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February 2001
According to the 4h-USA web site, 4-H developed over time, and through many influences. One of the most important events in the development of 4-H was the hiring of Thomas M. Campbell, an assistant of George Washington Carver at Tuskegee and an African-American, by the USDA Office of Cooperative Demonstration Work in 1906. The central focus of his work was organization of youth clubs among African-American boys and girls.
He brought with him the principles laid down by the internationally respected educator, Booker T. Washington. These principles were: "the hands, the heart, the education of the head, and hygiene. The four H's (not as it is presently used) was Tuskegee students' symbol long before the 4-H Club became popular." "4-H Club extension service was born on the campus of Tuskegee Institute." -- Amelia Platts Boynton Robinson, BRIDGE ACROSS JORDAN
MUSIC OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
From Kim and Reggie Harris' Web site,
"The Underground Railroad , as we are fond of saying, was NOT a train...it was people... a rainbow coalition of various backrounds, beliefs , colors and creeds who, in a variety of ways , created a lifeline out of slavery in Pre-Civil War America.
"The songs , beautiful ... rich in spirit and texture, reveal the hope, power and ingenuity of an enslaved people who used their traditions, passion and resources to express their faith, strengthen their relationships and communicate important information that led many of them to freedom!"
Visit the above web site for more information on the uses and meanings of such songs as "Oh, Freedom," "Wade in the Water," and "Let Us Break Bread Together," or to order the CD of STEAL AWAY: SONGS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
SOME WEB RESOURCES FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listblackhika2.htm
Pacific Bell Education First, with activities and resources.
http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/
Harlem Renaissance, with a timeline, resources, and a teachers' page.
http://www.thekingcenter.com
http://tlc.ai.org/mlk.htm
Information on Martin Luther King, Jr. and links to resources and activities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
http://www.afroam.org
An award-winning site on African-American culture and history, with games for kids, an art gallery, and a Discover Africa link.
http://www.connerprairie.org
Visitors participate by being treated like runaway slaves. Participants cover approximately two miles in a highly interactive simulation of the Underground Railroad experience. Age 12 and older. Cost for schools is $6 per student. Call toll-free at 1-800-866-1836
Also distributed with this newsletter: An exploration of SOME of the inventions we owe to African-Americans, entitled "Where Would the World be Without Black People?" (links to sites with material on this subject can be found at http://www.patentcafe.com/discovery/africanam.html) and instructions for the African game of Mancala, a game more than 5,000 years old! For instructions on playing the game as well as constructing your own game board, visit http://www.sinasohn.com/crafts/mancala.htm.
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--Information on Dr. Woodson provided by
We owe the celebration and, more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week to bring national attention to the contributions of Black people throughout American history. He chose the second week of February because it marks the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. February has much more than Douglass and Lincoln to show for its significance in black American history. For example:
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According to the 4h-USA web site, 4-H developed over time, and through many influences. One of the most important events in the development of 4-H was the hiring of Thomas M. Campbell, an assistant of George Washington Carver at Tuskegee and an African-American, by the USDA Office of Cooperative Demonstration Work in 1906. The central focus of his work was organization of youth clubs among African-American boys and girls.
He brought with him the principles laid down by the internationally respected educator, Booker T. Washington. These principles were: "the hands, the heart, the education of the head, and hygiene. The four H's (not as it is presently used) was Tuskegee students' symbol long before the 4-H Club became popular." "4-H Club extension service was born on the campus of Tuskegee Institute." -- Amelia Platts Boynton Robinson, BRIDGE ACROSS JORDAN
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"The Underground Railroad , as we are fond of saying, was NOT a train...it was people... a rainbow coalition of various backrounds, beliefs , colors and creeds who, in a variety of ways , created a lifeline out of slavery in Pre-Civil War America.
"The songs , beautiful ... rich in spirit and texture, reveal the hope, power and ingenuity of an enslaved people who used their traditions, passion and resources to express their faith, strengthen their relationships and communicate important information that led many of them to freedom!"
Visit the above web site for more information on the uses and meanings of such songs as "Oh, Freedom," "Wade in the Water," and "Let Us Break Bread Together," or to order the CD of STEAL AWAY: SONGS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
Pacific Bell Education First, with activities and resources.
http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/
Harlem Renaissance, with a timeline, resources, and a teachers' page.
http://www.thekingcenter.com
http://tlc.ai.org/mlk.htm
Information on Martin Luther King, Jr. and links to resources and activities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
http://www.afroam.org
An award-winning site on African-American culture and history, with games for kids, an art gallery, and a Discover Africa link.
http://www.connerprairie.org
Visitors participate by being treated like runaway slaves. Participants cover approximately two miles in a highly interactive simulation of the Underground Railroad experience. Age 12 and older. Cost for schools is $6 per student. Call toll-free at 1-800-866-1836
The square illustrations in this newsletters are examples of kente cloth, ceremonial woven cloth from Ghana. The first sample symbolizes COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP, HEROIC DEEDS, SELF-SACRIFICE, and SPIRITUAL VITALITY and REBIRTH. The second symbolizes ASPIRATION, HOPE, MUTUAL BENEFITS, SHARING and NOBLE DEEDS. The third symbolizes COURAGE, VALOR, EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT and INSPIRING LEADERSHIP. What do your students see in themselves or hope for themselves, and how would they express this in a pattern? |
Also distributed with this newsletter: An exploration of SOME of the inventions we owe to African-Americans, entitled "Where Would the World be Without Black People?" (links to sites with material on this subject can be found at http://www.patentcafe.com/discovery/africanam.html) and instructions for the African game of Mancala, a game more than 5,000 years old! For instructions on playing the game as well as constructing your own game board, visit http://www.sinasohn.com/crafts/mancala.htm.