The Value Add

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

This month, as we celebrate Black History Month, we've discussed the why.  Why do we set aside a special month to celebrate and honor black Americans?  Do you remember what Woodson wrote? he said that historically, "textbooks ignored or distorted black history with ugly racial stereotypes. This omission and distortion left both black and white children unaware of the tremendous contributions of African people to America and world civilizations across time.” To my way of thinking, it wasn't just textbooks that ignored the contributions of these deserving Americans. Textbooks are inanimate objects - they can't write themselves. People wrote those books. People ignored the voices and contributions that African Americans made to our history and we understand now that those contributions can no longer be ignored or misrepresented.

I was thinking about our celebration of black history month as I read to my daughter last night.  We have been reading a book that she selected from her school library called, "Once Upon an Eid; Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices."  Eid is an Arabic word meaning celebration or feast that repeats.  "It is celebrated in various ways from family to family, community to community, and culture to culture, but it is a festival of Joy!" (Ali & Saeed)  I am not sure whether or not my 8-year-old, 2nd grader understood the significance of this book when she plucked it off the rolling book cart in her classroom, but the simple fact that it was there to find makes my heart feel happy!  Though this book is more about cultural inclusion, the message is the same.  Hearing diverse voices early and often in our lives matters, because it teaches us about the wide world and the many perspectives of those who inhabit it. 

As we read one of the stories last night my daughter asked, "why is Leila so excited to wear her hijab to school?"  A simple question which I can't possibly imagine I would have ever asked my parent when I was 8 years old.  Why?  Why wouldn't I ask that question?  It's not because my parents would have felt negative about it, as my parents are both very open to different ideas and cultures.  It's because I don't think I, or my parents, would have had the word hijab in our vocabulary 36 years ago.  (Do you know what a hijab is?  A hijab is a head covering or scarf worn in public by some Muslim women).   It's just something that we didn't know about, or hear about, or think about.  And to be completely honest if we did hear about it, I am pretty certain that it would have been cast - unintentionally?  Intentionally? - in some sort of negative light in the news media.

In the story I read to my daughter yesterday, 11-year-old Leila shares the juxtaposition of her everyday life - being playful with her father, rolling her eyes at her mother, making TikTok videos with her best friend, and exploring feelings about her crush - with the excitement of receiving her first hijab scarf as a gift and learning about how to wear it and what it means to her to do so.  Her mother says, "It means different things to different people, but having it look reverent meant a lot to me..."  Leila says, "I want to wear it Eid day because it's the way I want to express my relationship with Allah." (Allah means God).  

Leila has to talk her mom into letting her wear her new hijab for the first time to school, and throughout the story, she struggles to understand her mother's hesitation.  When she finally does wear it with pride, she comes to understand her mother's worry as another student draws negative attention to the hijab.  Leila realized that her mother worried that she could be hurt physically or emotionally simply because of her expression of culture and faith.   It made it hard to let Leila wear the hijab before she was ready.  Thankfully it is with the support of another student - one that took time to learn and understand her culture - that Leila does come to feel the sense of pride she had hoped to find that day.  The other student's simple acknowledgment made all the difference for Leila. 

I am so happy to be reading this book with my daughter.  It just reinforces the importance of bringing diversity to our learning and reading.  Hopefully, because we are learning about the beauty of these Muslim stories, my daughter will be that kid that shows compassion and inclusion to someone that needs it in the future.  Hopefully, because you are reading this, you will too!  If you want to check out "Once Upon An Eid" the collection was edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed.  

For today's black history month spotlight I want to bring Charlotta Spears Bass to your attention.  She was a newspaper editor and politician.  She was one of the first black women to own a newspaper here in the US.  Her California Eagle grew from a 4-page publication to a 20 pages news source under her leadership.  She brought visibility to issues of racial inequality and was interested in helping to shape the way that black people were seen in America.  She was also the first African American woman to run for Vice President in 1952.  

Spears is known for saying, ""In public, in private, wherever I have heard the challenge, the call for a greater effort, the need for further struggle....I have continued to this day to work and fight and struggle toward the light of a better day."  If you are interested in knowing more about Charlotta Bass, you can link to a PBS Learning Media video here.  

I hope you all have a great Wednesday!  Keep appreciating the unique beauty of the world (and the people) around you!  

Be Well,

Mrs. Hempey