What a great day to discuss the intersections of food justice + anti-racism + environmentalism.

When is it?

• George Washington Carver Day is on January 5th (his birthday)
• Also – national Peanut Butter Day happens annually on March 1st

Read

• In the Garden with Dr. Carver (ages 6-9)
  If you overdid it on the oppression/victim narratives during Black history month,  In the Garden with Dr. Carver focuses exclusively on George Washington Carver’s work developing mobile education accessibility – teaching kids about self-sustainable community farming and how it supports Black liberation. The story and illustrations feel dated, but it was well written and illustrated. The 6.5yo was able to sit through this for a read.
• The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver (ages 6.5+)
  Our favorite bio on GWC because of the enticing illustrations. However – the syntax & time-jumping & adult-oriented plot is too advanced for the suggested 4-8 age-range.
  (Does your average 4 yo understand what it means to testify before congress? Do we have to give parents FOMO from not covering the legislation process in pre-K?). So I’d reserve it for 6.5+, or just summarize the story on the fly. Content warning for violence against women & infants.
• The Princess And The Peanut Allergy (ages 3-7)

Watch

@alexisnikole

#blackhistorymonth PUT SOME RESPECT ON GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER’S NAME ?

♬ original sound – Alexis Nikole

Discuss

• Can we find one thing in our home that was made possible thanks to GWC?
  
• What does it mean to think global, act local? How do education rights, sustainable farming, and climate justice rely on each other?
• How do blanket statements claiming “slavery is over” erase, minimize, and excuse the inhuman practice of enslaving incarcerated people? (R2 pointed out an error in In the Garden with Dr. Carver, where the text claims slavery is over.)
  • Chattel slavery is illegal in the US, but prison slavery is still legal. How are the two connected?
• Who was Mariah Watkins? Why it so difficult to learn about the Black women who educated, supported, and worked alongside famous Black men before social media?
• In The Princess And The Peanut Allergy: Both friends have hurt feelings. How do we differentiate between:
  • Feeling resentful because we have to give up our preferrences to accommodate a disability…
  • And/or and feeling unsafe when people prioritize cake flavors over our health and safety?
    

More Resources to dig deeper:

• George Washington Carver on Ego and Self (video, ages 12+)
• Learn about the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund