On this week’s 51%, an educator seeks to teach black girls about their heritage and steer them toward a successful future. Plus, college students weigh in on how race affects actions. I’m Allison Dunne and this is 51%.
The aim is to fill a need not filled by school or sometimes at home, to provide a resource both inspirational and practical. The book Legacies: A Guide for Young Black Women in Planning Their Future examines the accomplishments and heritage of African-Americans through the voices of sixteen African Queens and nearly forty successful contemporary black women. The book offers illustrations, poems, guidance, and interactive exercises intended to help young women with life skills they need to succeed and maximize their impact on society. Dr. Hazel Mahone, along with the late Constance Gipson, are the book’s authors. Mahone, a veteran educator, says the book is a conversation starter. I asked her why she chose stories of both African queens and contemporary women.
Does your race affect how you act? Well, it probably affected how you answered that question.... In this award-winning story, hear one girl's experience with a preschool teacher who thought she could decide her students' race and hear why one young man decided he had to hate fried chicken, even if he really liked it. As Shante Stowell tells us, her Race and Identity in American Literature class prompted her to think about how race affects our actions.
And that's our show this week. Thanks to Patrick Garrett for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. If you’d like to hear this show again, sign up for our podcast, or visit the 51% archives on our web site at wamc.org. And follow us on Twitter @51PercentRadio