Juneteenth: 5 Ways to Inspire a Better Future

It’s more important than ever to actively teach your child Black History. One month of celebration is simply not enough. These are scary times for kids (and parents), especially if you are Black, or a member of other marginalized communities. Hope and positivity are in short supply for many of our children. And the teaching of our history is yet again under serious assault. Learning stories that inspire positivity and show Black achievement can strengthen a child’s motivation to learn, despite the many bad things they see and hear.

A Black historian wrote recently,

Black history is full of generous spirits , brave leaders and heroes who demonstrated virtue and achieved success in the face of adversity… To build an even better future, we must reckon with our past failures but also learn from and build upon our past successes.

Let’s resolve to make a special effort to engage our children throughout the year to learn Black history. Juneteenth is a perfect time to start the effort. Here are a few suggestions:

Attend an Event. There are many free publicly available activities sponsored by schools, local governments, churches, and community organizations to celebrate Juneteenth which have a strong history component. You may find a list in your local newspaper, a neighborhood website or a site of a sponsoring organization. Make a list with your child and see what sparks their interest. Let your child pick an activity they would like to do. The important thing is to let your child be your guide, even if it’s not an activity you would have picked.
Learn About a Career. Have a discussion with your child about what career field they might want to learn about. Challenge your child to select two high achieving Blacks in that area. It’s ok if your child picks sports, cars, video games or something like that. It’s the research, reading and learning that is most important. If your child is willing, you can ask them to describe what each person did, what obstacles they had to overcome, and why they think those achievements are significant.
Do a Family Interview. Suggest that your child ask to interview a senior member of the family about their life story and what obstacles they faced and how they overcame them. The child should ask for pictures, letters or other mementoes that are part of the story. This is a great way for young family members to get to know their elders, and may also help preserve artifacts and memories.
Take a Trip. Plan a future trip or visit with your child that relates to one of the activities or interests they like. This can be something like visiting local landmarks, going to museums, visiting older family members, or participating in an activity they like.
Watch Black History Programming. There are lots of really wonderful TV programs on Black History that ran during the month of February. Many of these are archived online and can still be viewed. Ask your child which they find interesting and watch the program with them.

If you don’t have time on Juneteenth in particular to do something with your child, it’s fine to choose another time. Juneteenth can be the start of a commitment to learn Black History throughout the year.

Our Homeschool Course, Black Gold focuses on teaching Black History through a variety of mediums and in innovative and fun ways. Check it out!