3rd Grade Perspective on Race

During our Social Studies period, the kids and I were having a discussion on the the colonies and the founding of Jamestown. Because the history that is taught tends to be lopsided, I infused in that same conversation how the Europeans of the day treated the Native Americans and how many African men, women, and children were forced over to the colonies.

I also mentioned that those of us who are African American in the class (all), were descendants of slaves and that slaves were considered property.

Somewhere during the conversation a kid said,

"That's why we can't come to school and act up because that's just what the white people want us to do. We come here to learn."

This is from an 8 year old black boy. His opinion is real to him and necessitates a conversation and he felt comfortable enough to express that thought to his black male teacher and classmates.

What I didn't do was shoot down his opinion. At 8, he already has some thoughts about how he sees the world. I did address the fact that the racist ones probably would expect that behavior from him and that not all white people are racist.

Biogaphy of Jackie Robinson

A few moments ago I completed one biography of Jackie Robinson, Jackie Robinson: An American Hero by Anne Schraff. This particular biography is written for middle school-level students.

Up until now, I had never sat and read a biography on this great man, Jackie Robinson.  I had learned only tidbits of information on him while in school. So as an adult, I'm choosing to read up on him and others, not just for personal information's sake, but also in preparation to expose my current 5th grade students to pioneers and leaders who are/were of African American descent.

This particular biography, which I purchased through www.townsendpress.com for $1, explores the life of Robinson with just the right amount of information and at just the right pace for students in upper elementary and middle school or even high school. I'm an adult and I learned quite a bit from reading this particular biography.

I did not know that Jackie Robinson was quite skilled at a few sports. In school, we knew him just as a baseball great.

I did not know that he and his wife had a son who struggled with a drug addiction and some personality struggles.

Furthermore, I learned that Jackie Robinson considered himself a liberal Republican and often worked, politically,  on behalf of the Republican party at a time when most African Americans identified with the Democrats.

I enjoyed learning about Jackie Robinson in greater detail than what was covered in school, during Black History Month. As a result of reading this particular version of his biography, I'm inspired to read other versions.

The author of this particular biography, Anne Schraff, has authored several books geared toward adolescence that do not disappoint. For those who enjoy reading realistic fiction, the plots of which draw readers into the often unstable and complicated world of the American teenager, Schraff along with author Paul Langan, both do a phenomenal job of satiated that desire!