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When I told G3 that I would be homeschooling him this year, he declared that for English class he only wanted to read classics. Great, I thought, until I really thought about it. The classics were written predominantly by dead white men. As much as I loved his idea, I couldn’t go against my own principles. We could do some classics, but diversity was too important to ignore. I decided we needed to mix it up a bit. I asked a librarian friend of mine to recommend some books written by people of color that my son might like. There were some incredible authors on the list she sent me, but one stood out: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I had read it a few years back and really enjoyed it. Culture, history, comedy, and an incredible relationship between a mother and her son. There would be lots to discuss, much to teach. I immediately added it to my curriculum. The only real decision was: Do I read the original book or the modified young adult version. I had no doubt that my son could easily tackle the reading level, it was the content that concerned me. But he has seen rated R movies (at least movies that are rated as such due to violence or language) so I figured if he could hear all the bad words he might as well read them. As for the content that might not be age appropriate, that’s what sharpie markers are for. 

Since it’s just me and G3, I don’t stress about lesson plans. I stay at least one chapter ahead of him in the reading to make sure he has a list of vocabulary words to define before reading the chapter himself. And there are questions to accompany each chapter. But otherwise, I take it all day by day. This is how I operate best. Even when I had a real teaching job. The only problem there was I had parents and administrators to deal with — people telling me what I could or couldn’t do and demanding lesson plans be formal and well thought out. But when you plan in advance, you can’t so easily pivot when a better idea strikes. 

Early in the book, Trevor Noah discusses the difference between Mission schools and Bantu schools, highlighting the difference between English racism and Afrikaner racism. Reading about the Bantu schools reminded me of Fredrick Douglass’ essay “Learning To Read And Write.” Having taught it to my college classes, I knew it would be too difficult for G3 to digest on his own, so we read it aloud together. I was able to help him break it down, and understand exactly what Douglass was explaining throughout the piece. When we finished, I asked G3 to write a comparison between Bantu schools and eduction under slavery. He upped the ante. He wanted to be able to write not just about eduction, but about the men who defied the systems, so he asked me to buy him the Who Was biographies on Fredrick Douglass and Nelson Mandela. 

The result is an essay about education and the way it has been used historically as a tool of oppression. You can read it here:

Unjust Educational Systems

Throughout history, black kids never got the same education as white kids. I will talk about slavery in America and Fredrick Douglass’s education. I will also talk about Bantu schools in South Africa and the African hero Nelson Mandela. Fredrick Douglass illegally learned to read and write. He changed many minds by using the knowledge he acquired to give lectures on how bad slavery was. Nelson Mandela learned in a Mission school were black kids were treated with some respect and got a better education. Nelson Mandela used this knowledge to overcome one of the worst tragedies in world history — Apartheid. 

According to Trever Noah, Apartheid was slavery, America’s terrible treatment of Natives, and American segregation combined. During this time, there were public schools for white kids and Bantu schools for black kids. Bantu schools taught black people agriculture and how to be a servant. One reason for this is that Apartheid rulers didn’t want to teach them academics. The reason they never taught them academics was because under Apartheid they would never use these skills, and if they became smart, they could challenge the government. Full grown teenagers, if they were lucky, would learn multiplication in songs like this: “4×2=8, 3×2=6, fa la la la la la la.” Before Bantu schools, there were Missionary schools that taught black kids writing and reading. They were better than Bantu schools but worse than white kid schools.

Education under American slavey was harder for slaves then trying to make a chicken lay an egg from its mouth. The reason it was this hard was because it was illegal for slaves to learn. Reasons for this were: if they learned to read they could realize how bad slavey was or write their own pass. If they learned how bad slavery was they would want freedom and then run away. Since white people wanted to keep slaves, they made education illegal. This was almost like Bantu schools but worse. 

When white men made education for slaves illegal and when other white men designed Bantu schools they knew if black men or women got too knowledgable they could overthrow the government. These systems were made to not let black people learn. Both systems were made by the white man to oppress the black man. The white man wanted to be superior and when you’re in power you make money. But each system was defeated and did not live to modern day. 

At a young age, Fredrick Douglass wanted knowledge. Master Hugh’s wife, Sophia, began to teach him some letters and words. He was treated as a son. Mistress Sophia did not know that it was illegal to teach slaves and that you were supposed to whip and be cruel to them. Eventually, she did do this, but she had already given Douglass a taste of freedom and he wanted more. Every time he was commanded to run an errand, he would bring a book. He would finish the errand quickly, then go up to a poor kid in town and trade a piece of bread for a lesson. At night, when the master went to bed, Douglass would light a candle and read.

When he escaped, Douglass used what he had learned to change the world. Even before he ran away, he did his best to teach other slaves to read and write. He gave lectures in America and Europe about the effects of slavery. He even gave lectures about why women should vote! All the money he made went to Anna, his wife, so she could support the family.

Like Douglass, Nelson Mandela used his knowledge to make equality for black men and women. Before Apartheid, South Africa was ruled by England and had Mission schools that gave black children a better education than Bantu schools. Nelson Mandela learned in one of these Mission schools and with the knowledge he earned, he changed South Africa.

When Mandela was a lawyer in South Africa, he defended black men and women who were in trouble with the government for no reason.  Nelson protested, and to not get caught, he disguised himself as different people. When he was in prison, his friends would travel the world telling people about Apartheid. Soon, no country did business with them. When he was released, De Kirk (the president of South Africa) and Mandela ended Apartheid and won the Noble Peace Prize. After prison, he became President in 1994. He donated much of his presidential salary to help poor kids who were struggling to have food and an education. He realized how important knowledge is.

Throughout history, the white man has taken away knowledge from the black man to oppress him. The white man was clever because knowledge is power and if the black men learned they could overthrow the government. A few people, such as Douglass and Mandela, actually learned and with their knowledge, they changed the government to make more just and fair societies. 

You even see microcosms of inequality in education in schools today. The good schools have no diversity and the diverse schools don’t have the best academics. The reason I noticed this is because I am moving and I want to have diversity but also knowledge. 

Bibliography 

Douglass, Fredrick, “Learning to Read and Write.” 

Noah, Trevor,  Born A Crime. One World, 2016.

Pollack, Pam, and Meg Belviso, Who Was Nelson Mandela. Penguin, 2014. 

Prince, Jones, April, Who Was Fredrick Douglass. Penguin, 2014.