By Ashley Causey-Golden
As parents and educators, we're always looking for ways to enrich our children's understanding of the world. Black August offers a unique opportunity to introduce important concepts like liberation, justice, and empowerment for children 9-12. That is the time for children to start making connections beyond themselves and into the world. Themes of justice, freedom, and peace are paramount for this age. For younger learners, it is about making tangible connections to family, community, culture, and identity. Let’s talk about how to share the history of Black August with children from 3-12.
Black August began in the 1970s in California to remember the lives of Black political prisoners killed by the state. It is also a time to remember the August revolutionary moments throughout history for Black people like the Haitian Revolution, Nat Turner Rebellion, Ferguson Uprising, Fugitive Slave Law Convention, Watts Uprising, and the March on Washington.
This month-long observance is for us to deepen our knowledge individually and collectively about the people who had and are continuing the fight for our freedom as well as remember those who are still imprisoned and isolated for their work within the liberation struggle. This is a time to name the freedoms that we enjoy and gain the knowledge of how we got those freedoms. It is also a time to reimagine our present to create a different future not only for us but for our children.
So now the question becomes, how can we not only reimagine for ourselves but also bring our children with us on this journey of reimagining the future? What would education look like? What would communities look like?
These are creative spaces that you and I can rest in because of the work of our ancestors. It is the work of the revolutionaries before us that provided these moments of rest to dream, restore, create, and build.
That is the important work of Black August to pay honor to the work of the ancestors and to remind ourselves what is the work of our hands.
How are we adding to the tapestry of freedom for Black people?
No work is too small because we need the consistent work of many hands to create a reality where Black Lives Mattering isn’t a hashtag but a respected universal truth.
Resources:
I know as a guide and loved one, you do not want to burden children with heavy concepts especially if they are between 3-8. The intention is to begin to weave a beautiful tapestry of Black history and culture. The foundation you are building will help the child understand who we are before teaching the more challenging parts of Black history within the United States context and globally.
When discussing Black August and liberation, tailor the conversation to your child's age and maturity level. For younger children, focus on concepts of fairness and kindness and standing up for what's right. As they grow older, you can introduce more complex ideas about systemic oppression and strategies to create change. These more complex topics should be left for the 9-12-year-old; when younger children are brought into conversations about racism, oppression, and killings, they are not yet ready to process beyond themselves.
Attached are storytelling lessons for children 3-6 and 6-12 to teach the rich history of Black August.
May this Black August be your time to deepen a practice of faith, nourishment, and love.
Ashley
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