Through the Looking Glass: Harnessing the Power of African American Children's Literature

Abstract

The following article explores the topic of culturally relevant curriculum materials in relation to the use of African American children's literature as a teaching tool. The author provides a rationale, authentic examples of instruction taken from actual classrooms, and reflections of personal experience from childhood and her professional career. A significant number of African American children's books are reviewed in relation to their value in teaching concepts which span the curriculum. The use of African American children's literature throughout the school curriculum provides a powerful means to greatly enhance the educational experience of African American children by (a) immersing them in the stories of their people and (b) developing a cultural mirror image which would reflect their place in the world as valid, valuable, and voiced. My professional interest in this area spans over 20 years of teaching in the K-12 system and in higher education. My interest is also personal given my experiences as an elementary student engaged in a curriculum that reflected someone other than me. I searched for some reflection of my experience and me. Yet, like a mirror with a set image, what I saw were pictures of another's story. I believe that as educators we must place our classroom instruction within a context that supports the success of our students. That context requires reliance upon the familiar and meaningful experiences drawn from the students' lives and the lives of those who share their cultural background. My goal is to give them a mirror where the reflections unequivocally recognize their right to be, their unique qualities, and rich cultural heritage. This paper will explore several areas in which the use of African American children's literature can benefit the lives of all students, particularly those of African American descent. IDENTITY FORMATION Roethler (1998) submits that the transition into adulthood requires that each individual wrestle with the challenge of identity formation. This process requires a separation from the primary caregiver and development of a set of rules to govern our lives as adults. This undertaking is described as particularly tenuous for African American children for two reasons. First, they are challenged to define their character as adults. Secondly, they must come to terms with both their cultural and national heritage. This complex duality is what W.E. B. Dubois termed double-consciousness. African American children's literature provides one way to support children of African descent through the process of developing a sense of identity given its authentic perspectives, flavor, and illustrations. One of my most cogent memories as a classroom teacher involved a young Asian girl enrolled in the second grade of the school to which I was then assigned. I was using a book by Patricia Polocca (1992) entitled Chicken Sunday, a story of a Black grandmother adopted by a White female friend of her grandsons. This story contained illustrations of real family photographs on several pages. During one of our sessions on Chicken Sunday, the Asian student displayed intense excitement towards a photograph she saw on a particular page from the book. That's me, that's me! she cried, eyes shining with the delight of self-discovery. Her response caught me off-guard until I looked at the page and discovered that the photograph which drew her reaction reflected the features of a very fair complexioned African American female with dark, shoulder length hair, and somewhat slanted eyes. At a quick glance, one could assume, in fact, that the nationality of the individual was Asian. I quickly responded to the student that although we knew the story involved a family different from her own, the photograph did indeed look like her. The child's need for self-discovery was so strong that she continued to affirm that the picture was her own image. I decided at that moment to leave the child's joy of selfdiscovery intact, deeming that more constructive to enhancing her skill and love for reading than a continued effort to correct her mistaken identity. …