father when his train crossed the Mississippi, and he "began to think what that river ... meant to Negroes in the past." In the poem, the river offers both pain and the possibility of identity: it connects Hughes not only to the history of slavery but also to a much greater African American ancestry-one that he can trace back, along a series of rivers, to the very cradle of civilization. This short composition introduces many of his enduring themes, and it brought him onto the national stage when it was published by W.E.B. Du Bois in the Crisis.

Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman were great early influences on Hughes, and this poem from his first book, Weary Blues (1926), might be read as a reckoning with these literary forebears. "I, Too" repurposes Whitman's demotic language and democratic I to do what Whitman could not: imagine a truly equal place at the table for "the darker brother." Like many of his Harlem Renaissance counterparts, Hughes focused on just this sort of imagination. By giving voice to black America, he shows, as he puts it here, "how beautiful" black experience is.

"Mother to Son"
In this famous dramatic monologue, a mother begins her motivational speech by explaining, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." By putting readers in the position of her son, Hughes allows us to more directly hear and identify with her message, while his use of extended metaphor prevents her struggles from becoming sentimental.

Blues
The four hard-luck poems in this suite come from Hughes's second book, Fine Clothes to the Jew (1927), which the black press criticized for his use of dialect and focus on lower class culture. Hughes may have been the first to bring the blues to poetry, as you can see in these poems, but as a pioneering artist, he endured criticism throughout his career. He was attacked by academics for being simplistic, by the right for being a Communist, by the left for declaiming Communism, and later by black militants for not being radical enough. In his famous 1926 essay " The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Hughes wrote, "the road for the serious black artist ... is most certainly rocky." Yet he managed to find a large audience, starting in the 1920s, without compromising his primary ambition: to make art of, for, and about "the low-down folks, the so-called common element" who "accept what beauty is their own without question."

The Quick and the Dead
First published in Poetry in 1931, this diverse group of poems represents Hughes's range of styles and concerns. " Lover's Return" sings the relationship blues with acute attention to love's toll on women. The staccato ending of " Sylvester's Dying Bed" recalls Emily Dickinson. " Sailor" is Hughes's take on Imagism. And the matter-of-fact grimness of " Dying Beast" prepares us for the irreverent metaphysics of " God," in which the titular deity insists that it's "Better to be human / Than God-and lonely."

Made famous years later by Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, this short poem is part of Hughes's long sequence Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951). Combining be-bop rhythms and modernist poetics, Montage is a symphony of riffs, solos, and skipped beats, a lyric masterpiece with its ear to the concrete of Hughes's beloved Harlem. The "dream deferred" here suggests a yearning for a number of things: individual achievement, the promise of Harlem, and America's supposed equality. But the progression of the poem's questions also reflects a growing frustration, one that, as the final line suggests, could explode into violence, as it did in the Harlem riots in 1943 and 1964.

"Blues in Stereo"
The stereo of the title refers not just to the uncanny doublings of technologies-the TV that "keeps on snowing" or "the horns" on "LPs that wonder / how the every got that way"-but also to the score that runs down the poem's right hand margin. Part of his book-length epic Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz (1961), Hughes intended the piece to be performed literally in stereo, with his words accompanied by blues and African drumming. Other pieces in the book feature mambo, gospel, and German lieder. Though Hughes never saw the project staged, its multimedia ambitions, dense allusions, and shout-outs to black cultural icons anticipated, way back in 1961, everything from hip-hop to remixes to the Internet's metamodern Zeitgeist.

"Remember"
Composed in 1930, "Remember" was not published until 2009, when it was discovered, along with " I look at the world" and " You and your whole race," written in pencil in the back of Hughes's copy of An Anthology of Revolutionary Poetry. Like much of Hughes's verse of the early 1930s, the poem is a product of its political climate, a period of economic downturn when Hughes visited the Scottsboro boys in prison and traveled to the Soviet Union. More than 80 years later, its anger remains remarkably powerful and unfortunately relevant. In an era of mass incarceration and police violence, one can still argue, as Hughes does here, that the "days of bondage" have not passed: whether you're in the Carolinas, Maine, or Africa, whiteness still wields "unscrupulous power." Hughes did essential work over the course of his career to make us see "with eyes no longer blind," but more work remains to make the world that Hughes envisioned.

But that's just the beginning. You can read Langston Hughes's thoughts on poetry in his own words, in his essays " The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" (1926), " Jazz as Communication" (1956), and " 200 Years of Afro-American Poetry " (1965).

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Understanding a poet of the people, for the people.

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A member of the Harlem Renaissance, Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote plays, a syndicated newspaper column, and four collections of poetry: The Heart of a Woman (1918), Bronze (1922), An Autumn Love Cycle (1928), and Share My World (1962).

Johnson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to parents of African American, Native American, and English descent. She graduated from Atlanta University Normal College and studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland College of Music. After graduation, she taught and worked as an assistant principal. In 1910 she moved with her husband to Washington, D.C. When her husband died in 1925, Johnson supported her two sons by working temporary jobs until she was hired by the Department of Labor.

Johnson's house at 1461 S Street NW, which came to be known as site of the S Street Salon, was an important meeting place for writers of the Harlem Renaissance in Washington, D.C. Johnson published her first poems in 1916 in the NAACP's magazine Crisis. Her weekly column, "Homely Philosophy," was published from 1926 to 1932. She wrote numerous plays, including Blue Blood (performed 1926) and Plumes (performed 1927). Johnson traveled widely in the 1920s to give poetry readings. In 1934 she lost her job in the Department of Labor and returned to supporting herself with temporary clerical work.

Johnson received an honorary doctorate in literature from Atlanta University in 1965.

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Georgia Douglas Johnson | Poetry Foundation

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A member of the Harlem Renaissance, Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote plays, a syndicated newspaper column, and four collections of poetry: The Heart of a Woman (1918), Bronze (1922), An Autumn Love Cycle (1928), and Share My World (1962).Johnson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to parents of African...

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Countee Cullen is one of the most representative voices of the Harlem Renaissance. His life story is essentially a tale of youthful exuberance and talent of a star that flashed across the African American firmament and then sank toward the horizon. When his paternal grandmother and guardian died in 1918, the 15-year-old Countee LeRoy Porter was taken into the home of the Reverend Frederick A. Cullen, the pastor of Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, Harlem's largest congregation. There the young Countee entered the approximate center of black politics and culture in the United States and acquired both the name and awareness of the influential clergyman who was later elected president of the Harlem chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

During the 1920s, Harlem was an enormously stimulating milieu for African American intellectuals. The high hopes of the black community for acceptance and equality had turned to disillusionment at the end of World War I, when returning black soldiers all too often experienced unemployment and were otherwise mistreated. Resentment pulsated through black urban centers like Harlem, which had burgeoned during the war as black workers migrated there to fill jobs temporarily vacated by the diversion of white laborers into the military. For the first time in African American history, a black urban consciousness conducive to the flowering of the arts was developing. From Harlem, the largest of the new, densely populated black urban communities in which Cullen was listening and learning burst forth an outpouring of African American arts known as the Harlem Renaissance.

While Cullen's informal education was shaped by his exposure to black ideas and yearnings, his formal education derived from almost totally white influences. This dichotomy heavily influenced his creative work and his criticism, particularly because he did extremely well at the white-dominated institutions he attended and won the approbation of white academia. In high school Cullen earned academic honors that in turn garnered him the posts of vice-president of his class and editor of the school newspaper, as well as prizes for poetry and oratory. His glory continued at New York University, where he obtained first or second prizes in a number of poetry contests, including the national Witter Bynner Contests for undergraduate poetry and contests sponsored by Poetry magazine. Literary critic and Harvard professor Irving Babbitt publicly lauded Cullen's The Ballad of the Brown Girl, and in 1925, which proved a bumper year for the young man's harvest of literary prizes, Cullen graduated from New York University, was accepted into Harvard's masters program, and published his first volume of poetry: Color.

During the next four years Cullen reached his zenith. A celebrated young man about Harlem, he had in print by 1929 several books of his own poems and a collection of poetry he edited, Caroling Dusk, written by other African Americans. His letters from Harvard to his Harlem friend Harold Jackman exuded self-satisfaction and sometimes the snide intolerance of the enfant terrible. The climax of those heady years may have come in 1928. That year Cullen was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship to write poetry in France, and he married Nina Yolande DuBois, the daughter of W.E.B. DuBois, a man who for decades was the acknowledged leader of the African American intellectual community. Few social events in Harlem rivaled the magnitude of the latter event, and much of Harlem joined in the festivities that marked the joining of the Cullen and DuBois lineages, two of its most notable families.

Because of Cullen's success in both black and white cultures, and because of his romantic temperament, he formulated an aesthetic that embraced both cultures. He came to believe that art transcended race and that it could be used as a vehicle to minimize the distance between black and white peoples. When he chose as his models poet John Keats and to a lesser extent A.E. Housman, he did so not consciously to curry favor with white America but for four logical reasons: First, though there had been African American poets, there was not yet an African American poetic tradition-in any meaningful sense of the term-to draw upon. Second, the English poetic tradition was the one that was available to him-the one that had been taught to him in schools he attended. Third, he felt challenged to demonstrate that a black poet could excel within that traditional framework. And fourth, he felt absolutely free to choose as exemplars any poets in the world with whom he sensed a temperamental affinity (and he certainly had that affinity with Housman and, especially, Keats). In addition, he shared their romantic self-involvement; he had an ego that was sensitive to the slightest tremors and that needed expression to remain whole, and like Keats he had to believe in human perfectibility.

In poems such as " Heritage" and "Atlantic City Waiter," Cullen reflects the urge to reclaim African arts-a movement called Négritude that was one of the motifs of the Harlem Renaissance. The cornerstone of his aesthetic, however, was the call for African American poets to work conservatively, as he did, within English conventions. In his 1927 foreword to Caroling Dusk, Cullen observed that "since theirs is ... the heritage of the English language, their work will not present any serious aberration from poetic tendencies of their times." Braving the wrath of less moderate peers, he further stated that "negro poets, dependent as they are on the English language, may have more to gain from the rich background of English and American poetry than from any nebulous atavistic yearnings toward an African inheritance." Even the subtitle of the collection, An Anthology of Verse by Negro Poets, reflects his belief in the essential oneness of art; it implies no distinction between white poetry and black poetry, and it assumes there is only poetry, which in the case of Caroling Dusk is simply composed by African American writers.

His dedication to oneness led Cullen to be cautious of any black writer's work that threatened to erect rather than pull down barricades between the races. Thus, in a February, 1926, "Dark Tower" column in which Cullen reviewed Langston Hughes's The Weary Blues, Cullen pressed Hughes not to be a "racial artist" and to omit jazz rhythms from his poems. In a later column he prodded black writers to censor themselves by avoiding "some things, some truths of Negro life and thought ... that all Negroes know, but take no pride in." For Cullen, showcasing unpleasant realities would "but strengthen the bitterness of our enemies" and thereby weaken the bridge of art between blacks and whites.

Such warnings, however, did not prevent the critic Cullen from praising black artists whenever he found their work meritorious, even when it was overtly racial. In another of his "Dark Tower" columns, he complimented Amy Spingarn's Pride and Humility, for example, even though he thought its "clearest notes" were to be heard "in those poems which have a racial framework." Since his primary criterion for judging a work was always aesthetic, Cullen applauded any poetry that appealed to him, without regard to the color of the writer. He had good things to say about Edna St. Vincent Millay, E.A. Robinson, and Robert Frost, but he was less favorable toward such avant-garde poets as Amy Lowell, in whose work he found little "for the hungry heart to feed upon." Generally, three principles informed his criticism: First, he tended to be more attracted to Romantic poetry. Second, he was conservative in his tastes and therefore put off by experimentation such as that of Amy Lowell. Third, although he put special effort into trying to further the interests of black artists, he was governed by a keen sense of impartiality and a commitment to bringing the races into closer harmony.

A paradox exists, however, between Cullen's philosophy and writing. While he argued that racial poetry was a detriment to the color-blindness he craved, he was at the same time so affronted by the racial injustice in America that his own best verse-indeed most of his verse-gave voice to racial protest. In fact the title of Cullen's collection, Color (1925), was not chosen unintentionally, nor did Cullen include sections with that same title in later volumes by accident. Both early and late in his career he was, in spite of himself, largely a racial poet. This is evident throughout Cullen's works from the Color pieces and the introduction of racial violence into his 1927 work The Ballad of the Brown Girl to the poems that he selected for the posthumously published On These I Stand, of which substantially more than half are racial poems.

Of the six identifiable racial themes in Cullen's poetry, the first is Négritude, a pervasive international black literary movement, which included what scholar Arthur P. Davis in a 1953 Phylon essay called "the alien-and-exile theme." Specific examples of this motif in Cullen's poetry include his attribution of descent from African kings to the girl featured in The Ballad of the Brown Girl as well as the submerged pride exhibited by the waiter in the poem "Atlantic City Waiter" whose graceful movement resulted from "Ten thousand years on jungle clues." Probably the best-known illustration of the Pan-African impulse in Cullen's poetry is found in " Heritage," where the narrator realizes that although he must suppress his African heritage, he cannot ultimately surrender his black heart and mind to white civilization. "Heritage," like most of the Négritude poems of the Harlem Renaissance and like political expression such as Marcus Garvey's popular back-to-Africa movement, powerfully suggests the duality of the black psyche-the simultaneous allegiance to America and rage at her racial inequities

Four similar themes recur in Cullen's poems, expressing other forms of racial bias. These include a kind of black chauvinism that prevailed at the time and that Cullen portrayed in both The Ballad of the Brown Girl and The Black Christ, when in those works he judged that the passion of blacks was better than that of whites. Likewise, the poem "Near White" exemplifies the author's admonition against miscegenation, and in "To a Brown Boy" Cullen propounds a racially motivated affinity toward death as a preferred escape from racial frustration and outrage. Another poem, "For a Lady I Know," presents a satirical view of whites obliviously mistreating their black counterparts as it depicts blacks in heaven doing their "celestial chores" so that upper-class whites can remain in their heavenly beds.

Using a sixth motif, Cullen exhibits a direct expression of irrepressible anger at racial unfairness. His outcry is more muted than that of some other Harlem Renaissance poets-Hughes, for example, and Claude McKay-but that is a matter of Cullen's innate and learned gentility. Those who overlook Cullen's strong indictment of racism in American society miss the main thrust of his work. His poetry throbs with anger as in "Incident" when he recalls his personal response to being called "nigger" on a Baltimore bus, or in the selection " Yet Do I Marvel," in which Cullen identifies what he regards as God's most astonishing miscue that he could "make a poet black, and bid him sing!" In addition to his own personal experiences, Cullen also focuses on public events. For instance, in "Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song," he upbraids American poets, who had championed the cause of white anarchists in the controversial Sacco-Vanzetti trials, for not defending the nine black youths indicted on charges of raping two white girls in a freight car passing through Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931.

In The Book of American Negro Poetry, author James Weldon Johnson explained with acute sympathy Cullen's compulsion to write poetry that seems to fly in the face of his declarations against poetry of race. Johnson wrote: "Strangely, it is because Cullen revolts against ... racial limitations-technical and spiritual-that the best of his poetry is motivated by race. He is always seeking to free himself and his art from these bonds. He never entirely escapes, but from the very fret and chafe he brings forth poetry that contains the quintessence of race consciousness."

Cullen, then, was a forceful but genteel protest poet; yet, he was much more. He was also consistent in his intention to write good traditional poetry for the social purpose of showing what common sense should have told white Americans but what they still demanded be proven to them-that blacks could write poetry and write it as well as anyone. To that end, much of Cullen's poetry deals with such universal subjects as faith and doubt, love, and mortality.

On the subject of religion, Cullen waywardly progressed from uncertainty to Christian acceptance. Early on he was given to irony and even defiance in moments of youthful skepticism. In " Heritage," for example, he observes that a black Christ could command his faith better than the white one. When he was 24, he provided a third-person description of himself in which he commented that his "chief problem has been that of reconciling a Christian upbringing with a pagan inclination. His life so far has not convinced him that the problem is insoluble." But before very long, his grandmother Porter's influence and that of the Cullen rectory won out. Outrage over racial injustice notwithstanding, he had fairly well controlled the "pagan inclination" in favor of Christian orthodoxy by 1929, when he published The Black Christ, and Other Poems. In the opening of the book's narrative title poem, the protagonist sings of embracing God in spite of certain earthly obstacles that he summarizes as "my country's shame." The speaker's brother has been beaten to death by a white lynch mob for an innocent relationship with a white woman; the narrator's resentment toward a savior who allows such evil to occur is overcome by his mother's proclamation of her unshakable faith, and any residue of doubt disappears when the murdered brother is resurrected. At the end the family is left to prosper in its piety. Furthermore, among the few previously unpublished poems that Cullen selected for inclusion in the posthumously published collection On These I Stand is one that confirms his continuing religious commitment as a way to cope with the injustices and disappointments of his life. Written during World War I, "Christus natus est" asserts that amid all the tragedy of war "The manger still / Outshines the throne" and that "Christ must and will / Come to his own."

David Levering Lewis, in When Harlem Was in Vogue, asserted that "impotence and death run through [Cullen's] poetry like dark threads, entangling his most affirmative lines." In general, Cullen's love poetry is clearly characterized not only by misgivings about women but also by a distrust of the emotion of heterosexual love. His poems "Medusa" and "The Cat," both contained in The Medea, and Some Poems, illustrate this vision of male-female relationships. In Cullen's version of the ancient myth, it is not the hideousness of Medusa that blinds the men who gaze upon her, but rather her beauty. So great is the destructive power of the attractive female that the narrator in "The Cat" imagines in the animal "A woman with thine eyes, satanic beast / Profound and cold as scythes to mow me down." Male lovers, on the other hand are often portrayed as sickly with apprehension that a relationship is about to be ended either by a fickle partner or by death. In "If Love Be Staunch," for example, the speaker warns that love lasts no longer than "water stays in a sieve" and in "The Love Tree" Cullen portrays love as a crucifixion whereby future lovers may realize that "'Twas break of heart that made the love tree grow."

Cullen's treatment of death in his writing was shaped by his early encounters with the deaths of his parents, brother, and grandmother, as well as by a premonition of his own premature demise. Running through his poems are a sense of the brevity of life and a romantic craving for the surcease of death. In "Nocturne" and "Works to My Love," death is readily accepted as a natural element of life. "Threnody for a Brown Girl" and "In the Midst of Life" portray even warmer feelings towards death as a welcome escape. And in poems such as "Only the Polished Skeleton" death is gratefully anticipated to bring relief from racial oppression: A stripped skeleton has no race; it can but "measure the worth of all it so despised." Looking forward to death, Cullen meanwhile accepted sleep as an effective surrogate. In the poem "Sleep" he portrays slumber as "lovelier" and "kinder" than any alternative. It is both a feline killer and gentle nourisher that suckles the sleeper: "though the suck be short 'tis good." In April, 1943, less than three years before he died of uremic poisoning, Cullen related in "Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts" that "blessedly this breath departs."

After 1929 Cullen's production of verse dropped off dramatically. It was limited to his translation of Euripides' play Medea, which appeared along with some new poems in his collection The Medea, and Some Poems (1935) and later with half a dozen previously unpublished pieces that were included in his posthumously published collection, On These I Stand. A complexity of reasons contributed to the dimming of his poetic star. The Harlem Renaissance required a white audience to sustain it, and as whites became preoccupied with their own tenuous situation during the Great Depression, they lost interest in the African American arts. Also, Cullen's idealism about building a bridge of poetry between the races had been sorely tested by the time the 1920s ended. Moreover, he seemed affected by legitimate doubts concerning his growth as a poet. In "Self Criticism" he reflected whether he would go on singing a "failing note still vainly clinging / To the throat of the stricken swan."

While his supporters continued to defend him on racial rather than literary grounds, his detractors gradually increased in numbers with the publication of each successive collection of his poetry. Harry Alan Potamkin, in a 1927 New Republic review of Copper Sun, found that Cullen had not really progressed since Color and that the poet had "capitalized on the fact of race." The reviewer concluded, in fact, that Cullen's poetry "begins and ends with a epithet skill." With the appearance of The Black Christ, and Other Poems in 1929, Nation 's Granville Hicks joined the chorus of critics expressing reservations and remarked that "in general, Mr. Cullen's talents do not seem to be developing as one might wish."

For a combination of causes, then, beginning in the early 1930s Cullen largely curtailed his poetic output and channeled his creative energy into other genres. He wrote a novel, One Way to Heaven (1932), but its poor critical reception made it his only novel. The book reveals a flair for satire in its secondary plot, which centers around the Harlem salon of the irrepressible hostess Constancia Brandon; one particularly effective episode features a white intellectual bigot who is invited to read his tract, "The Menace of the Negro to Our American Civilization," to an audience of mainly black intellectuals. The novel itself, however, suffers from a fatal structural flaw. Cullen never successfully integrated the secondary plot-a takeoff on his own experience in Harlem intellectual circles-with the major story line, a melodrama in which itinerant con man Sam Lucas undergoes a fake religious conversion to edge his way into a Harlem congregation; marries and then cheats on his sweet young wife; and finally, on his death bed undergoes a change of heart. The characters in the main plot are generally based on stereotypes common in African American folklore-the fast-talking trickster and the sagacious saintly old aunt, for example. Although Cullen displays some compassion toward them and a good deal of good-natured wit in dealing with the satirical figures, the two plots never adequately come together. As Rudolph Fisher said in a New York Herald Tribune review of One Way to Heaven, it was as if Cullen were "exhibiting a lovely pastel and cartoon on the same frame."

When 31-year-old Cullen turned to teaching in 1934, he was determined to find some way other than literature to contribute to social change, but he did not abandon writing entirely. In 1935 he published his version of Medea (with the speeches and choral passages curiously attenuated) and collaborated with Harry Hamilton on "Heaven's My Home," a dramatic adaptation of One Way to Heaven. The play, which was never published, is actually more contrived than Cullen's novel, but unlike the original work, "Heaven's My Home" manages to integrate the two plots by introducing a sexual relationship between the protagonists Lucas and Brandon.

Toward the end of his life, in the 1940s, Cullen was relatively successful as a dramatist. With another collaborator, Owen Dodson, he worked on several projects, including "The Third Fourth of July," a one-act play printed in Theatre Arts in August, 1946. During this period Cullen rejected a professorship at Fisk University and instead remained in New York to work with Arna Bontemps on a dramatic version of his novel God Sends Sunday. Cullen, who suggested the adaptation, made this endeavor the center of his life, but the enterprise caused him much grief. By 1945 the play had become the musical "St. Louis Woman," and celebrated performer Lena Horne was expected to star in its Broadway and Hollywood productions. Then disaster struck. Walter White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) argued that the play, set in the black ghetto of St. Louis and featuring lower-class and seedy characters, was demeaning to blacks. Cullen was blamed for revealing the seamy side of black life, the very thing he had warned other black writers not to do. Many of Cullen's friends refused to defend him; some joined the attack, which was patently unjust. Admittedly, greed and criminality figure in the play, which focuses on the struggle between overbearing salon keeper-gambler Bigelow Brown and diminutive jockey Lil Augie for the affections of Della Greene, a hard-nosed and soft-hearted beauty.

But as Cullen argued, the play really deals with human virtues-honor, love, decency, and loyalty. The controversy rounding it wore on, however, until 1946. In March of that year, "St. Louis Woman" finally premiered on Broadway, featuring songs by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen such as "Come Rain, Come Shine" and making singer Pearl Bailey a star. Unfortunately, Cullen had died almost three months earlier and was to be remembered primarily for the poems he had written in his 20s when he was one of Harlem's brightest luminaries.

The limitations of Cullen's poetry such as its archaic and imitative ring, its occasional verbosity, and its tendency to sacrifice sense for conventional prosody restricted his literary status to that of a minor poet with a real lyrical gift. But he was not guilty of the obsequious acceptance of white values for which 1960s black power poets such as Don Lee (Haki Madhubuti) were to dismiss him. Cullen never compromised his integrity as a black man to gain advantage for himself. His primary goal was to bring America closer to racial harmony through his own art and that of his peers and ultimately to achieve complete and colorblind artistic freedom. As he defiantly proclaimed in " To Certain Critics" (published in The Black Christ), though some might call him a traitor to blacks, his program was too universal to be contained: "Never shall the clan / Confine my singing to its ways / Beyond the ways of man."

Probably more than any other writer of the Harlem Renaissance, Cullen carried out the intentions of black American intellectual leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois and James Weldon Johnson. These men had nothing but the highest praise for Cullen, for he was brilliantly practicing what they advocated, and he came close to embodying Alain Locke's "New Negro." "In a time," DuBois wrote in a 1928 Crisis essay, "when it is vogue to make much of the Negro's aptitude for clownishness or to depict him objectively as a serio-comic figure, it is a fine and praiseworthy act for Mr. Cullen to show through the interpretation of his own subjectivity the inner workings of the Negro soul and mind." Johnson was pleased with Cullen's decision not to recognize "any limitation to 'racial' themes and forms." In Cullen's wish not to be "a negro poet," Johnson insisted, the writer was "not only within his right: he is right." As these authorities attest, to read Countee Cullen's work is to hear a voice as representative of the Harlem Renaissance as it is possible to find.

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Countee Cullen is one of the most representative voices of the Harlem Renaissance. His life story is essentially a tale of youthful exuberance and talent of a star that flashed across the African American firmament and then sank toward the horizon. When his paternal grandmother and guardian died in...

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Maya Angelou had a broad and distinguished career both inside and outside the literary realm. She is most famous for her work as a poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She also worked in entertainment, as a singer, a dancer, an actor, and a director. Her poetry was inspired and informed by her life and work, and this personal connection often made her poems profound and powerful. Over the course of a career spanning the 1960s to her death in 2014, she captured, provoked, inspired, and ultimately transformed American people and culture. The following eight poems-presented chronologically from her earliest publication to the public poem she read at President Bill Clinton's first inauguration-showcase Angelou's poetics.

"The Mothering Blackness"
With a firm root in African American history, many of Angelou's poems, such as this one, can be traced to the work songs slaves sang. The repeating lines give the sense of a refrain, and varying line lengths and numbers of syllables give an improvised feel. Songs passed down orally, such as work songs, are often narratives: this poem tells the story of a girl running back to "the mothering blackness." The regularly indented lines also give the impression that at least two voices are speaking, which would have been the case in work songs that were almost always sung by a collective.

"Harlem Hopscotch"
In this poem, Angelou turns the struggle for survival in Harlem into a rhythmic activity: "Food is gone, the rent is due, / Curse and cry and then jump two." Although referring to playing hopscotch, her poem is as much about the power of rhythm in language. Mimicking popular playground songs ("One, two, buckle my shoe"), "Harlem Hopscotch" utilizes a steady "abab" rhyme scheme and seven syllable line to show the everyday hardships of many in the neighborhood. Angelou used rhyme in her own life to overcome great struggles: when she was eight years old, her mother's boyfriend raped her and was killed shortly after. Angelou thought her voice had killed the man and became mute for five years. During that time, she read and memorized poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Spencer, and Frances Harper, all of whom later influenced her writing.

Angelou has written that when she uses the pronoun I, she is referring to a collective we. In "Kin," it's clear to see that her narrator speaks for a larger human experience. The poem, which is dedicated to her brother, is a dramatic monologue with short, unrhymed lines. It takes familial closeness as its theme, with the shared memories and shared suffering that come with being part of a group. The narrator also associates herself with three powerful females in human history and, in doing so, speaks to and for the people.

"Phenomenal Woman"
The title of a collection and one of Angelou's most famous poems, "Phenomenal Woman" celebrates black beauty and female strength. It's a poem of power: when the narrator walks into a room, "The fellows stand or / Fall down on their knees." This poem, with its expanding lines wrapped around a two-word refrain, suggests that the woman's physical presence-her hips, step, eyes, teeth, waist, and feet-makes her powerful but also commends her "inner mystery." Written in the 1970s toward the end of the Black Arts Movement, this celebration of black beauty confronts traditional white structures of "fashion models" and "pretty women" and replaces them with the confident narrator of "Phenomenal Woman."

"California Prodigal"
How does one inspire change in the face of stunning indifference? "Agile poppies" face off against "old manors" as the tension between the apathy of history and the vitality of the human spirit is explored. Even Angelou's language takes part, shifting from her usual everyday speech to Latinate words such as fulminant, antiquitous, gelid, and the made-up word phantasmatalities. By presenting a battle between the sun and the mountains, this struggle becomes silent and daily, much like the day-to-day conflicts that Civil Rights activists encountered. The final image-a sun at the base of a mountain-is hopeful, suggesting that the sun will continue to rise, at least until it goes down for the day and the battle begins again.

"A Plagued Journey"
The theme of struggle and submission reoccurs throughout Angelou's poetry, here without exception. This narrator is utterly passive, even in the face of the personified Hope. Eventually a personified Gloom "sucks the strands" of the speaker's hair and "forgives [her] heady / fling with Hope." Turning these abstract feelings into greedy and arrogant figures allows Angelou to portray the narrator's helplessness to respond in any way besides submission.

"Caged Bird"
The caged bird serves as Angelou's signature image, frequenting her most famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979). The image is not hers originally: it's taken from Paul Laurence Dunbar, a popular early-20th-century African American writer and another of Angelou's influences. This poem can be read in relation to " Sympathy," in which Dunbar describes the caged bird, a symbol for a chained slave, beating his bruised and bloody wings. Angelou revises "Sympathy" by portraying a free bird beside a caged bird. Rhyme builds throughout the poem-the first stanza is unrhymed, and only two lines rhyme in the second, but the third (the chorus) features repeated "-ill" sounds mocking birdsong.

From "On the Pulse of Morning"
When Angelou read this poem at President Clinton's first inauguration, she became the second poet to read a poem at a presidential inauguration and the first woman and African American to do so. At this point in her career, she had achieved great success as a spokeswoman, a writer, and an activist. This poem depicts a country on the brink of change and insists "You ... have crouched too long in / The bruising darkness / Have lain too long / Facedown in ignorance, / Your mouths spilling words / Armed for slaughter." Angelou calls for peace, harmony, and social justice for all of the marginalized in this poem and during the rest of her remarkable career.

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Maya Angelou 101 by The Editors | Poetry Foundation

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Maya Angelou had a broad and distinguished career both inside and outside the literary realm. She is most famous for her work as a poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She also worked in entertainment, as a singer, a dancer, an actor, and a director.

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Poems for Kids Written by African American Poets - Rainy Day Poems

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Here you will find a collection of some of the best poems for kids written by African American Poets.

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One of the reasons you love being a teacher is getting to help children explore the world around them. Your preschool classroom is a reflection of America-a melting pot of different ethnicities, languages and cultural beliefs. It's normal for children to be curious about people who look or act differently than they do, as this natural curiosity presents the perfect opportunity to bring the importance of diversity into your classroom.

"It is our responsibility to not only provide our children with early access to education, but also to prepare them to be responsible and caring citizens of the world," says Marc Carver, founder of educational technology company FutureSoBrite. "Creating that crucial spark of discovery and curiosity in our children at an early age can lead to a lifetime of embracing and celebrating diversity."

Teaching diversity may seem like an intimidating task in early childhood education, but it doesn't have to be. These hands-on multicultural activities for preschoolers are a fun way for you to introduce other cultures to the little ones in your care. Keep reading to find a multicultural activity for your next lesson plan.

5 Multicultural activities for preschoolers

1. School around the world

Children are interested in learning more about kids their own age, including what school looks like in other countries. Set up a "school" interest center in a portion of your classroom. Add photos, books, videos and other activities that feature students at school in another culture.

Encourage discussions about school in other countries by asking questions such as, "How do the children get to school?" and "What do they eat for lunch?" Rotate cultures throughout the year so students are exposed to many different school experiences from around the globe.

How it teaches diversity: "By focusing on school, children can automatically relate to experiences of children around the world," says Robin Leon, a 20-year ECE teacher and senior community counselor at Global Awareness. "Letting the children experience schools around the world through pretend play is a great way to tackle this important topic at a developmentally appropriate level."

2. Diversity dinner party

Food is at the center of community in many cultures, so it's a great way to introduce young children to cultural traditions that are different from their own. Ask your classroom families if there are any favorite traditional cuisines they'd like to share with the class, suggests Alison Kim Walker, educational consultant and owner of Hummingbird Learning Group.

Try to include healthy dishes from a variety of countries that may be different from what children have experienced at fast-food restaurants: fresh guacamole, Bánh mì, homemade hummus with pita chips or naan with mild curry.

How it teaches diversity: Some children may be afraid of new experiences, and that includes food. One of the best ways to introduce an unfamiliar culture is to sample the cuisine. This activity provides a safe way for children to try new foods from other cultures while also giving families a chance to share their personal food culture.

3. Hello, friend!

Greeting one another each morning is already an established part of your preschool routine. Make it a fun learning opportunity by introducing words and phrases in other languages at circle time, and encouraging children to practice by greeting their friends with their new vocabulary words.

Bilingual read-aloud books provide another opportunity to introduce children to new languages. Try by Pam Munoz Ryan (Spanish), by Linda Sue Park (Korean) and by Philipp Winterberg (Swahili).

How it teaches diversity: "One of the first steps in understanding cultural differences is recognizing that not everyone speaks the same language," Carver says. "Through this exercise, children begin to understand the many different ways people of the world communicate and that language is a bridge to understanding other cultures, not a barrier."

4. We all celebrate

Children love a good party! Teaching them about cultural and religious celebrations around the world is a great way to get children excited about diversity. You can easily add multicultural classroom celebrations throughout the year by choosing one event to celebrate each month.

Use books and online resources to teach children about the importance of each celebration, and incorporate relevant music and artwork into the learning experience. Children can decorate their own paper skulls for Dia de los Muertos, create Chinese lanterns and rattle drums for Chinese New Year and husk an ear of corn for Kwanzaa.

How it teaches diversity: A culture's celebrations can reveal a lot about its deeply held values and traditions. Children will look forward to their monthly party while gaining a deeper understanding of how people around the world celebrate with family and friends.

5. Passport travelers

This fun activity allows children to become world travelers and introduces them to their classmates' diverse backgrounds. First, talk to the parents and children in your class to gather information about their background and any cultural traditions that are important to them, recommends Diana Lee Santamaria, preschool teacher and children's author. Then, have the children create their own passports for their upcoming 'round-the-world trip.

Throughout the year, students will take turns sharing where they're from. Encourage children to bring props like photos, a favorite snack or their country's flag. Everyone in the class earns a new passport stamp for each country they "visit." If your class doesn't have a diverse group of children, Santamaria advises reading a book like by Latrecia Brown-Johnson, then letting children choose countries from a map.

How it teaches diversity: "It helps children to understand that although we all come from various backgrounds, we are all essentially the same," Santamaria says. "They also learn that diversity is all around them, even in the classroom."

Teaching global citizens

We can't overlook the importance of diversity, even for our littlest members of society. By incorporating these multicultural activities for preschoolers into your classroom, you're doing your part to raise the next generation of children who appreciates and respects people of all cultures.

Guiding children through the preschool years is a big job. For more tips and advice on how to keep your preschool classroom running smoothly, check out our article, " 10 Proven Classroom Management Tips for Preschool Teachers "

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5 Multicultural Activities for Preschoolers to Help Teach the Importance of Diversity

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One of the reasons you love being a teacher is getting to help children explore the world around them. Your preschool classroom is a reflection of America-a melting pot of different ethnicities, languages and cultural beliefs.

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If I Were A Black Kid...

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Here is a thought experiment-I do not pose this as an argument, or a "gotcha" proposition. I seriously want to hear this speech: TNC, if you are invited to your high school, Baltimore Polytechnic (thanks Wikipedia! P.S.: that you are not listed as a notable Alumnus is BS) and asked to speak to the students, what would you say? You're not allowed to give an impersonal, professorial talk about your academic interests. Let's assume the people who have invited you really want to know what you think they should do as individuals, and what they should do as a community, in order to achieve the kind of success in life that you have earned.

The large majority are good kids: driven, hungering for success and a sense of self, and desperately looking up to you for encouragement and advice, to somehow move them, even if they are too cool to show it. It's a pretty good school, but you are exceptional, and deep down, they want to be valued like you are valued. They want to be exceptional too. Sprinkled in the audience are also a bunch of fools who are making terrible choices and wrecking their own lives and hurting their community. But for this one hour, regardless of whether they have chosen to actively build up or tear down their lives and their community, they are ALL listening. You've got the mic. What would you say?

Well, first, I would say that you should be careful with Wikipedia. I did, in fact, attend Baltimore Polytechnic Institute ("Poly" for short). But the reason I am not listed as a notable alumnus is probably that I didn't graduate from there. Oh, and here is something else-I was asked to leave. Twice. The first time, my parents argued for me to be readmitted. The second time they just threw up their hands and said-"Fool, you are on your own."

I was 16. I'd been arrested for assaulting a teacher and suspended on suspicion of assaulting another teacher. In my last year there, I got into a really huge fight in which I took a steel trash can to the head and then promptly failed four out of seven classes that year. I actually failed English. (You can read all about my lovely adventures with the Baltimore City Public Schools here.) So, you see, it is highly unlikely that I would ever be invited back to Poly to address the students. My older brother Malik, who also went to Poly and has gone on to work for Dreamworks, would be a much better candidate.

But, weirdly enough, I often do get asked to speak to predominantly black schools. Last year, I had the honor of going back to the site of my old middle school and spending a day with the kids. My mother teaches in Baltimore County and I've gone out and talked to her kids. I've even talked to the kids at Poly's longtime rival-City College. I'm pretty sure the teachers bring me in because they believe my checkered background might mean I have something to say to them.

What I generally try to do is avoid messages about "hard work" and "homework," not because I think those things are unimportant, but because I think they put the cart before the horse. The two words I try to use with them are "excitement" and "entrepreneurial." I try to get them to think of education not as something that pleases their teachers, but as a ticket out into a world so grand and stunning that it defies their imagination. My belief is that, if I can get them to understand the "why?" of education, then the effort and hard work and long study hours will come after. I don't know how true that is in practice, but given that I am asked to speak from my own experience, that is the lesson I have drawn.

This will come as somewhat depressing news, but one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Poly was to get away from the violence that dogged virtually every other Baltimore city high school. That didn't exactly work out as I planned it. But my point is that my childhood-and my education-was largely guided by the need to negotiate violence. When teachers talked to us about why we needed to succeed, they talked about not ending up dead, or not ending up in jail.

Much like President Obama's own rhetoric, this line of conversation is understandable, and it has its uses. A lot of us were killing and being killed. A lot of us really were going to jail. My parents generally talked the same way, and in their case, I have to say it was largely successful. In a few days, I am going to see my younger brother sworn in as a lawyer in the state of Maryland. My father has seven kids. All of them hail from in and around West Baltimore. All of them, except me, graduated from college. Perhaps that makes the point. But I know how close I came to the edge. And I think a part of that was that not getting shot and not going to jail simply wasn't enough to make me want to succeed in school. No one ever told me about Paris. No one I knew had ever been.

What I have come to believe is that children are more than what their circumstances put upon them. So my goal is to get kids to own their education. I don't think I can hector them into doing this. I don't think I can shame them into doing it. I do think that I might be able to affect some sort of internal motivation. So I try to get them to see that every subject they study has the potential to open up a universe. I really mean this.

I went to the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2008, and I still was, very much, a product of my 'hood. I could not believe what I was seeing. There was a guy next to me who had been old friends with Peter Jennings. He was retired. He had tales about taking Peter Jennings's boat out sailing. He talked about how he'd spent the day up at the Continental Divide with his dog. He loved his life. His only trouble was that he couldn't convince his wife to retire.

Negro, I didn't even know what the Continental Divide was. And I remember thinking, "People actually live like this. Like, we're doing this now?" And then I remember thinking, "I want to live like that." By which I meant, I wanted to see things. If this was one world far from mine, there must be other worlds. And I really wanted to see them.

I recall sitting in my seventh-grade French class repeating over and over " Il fait froid. Il fait chaud." Why was I learning French? Who did I know that spoke French? Where is France? Do they even really talk like this? Well, yeah, they kinda do. I figured that out at 37. And now I find myself clutching flashcards, repeating " Il fait froid. Il fait chaud." This summer, I am going to live with my family in Paris for eight weeks and study the language. I had no idea that education could make that possible. If I had been more serious about education, the opportunity would have come a lot sooner.

So when I talk to young black kids, I try to talk about the "why" as much as the "what." And, for the record, I do the same thing at MIT. I start my class explaining that learning to write is their moral duty. I tell them they have access to more information than 99 percent of all humans who have ever lived. It is a moral duty to learn how to communicate that information clearly and compellingly. I think everyone should own their education.

I don't know if any of that works. But I am convinced that my problem was not mere laziness nor a lack of work ethic. Work ethics don't magically appear. Mine is most evinced when I understand why I am working and when I find that "why" compelling. I never really had that as a student. "Try harder" has to have some actual meaning beyond sloganeering.

At this point I am fairly well self-educated, though I have many weaknesses which I likely would not have had if I'd really gotten a proper and challenging education. (St. Augustine, stats, grammar, genetics, etc.) I'm not ashamed of this. It's just a fact. But I also know that if I'd understood, as a youth, what education can give you, that a degree was not simply a matter of being "Twice As Good" but a key to bearing witness to "Twice As Much," I might have made better choices.

Addendum: One other thing I try to do is avoid talking about education in the negative. So I rarely talk to kids about what they "shouldn't be doing" or what they "can't do." I prefer to talk about what they can and should do. This is not mere phraseology. If you are a twelve year-old black kid who dreams of being the next Kendrick Lamar or Lebron James, I don't really see a problem. If you are are a 12 year-old black kid who only dreams of being that, I do see a problem. My argument to you is not that you should stop dreaming of rapping or playing ball, my argument is that you should dream about much more. That is part of the magic of being 12.

One problem with being from highly segregated communities (as most black kids are) is that you tend to have less exposure to the world. I had more exposure then virtually any of my friends, and that still wasn't much. When you don't have much exposure to the world the options you see for yourself tend to be limited--you can't really dream about that which you don't know exists. I would argue that the exposure granted by education is a potent antidote to the kind of provincialism that you must necessarily see in segregated communities. So my argument to the black twelve year-old boy isn't that he should stop dreaming of being a rapper or a ball player, but that he should understand that that isn't the end of his possibilities. And one way to see more of what it is possible is education.

I would not urge you simply to get off the PlayStation. I would urge you to understand who made the game. I would not urge you to take down your King James poster. I would urge you to think about the business that makes him possible. Perhaps you'd like to be part of that business some day. I would urge you think about what Kendrick is doing in his lyrics, to think about music. Do you know how to read music? Have you learned an instrument? Would that interest you? How about poetry? Have you ever read any? Would you consider trying to write some of your own?

I think we all get frustrated with the state of our community. I think it is easy to turn that frustration into a kind of catharsis by denigrating the dreams of children. I believe in taking the dreams of children seriously, and then challenging them to take their own dreams seriously. Again-ownership.

Again, I can only draw from my personal biography. I am doubtful that I could have been shamed into making better choices. Some people probably can be. There was plenty of shaming around me as a child. But I did not take education seriously until I saw something in it for me, aside from what everyone else thought.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, Between the World and Me, and We Were Eight Years in Power.

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Here is a thought experiment-I do not pose this as an argument, or a "gotcha" proposition. I seriously want to hear this speech: TNC, if you are invited to your high school, Baltimore Polytechnic (thanks Wikipedia! P.S.: that you are not listed as a notable Alumnus is BS) and asked to speak to the students, what would you say?

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Chadwick Boseman was an American actor known for his portrayals of Jackie Robinson in ’42′ and James Brown in ‘Get on Up.’ He also played the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Daddy, Papa, and Me (Gay Themed Children's Book)

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Daddy, Papa, abd Me by Lesléa Newman Illustrated by Carol Thompson Read by Erica Check back soon for more GLBT acceptance books for children kids books, audio books, stories, story Note: You are welcome to post comments on this video (in fact, please do!)

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Dora the Explorer Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Youtube Video 

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Explore fun, engaging and exciting world themed activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Our activities are widely used by teachers, moms, dads, child care providers and more!

All our activities are available at no cost and are free to print and share. Today we will be covering the country Italy!

Arts & Crafts Ideas
Cooked spaghetti with food coloring - lay it on the paper and let it dry or press it in between paper and peel it off.
Finger painting on silk scarves.
Decorate plastic eggs
Pasta Collage
Cross-Stitch with plastic grids, large blunt needles and yarn
Easel Art: glue "mosaic" squares to glue onto large paper

Sensory Ideas:
Spaghetti hard and soft
Bow tie pasta
Lasagna noodles
Rotini
Tube pasta

Discussion
I would encourage talk of how the pasta is similar and different and possibly graph likes and dislikes or who has and has not eaten the pasta before.

Group Ideas
Opera - listening and/or singing

Scarf dancing

Puppet Play

Science Ideas

Water table - recycled meat trays made into gondolas

Dramatic Play Ideas

Set up a boutique - high heels, loafers, scarves, blouses, skirts, cash

Register, money, purses, jewelry, etc.

Block Area
Hang up pictures of Italian architecture and historic ruins (Coliseum, Parthenon, etc.)
Math
Teach the children Roman numerals.

Language - Italian
Bon giorno means hello
Addio means goodbye
Grazie means thank you.

History
Venice is probably the most unique city in Europe. There are no streets in Venice, only canals. People travel by taxi-boats called gondolas. (This fact could open up a lot of ideas for water-play, boats, transportation, etc.) The Tower of Pisa is perhaps that most unusual tower in the world. During construction, the ground beneath began to sink causing it to lean. Today, it leans almost ten feet to one side and will eventually fall over.

Blocks
Have the children build their own Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Garbanzo beans (chick peas)
Italian Ices
Pizza
Italian bread
Biscotti (cookies)

ITALIAN MEATROLLS (makes aprox. 9 rolls)
1 1/2lb ground beef
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 Tbs. Parmesian Cheese

Mix and have kids help make meatrolls.
1/3 cup (1/4 C. for smaller kids)of meat mixture for each roll.

Cook in microwave for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Add rolls to spaghetti sauce. Cook on low for additional 15 minutes, and serve over your favorite pasta. (I had gotten Italy shaped macaroni from a specialty store)
RELATED BOOKS
The Prince of the Dolomites by Tomie de Paola
Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola
The Crab Prince by Christopher Manson
The Canary Prince by Eric Jon Nones
The Story of Befana by Ilse Plume
The Talking Tree: and old Italian tale by Inna Rayevsky
The monkey, the lion, and the snake by Kurt Werth
Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Italy by Virginia Haviland
Count silvernose: a story from Italy by Eric A. Kimmel
Caterina, the Clever Farm Girl by Julienne Peterson
Papa Gatto: an Italian fairy tale by Ruth Sanderson
Dear Reader: You can help us make this theme even better!
All of our theme ideas have come from our imagination and from reader submissions. Please if you have crafts, activities, games, recipes, songs or poems that you would like us to add to this theme.

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Italy Themed Activities for Kids - ChildFun

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Explore fun, engaging and exciting world themed activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Our activities are widely used by teachers, moms, dads, child care providers and more! All our activities are available at no cost and are free to print and share. Today we will be covering the country Italy!