Monday Morning

I don’t think I’ve ever posted everyday for a month! It seemed like a simple thing to do, highlighting Black authors and curating thematic lists. Even though I wanted to bring recognition to authors we don’t always think of, I kept thinking of the student I had three years ago who’d never heard of Jason Reynolds. There’s so much work to do!

I hadn’t realized that humor just isn’t a thing in YA, and books about grief are really popular right now. I’ve highlight Black authors and their books, but this is still about youth literature.

Black History Month reminds me to celebrate my Blackness, and to bring others along with me and in doing so, I consider everything that has contributed to the continued presence of Blacks in the United States.

While in the celebratory mode, I went to the Facebook page for the street where I grew up and proclaimed that the street was Black history. Mind you, when the homes were built on that particular avenue, they were built for white working class Toledoans. The neighborhood began integrating in the 60s and was pretty much segregated a decade later. The eight block street I lived on nurtured future business and community leaders, a police chief, entrepreneurs, a judge, and more. The neighborhood never completely segregated and in recent years, the homes have dropped in economic value along with many in that city. The white families who lived there were very much part of that street’s story.

Black history centers the Black experience, highlighting the contributions of Black Americans which are either provoked by, aligned with or supported by members of other racial and ethnic groups. Yes, Black history is American history. Most of us learn that in our daily living experiences but, it ‘s also right there in our books; the books that are censored or banned as if there should be one way to experience life in the Untied States. I can’t celebrate Black history without recognizing the role of whites, Asian Americans, Latine, or Pacific Islanders. American history is so inclusive and diverse. I hope you celebrated with me!

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