In this post: Pictures books to inspire young history buffs – Stories of Black Women in American history. Bonus – learn to identify 3 common ways authors whitewash history.
I’m not Black. As a non-Black person of color, raised in the US, I’m bound to miss some things. I’ve done my best to boost the voices of Black femmes, but feel free to comment if/when I screw up. This a working list, imperfect (and incomplete).
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We don’t have to be – we can fight it. We can fight the bias drilled into our kids from the media, from our institutions, from our own personal, subconscious bias.
To start – we need to re-frame how we see people of color – how women in particular have been held back by our kyriarchy. (You could argue we should focus on Indigenous/Trans/disabled/etc. women, and we should – but for now, Black History Month is an easy start).
To get kids truly inspired by history, you need something that entices your kids to ask questions, to get curious about the past – and hopeful for the future. We need stories that connect all kids (even white-presenting boys like mine) to the stories of women who shaped our nation. No more dry factoids of dates and dry, dreary illustrations. No more overwhelming despair and powerlessness.
So after a few years of searching…I’ve got a pretty kick-ass collection to share with you.
But before you get started – stick around for the whole thing. To fight white supremacy at story time – you’ll need to learn how to identify common ways authors whitewash mainstream children’s books. (Keep reading!)
Crappy stories do active harm
After last year’s election, publishers are finally boosting the stories of more Black heroes. Even Chelsea Clinton made a half-assed attempt at diverse representation (COUGH opportunist …COUGH cash-grab COUGH). We’re seeing more filler books. You’re left to sift through more time-wasters.
I can’t stress this enough – do not force your kids to read boring, redundant history books. Nothing shuts down curiosity, acceptance, and compassion like boredom. Wasting your time with shitty, whitewashed books is an act of white supremacy. It derails us from the stuff we need to grow stronger, smarter, and kinder.
Captioned age ranges are for when my sons were able to understand and enjoy each story. Your mileage may vary since every kid is different. Stories validating lived experiences and normalizing racial diversity is vital, but for this post, we’re focusing on validating & insightful stories on the experience of Black women and girls in American history.
*Asterisk-marked books are #OwnVoices stories written by Black women.
Though the eyes of young Black girls, my boys are able to see how systemic racism affects real kids. Rather than filling readers with overwhelm in despair, these stories based on history and lived experience demonstrate the importance of anti-racism work, the urgency of maintaining the fight, and gives kids a sense of power showing that they, too, have a responsibility to carry that torch.
There comes a time around age 4 when kids are all about big feats of bravery. My kids emulate superheroes who jump higher, run faster, and show extraordinary courage . We run with that enthusiasm – and teach our kids that true courage comes not in the absence of fear, but in spite of it.
These stories teach our kids that being brave doesn’t just mean sticking up for ourselves when necessary. Being brave means sticking up for others even when it would be easier to walk away.
There’s nothing worse than a bland biography full of dates and names to turn little kids off to learning. At this age, kids want inspiration, they want super heroes who struggle and survive and stand up in glory even when the odds are against them.
These aren’t 100% vetted for historical accuracy, but picture-book biographies spark curiosity in little minds and encourage them to learn more. Stories like these make Superman pale in comparison, and inspire my kids to run through the house screaming, “I AM HARRIET TUBMAN! I AM BRAVE!”
For every girl of color who’s been told to stay quiet, that her voice doesn’t count, that nothing she has to say matters, she needs to see a loud woman claiming space and visibility. For generations, Black performers have used the stage to open the eyes of white fans to inequality. They’ve kept their voices raised even when reviled, insulted, silenced, and threatened. They’ve used their power and influence to fight for desegregation, voting rights, and community crises. Music continues to be one of the few spaces where Black women are heard, and they’ve used those voices to enact change in courageous ways.
Caveat: ‘Maya Angelou’ contains a good deal of white-washing, and the makers have been known to write about Nazi-sympathizers (Coco Chanel). For now, it’s the only children’s book about Angelou we can find, and my kids adore the illustrations. Also, it briefly mentions the assault and abuse she was victim to as a child.
Kids Books Are Whitewashed – Learn to spot subtle supremacy
STEP 1: STOP CENTERING WHITE DUDES
Let’s discuss white saviors!
It’s just unnecessary, misleading, and more than a little silly to center a white man in stories about the fight for civil rights and racial justice.
If you pick up ‘Sweet Land of Liberty,’ (which features Marian Anderson on the cover) you’d think this book would be about the discrimination and obstacles Anderson encountered in her career, or at least the tumult surrounding her rendition of ‘My Country, ‘Tis of Thee’ in 1939 at the Lincoln Memorial.
Nope!
It’s about a white dude and how instrumental his white savior work was to Anderson’s success – as if she was some nobody who just showed up that day, and not one of the most celebrated singers in American history.
What self-defeating nonsense. If Oscar Chapman truly was an accomplice for civil rights (he sounds like a great guy, but come ON) – if he worked his whole career to boost the visibility and agency of people like Marian Anderson – would he really want a book about this event to be about him?
White accomplices have a place in books about the fight for civil rights – a place of honor and appreciation. But – it’s in the background.
‘Blue Sky, White Stars‘ and pretty much anything by Kadir Nelson shows does this well, with white accomplices standing in solidarity WITH or behind Black folks. In a single page of text, ‘Little Leaders‘ provides a more accurate and empowering history of Anderson’s accomplishments.
STEP 2: STOP EXCUSING OPPRESSORS
Being a ‘nice’ slaver doesn’t make slavery okay. You don’t get points for exploiting other humans nicely.
From ‘Phillis’s Big Test,’ “Her first winter was so very cold and awful. She survived only by the kindness of her masters.”
Maybe Phillis’s first winter wouldn’t have been so cold and awful if she wasn’t KIDNAPPED AND SOLD AS A SLAVE. She didn’t survive because of her enslavers, she survived DESPITE them.
(They/them or She/her)
I'm an Autistic, multiracial (Chinese/Irish) 2nd-generation settler raising two children alongside my partner on the homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett people.
My goal with Raising Luminaries is to collaborate with families and educators in raising the next generation of kind & courageous leaders, so we can all smash the kyriarchy together.
