Heather L. Townsend Ed. D. / Heather LTownsend EdD.
We live in a world where little black girls still favor white Barbie dolls. Additionally, an overwhelming number of black boys still want to be entertainers or sports stars instead intellectuals. Research shows that even in this new millennia, in spite of the fact that we have had a black president, these disparaging views are still present in black society. Part of this discouraging phenomenon is due to the negative images of black people still portrayed in the news and in social media on a daily basis. There are also other subliminal messages that black is bad. For instance, bad guys wear black, black cats are bad luck, and witches are known as “dark” entities. It is imperative that these images are persistently and consistently combated with positive messages of what it means to be black, and the beauty of things that are black. Numerous studies indicate powerful correlations between students’ self-concept and their subsequent academic achievement. Children of all races, colors, and creeds who feel good about themselves ultimately have higher student achievement as a result. Those of us who are committed to closing the achievement gap for black children across the diaspora must continue to look for ways to help build these children’s concepts of the black experience. Black is….is an inspirational book which introduces young children to strong, rigorous vocabulary words which can be used to positively describe the black experience. It contains colorful and engaging pictures that can be utilized to explain, discuss and uplift in the process of exploring black history and culture.
