my 6 year old knows nothing about george washington. could give a damn about christopher columbus. i have not wasted her time (or intelligence) teaching her that watered-down and revised story of "american history," that we've allowed ourselves and our children to be bamboozled with for so many decades.
but ask her who harriet tubman is. ask her who malcom x is. marcus garvey. assata shakur. these are the people that are relevant to our lives and our history, and at this early age, when children are impressionable, and curious, and brilliant...it is imperative that we present them with figures who are proud, powerful, community-oriented, and intelligent.
in the future...when she learns about columbus, she will not hear the far-fetched story about how he sailed his ship to an "unknown" land, and discovered it (and the villages of people who were already on the land). she will know him as one of the many europeans who tricked, trapped, raped and killed millions of afrikan men, women and children.
because that's real.
my children will not have 13 years of bullshit to unlearn...my children will not be brainwashed...confined...lied to...institutionalized, and for that...i give thanks.
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