Exposing Youth to African American History

I am coordinating the Saturday Detention program where I work.  For the last few months I have been showing Eyes on the Prize and today, Spike Lee's 4 Little Girls. While they are watching, I felt compelled to write this blog.   I firmly believe that as much exposure we can give our young people the better.  It is my opinion that integration has not had the effect intended on our communities.  Everything that was given as to why African Americans were not desired in neighborhoods or the schools, our young people who generally having no knowledge of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, act as if they read a play book.  Test scores, reading levels, jobless rates, crime, the rate that Black men are jailed are issues in the Black community with rates higher than most other communities.  I understand that there are many other social issues in play.  But as a teacher, I get disheartened when I see the behavior and the lack of caring from our children.  Bringing home F's is OK.  Parents have all but lost control in many homes.  Students refuse to put forth an effort to learn skills despite teachers employing best practices in the classroom.  I feel they have no connection to the struggle.  They do not see a connection with The Movement and their lives.  I have taught children in the county areas of St. Louis and they have no idea that 30-40 years ago blacks did not live in their neighborhoods, let alone go to the schools they attend.  There is no pride.  I try in my own little corner of the world to expose my students to as much history as I can about the local area.  I will explain why North St. Louis and parts of North County are predominantly black and parts of South St. Louis and most of South County is predominantly white.  South City and County has approximately 11% of the city's black population and in North City and County, blacks comprise approximately 70% of the population. It is my hope that exposing them will ignite the desire for them to learn more.  I want them to not take for granted the education or the opportunities afforded them.  I want them to realize that the fact that they are in the schools that they are in is a direct result of blood, lives lost and struggle.  I want them to step up.  Yes, we have issues, but we had issues in past generations and I, believe education was stressed as an avenue to change circumstances.  Let's get acquainted with our history and expose our young people to our rich history.  Exposing them, teaching them will hopefully stir the embers of hope.  It only takes one.