Letter by letter, The ABCs of Black History celebrates a story that spans continents and centuries, triumph and heartbreak, creativity and joy.
It’s a story of big ideas––P is for Power, S is for Science and Soul. Of significant moments––G is for Great Migration. Of iconic figures––H is for Zora Neale Hurston, X is for Malcom X. It’s an ABC book like no other, and a story of hope and love.
In addition to rhyming text, the book includes back matter with information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Mae Jemison to W. E. B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer to Sam Cooke, and the Little Rock Nine to DJ Kool Herc.
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**My thoughts**
Black history is our history. Period. And too often, a lot of it has been purposely hidden in an effort to try to erase it. I love learning about history, so I've been enjoying learning more about Black history through a variety of means. I do this for personal growth, but to also improve myself as an educator. This is a great one to use with children ages 5 and up.
With your younger children, enjoy the vibrantly colored pictures and rhyming verse as poet Rio Cortez takes us through Black history and culture. As you're reading it, you're going to recognize how much of it is actually also a part of your own life.
With children who are a little older, you can dig more into the lives of the various historical figures and events that are depicted in the story. The beginning of the book offers some great resources. The back of the book goes into a bit more detail about each the people, events, and terms associated with each letter of the alphabet. That index is a great way to look up which topics pique your interest at the moment. You'll come back to it again and again. It even inspires me to dig more deeply into some historical events.
Not every topic is going to be comfortable to dive into. But without a bit of discomfort, growth and change cannot happen. And like it or not, this IS history. These topics ARE relevant right now. So approach them with children at their level to help them also learn and grow, and not just in February for Black History Month.
I noticed that this duo has also created a book for Women's history, and I can't wait to dive into that one as well!
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