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We Are Here Lit! attended an inspiring session by two Black male authors changing the narrative of young Black boys and the Black male identity.
Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond, college friends, and fathers of Black sons discussed the August release of the upcoming book Black Boy, Black Boy. Vibrantly illustrated by Ken Daley, the hope of this book according to the authors is to widen the perspective of young readers by introducing them to Black males from the Diaspora beyond the athletes and MCs. The author's hopes were that young Blacks males see their possibilities as endless and beyond the narrow perspectives and options expected or given to them. We wish Kimanda and Redmond much success with their new release and hope as authors they share more stories for kids from the Black male perspective.
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 Although our history truly begins in Africa, if people teach about Black history from enslavement, it must include resistance. It must include courage, determination, perseverance, ingenuity AND LOVE.
Speak of people of African Descent and Identity with an asset-based approach. The industry of slavery in American history is the deficit. Discriminatory laws and segregation are the deficit. Redlining denying the right to opportunities and education is the deficit. If you are not teaching and learning from that lens of an asset-based approach, what are you teaching and learning? Are you incorporating ethical philosophies in your teaching? The picture books in this post are a few of the books available on this topic. Please list other titles in the comments, including middle-grade and high school-aged resources. Let's learn from one another. Share your books titles and thoughts below. If a school district, teaching community or library staff is truly interested in inclusive engagement with Black communities, this book is a necessary professional development or learning community tool. Equitable by Design by Yvette C. Laundry examines opportunities to establish stronger more authentic partnerships among Black families and school/library communities. This book features theory to practice strategies, reflection, goal setting and action step opportunities. Request it at and for your local library and school professional development collection.   How do you begin to have a diverse, critical conversation about race?
Consider a text set. A text set is a collection of related texts organized around a unit topic, theme, concept, or idea. The set is focused on an anchor text which has a rich discussion points. Art, photos songs, poems, videos and other materials can also be added to the text set. Materials can be differentiated, at different reading levels to include more student participation. Using a text set on a topic creates an environment where multiple perspectives can be included to have a deeper richer conversation. Site recommendation: Mr. Ernest Crim III, an Illinois Teacher & Author of the book 'Black History Saved My Life', has been bringing the whole Black Culture & History to social media. Everytime this 'Brotha speaks, he engages us with oftentimes history we do not hear about in classrooms. There are moments listening to Mr. Crim, I can connect a book to his lesson. This one 'William Still and His Freedom Stories: The father of the Underground Railroad' by Author and Illustrator Don Tate more detail and context to how William Still was abke to document the stories of the 'freedom seekers' he met traveling the Underground Railroad. This is an excellent book. Pair Mr. Crim with your local library to create an identity building experience for Black youth and also unearthing Black history for other students, ensuring the human experience is shared within the 'mirrors/windows/prisms' concepts. Thank you Mr. Crim and Mr. Tate for providing such valuable resources for learning! Site recommendation: Mr. Ernest Crim III, an Illinois Teacher & Author of the book 'Black History Saved My Life', has been bringing the whole Black Culture & History to social media. Everytime this 'Brotha speaks, he engages us with oftentimes history we do not hear about in classrooms. There are moments listening to Mr. Crim, I can connect a book to his lesson. This one 'William Still and His Freedom Stories: The father of the Underground Railroad' by Author and Illustrator Don Tate more detail and context to how William Still was abke to document the stories of the 'freedom seekers' he met traveling the Underground Railroad. This is an excellent book. Pair Mr. Crim with your local library to create an identity building experience for Black youth and also unearthing Black history for other students, ensuring the human experience is shared within the 'mirrors/windows/prisms' concepts. Thank you Mr. Crim and Mr. Tate for providing such valuable resources for learning! Dear Black Boy, by Ebony Lewis, gives young Black males permission to be who they are. To understand and recognize their emotions, and to counter the narrative oftentimes thrust upon them.This book is a good mirror/window book to have critical conversations about Black male identity and recognizing the social-emotional issues young Black males need to grapple with. It's a good book to give background knowledge for Richard Wright's Black Boy.
Son, You Matter! by Derrick Jakolby Washington, is a story about a Dad who affirms his son's identity daily, but an incident happens to question, yet reaffirm the Dad's message. This book works well with topics around Black Lives Mattering. Lewis, Ebony., and Grant, Jasmine, illustrator. Dear Black Boy, It's Ok to Cry. Waukesha, WI: Orange Hat Publishing, 2019. Print. Washington, Derrick Jakolby, and Sheana, India, illustrator. Son, You Matter! Jenkinstown PA]: Pen Legacy, 2020. Print. A story of Baraka, a young Kenyan boy with a physical disability. He lives with a name that means suffering. He often feels the weight of his name.
His grandmother tried her best to care for Baraka and his family. With little to share, the grandmother getting older, has to make tough decisions. Through these choices, Baraka learns that he is more than his physical disability and that he is a "Blessing" Glow, authored by Ruth Foreman and Illustrated by Geneva Bowers along with Together by Mona Damluji and illustrated by Innosanto Nasanto are our featured board books today.
Both board books themes are affirmations of the human spirit. Glow affirms that the inner light of a young Black boy in his everyday life and Together affirms, through social justice themes, the power of one and the collective. We Are Here Lit! hopes this upcoming year creates more moments to uplift Black boys and young Black men as we GLOW TOGETHER through this literacy movement. Happy New Year!  This documentary discusses ideas around healthy masculinity. "The Mask You Live In" showcases how males, feeling pressured by the media, their peer group, and even the adults in their lives, confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify, and degrade women, and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class, and circumstance, creating a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become "real" men.
How do these issues show up in the school environment with Black boys and young Black men? How does your school incorporate Social Emotional Learning with issues of masculinity? Catch the documentary on Amazon Prime and Kanopy, available in some public and academic libraries. While watching Colin's Black & White on Netflix, one theme was following your passion, despite how others define you.
Ernie Barnes (football) and Romare Bearden (baseball) were athletes, as well as artists. They both followed their passion. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Mae Jemison 'Trust your power'- Colin Kaepernick So many racial stereotypes have historically defined Blackness, especially for Black boys. How do we reimagine curiosity, passion, exploration for Black children to define and reimagine their identity and agency? You can be more than one thing and more than how others see and define you. |
AuthorSWE ARE HERE will provide you book reviews, discussions, news, and programming about literature and literacy by and about Black males. This site will also feature vlog conversations on topics related to the promoting literacy and voice for Black boys and young men. Archives
May 2023
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