I have felt a range of emotions as I read and watch the news over the past couple of weeks. I generally try to see things from all points of view, and sometimes the media makes this hard to do. That’s why I read a wide range of media. I wish I could help more, but I think the best thing I can do is continue listening, learning and helping my children learn.
No matter what your political leaning may be, I think we can all agree that learning about other people and their experience is a good thing. During this time, it’s especially important to focus on why #BlackLivesMatter, and there are plenty of resources to do this. I try to read or watch a little something everyday — I don’t have a lot of time — but I bookmark a lot articles that I want to come back to later. I don’t typically share things on my blog that I haven’t already read or used, but in this case, I thought I would list a few of the resources I’ve found in case it might be helpful to anyone.
This is how I plan my homeschool too. I read booklists, and I slowly sift through materials until I find what I think will be most beneficial to my boys. I have already been planning a literature unit for next year that would include historical fiction set in the U.S. This way I can combine literature and history for my soon-to-be 8th grader. Of course, I wanted to include plenty of black writers in my list, so in this blog post you’ll find a few of the titles I’m looking at. While I might not include them all in my literature unit for next year, we’ll probably get them and read them anyway.
This is not an exhaustive list! It’s only a few items that I’ve found. Please share your own articles, books and resources in the comments below because I’m still looking! (I also want to thank my friend Diane Magras for recommending a few of the middle school literature books.)
Middle School Historical Fiction by Black Authors
Flygirl by Sherri Smith
The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Betty Before X by Shabazz
Helpful Articles During This Time
For Our White Friends Desiring To Be Allies
What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege
10 Habits of Someone Who Doesn’t Know They’re Anti-Black
Anything on goodblacknews.org
For Adults to Consider
A History of Race and Racism in America, in 24 Chapters – A good list of literature to consider, if you want to explore this topic. Some of the works on this list are racist (so be sure to read the descriptions in this article) and others sought to destroy it. Some of my favorite books from my youth are mentioned on this list, such as Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Roots by Alex Haley, and Beloved by Toni Morrison.
If you enjoy watching movies, you might like to peruse this list: Movies to Watch to Educate Yourself About Racism, Protests on Time
Book: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum (There are many books on this subject that you can easily find by doing a search. This book has been around for a long time, and it’s been updated. I have been wanting to read it for some time.)
Talking to Kids About Racism & History
How to Talk to Kids About Race: Books That Can Help
Civil Rights Then & Now by Kristina Brooke Daniele
And Because I’m Raising Musicians
19 Black Musicians Who Have Shaped the Classical Music World ❤️
Again, please feel free to add additional resources that you find to be helpful in the comments below. Thanks!
Mama of Letters 