Take out your pencils and a sheet of looseleaf paper. Write down as many countries in Africa as you can. I looked out at my sea of students, many of them staring at me with blank expressions. Africa? Yes. Africa. I do this before each unit on a different continent of the world. Name as many countries as you can. The average fifth grader can name 10-20 countries in Europe. The average fifth grader can name 0-3 countries in Africa. This shocks me each year for a number of reasons. Many of my fifth graders are from Africa, and yet for a lot of them, they have never learned about their country, their continent in the US public school system. What’s further shocking is that many of my students list Africa as a country when I do this each year, despite the fact that the regions, languages, cultures, and experiences across the continent are so varied. You can do it just like my students, take this Sporcle quiz https://www.sporcle.com/games/g/world. When you’re finished, look at your map. How many countries did you name? Notice which sections of the world are filled with names. Beyond the names, notice what ideas of culture, language, music, or religion you have with each region. This is one of the ways that racism lives on in our curriculum and in our lives. It’s not just misinformation, it is a lack of access to stories. Stories are how we, as human beings have learned for millennia, how we pass down what we’ve learned and how we imagine what it is like in someone else’s shoes. I will admit, it wasn’t until I started teaching in Washington DC and had so many students from different places around the world that I realized how little I knew. For me, I love to read and this was a way for me to better learn about and understand the experiences of my students. Beyond this, I started to realize there are so many amazing books from and about the African continent that individuals don’t know to pick up off the shelves! I have made it my mission to find books I love for all readers about Africa. If you’re looking for a good book to finish up this time in quarantine, here are some great choices! As a note, I am a particular fan of young adult fiction so there are some more mature, serious novels as well as some fun, fantasy beach reads. I encourage you whether it is on this list or not, give literature about Africa a try! NOTE: I want to acknowledge that several of the authors are not African but write novels that are about / set in Africa. I have focused on finding good stories that authentically represent the continent, but I also need to acknowledge that there is a bias towards Western authors and English publications in this list. The authors who are from the United States have engaged in extensive research and often come from other marginalized communities. I hope more and more novels will be published by authors from African countries so we can always keep learning and reading.
2. BORN A CRIME: (Trevor Noah) Late night host Trevor Noah writes the autobiographical account of his life, growing up in Soweto during Apartheid in South Africa. It is titled Born a Crime because Trevor is half white and half black, something that was illegal at the moment of his birth. It is a well written, heartfelt story of intense humor, joy, and perseverance. 3. I WILL ALWAYS WRITE BACK: (Martin Ganda, Caitlin Alifirenka) This is the autobiographical account of pen pals Caitlin and Martin. They first become friends when Caitlin is given a choice of country for pen pals at school. Martin and Caitlin exchange letters far past the assignment and into adulthood. This is a true story that models a strong friendship between two very different people. In the end, their story is strong, funny, and heartwarming. 4. SMALL COUNTRY: (Gael Faye) This book of historical fiction tells the story of the Rwandan Genocide through the eyes of Gabriel, a child in Burundi. It is informed by Gael Faye’s experiences growing up in Burundi with a Rwandan mother and ultimately moving to France. What this book does so well is it highlights the culture and happiness that was lost through the conflict. Gabriel goes from a carefree child to someone who has witnessed unimaginable trauma. This book is entertaining, informative, and helped me better understand a conflict I sadly hadn’t learned much about.
8. YES, CHEF: (Marcus Samuelsson): This is the autobiography of American-Swedish-Ethiopian chef Marcus Samuelsson (a frequent judge on the Food Network’s show Chopped). During the famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s, Marcus and his sister were adopted by a Swedish couple. It shows Marcus’ fight against racism as he works his way through the culinary industry. Eventually, Marcus reconnects with his family in Ethiopia and is now known for his work with African cuisine. (Highly also recommend his cookbook The Soul of a New Cuisine which shows Marcus’ travels through Africa and different recipes that go with each. The pictures are awesome and the recipes uniquely flavorful).
10. COPPER SUN: (Sharon M. Draper): If you have not read anything by Sharon M. Draper, you absolutely should, she is amazing! What this book does so well is show the real futures and cultures that were lost by the slaves who came from Africa to America against their will. It shows the story of Amari, a girl about to be married, who loves her village and their rich culture and customs. She has a beautiful life and family until she is captured by pale-faced strangers and forced to come to America on a slave ship. This book is heartbreaking, while it dives into the trauma and violence of slavery, it also shows the unique person that Amari is and the future she wanted stolen from her.
12. SOLO: (Kwame Alexander, Mary Rand Hess): This book shows what can happen when celebrities get involved in causes to improve their public image. This book takes the story of Blade Morrison, son of the famous rockstar: Rutherford Morrison, who has become addicted to drugs and fame. He has not been there for Blade as a father. Everything changes when Blade discovers he was adopted and heads on a journey to Ghana to find his birth mother. I love how this story highlights the need to ask communities what they need, and not just waste resources on what we as Westerners think they need.
14. ENDANGERED: (Eliot Schrefer): This book explores the story of Sophie who is visiting her mother in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her mother is a Congolese woman who runs a Bonobo reserve. When conflict erupts, Sophie has to learn to live with the Bonobo monkeys and become accepted among them to survive. With her companion bonobo Otto, this book is fun to read, informative, and full of adventure. It helped me better understand the conflict between human rights and animal rights in the Congo.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
SUWC Blog AuthorsAny posts on the SUWC Blog are authored by current consultants working to improve, refine and perfect our practice as peer tutors. Find a Post!
January 2024
Categories |