From my son. a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, I'm learning history that connects us to this African nation. Senegal is the African country closest to the U.S., and Goree Island was the last spot of motherland visible to the slaves bound for the Americas.



From my son. a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, I'm learning history that connects us to this African nation. Senegal is the African country closest to the U.S., and Goree Island was the last spot of motherland visible to the slaves bound for the Americas.

Black History Month presents an opportunity
Posted: Sunday, Feb 13, 2005 - 09:20:04 am PST


It's February and I sit with a box of books. I'm selecting some read-aloud stories to share with children -- stories for Valentine's Day, biographies of presidents, and my favorite black history selections. These stories of the human struggle for fairness, justice and freedom stir the souls of young children as much as they rekindle the fire in mine.
In these times of emphasis on "moral values," Black History Month presents opportunities for us to honestly reexamine our values and integrity. Are we merely giving lip service to the principles of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as well as "with freedom and justice for all?" Do we honor and promote these values in our relationships? Would we have the courage to stand up to the culture of power and say, "The way I am being treated is unjust and it cannot continue?"

Black History Month, officially designated by the federal government in the mid-1970s, has roots going back to 1926 when historian Carter G. Wood son designated a week in February as Negro History Week. But the only history I learned in my youth was written by the white culture of power.

Campus rallies for the civil rights movement and black studies programs pushed me to confront discrepancies between this nation's principles and the treatment of millions of citizens in my efforts to understand the long and sometimes violent civil rights chapter in U.S. history. I find our library a wonderful starting place. Children's storytime will offer stories with human rights/black history themes. See the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force display celebrating the black contribution to American literature. Through a sampling of black writers, the display attempts to show the range in time, 1770s to the present, and the scope of literary genres in which blacks have written,

Click here!
Ask staff to help you select family friendly videos with black history written into the script . Look through the musical selections for black artists and those with Afro-American influence. African music provides a foundation for much of the music in the world.

Check TV listings for the PBS series "Slavery and the Making of America" in two two-hour segments, Wednesdays, Feb. 9, and Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. (Channel 7-Spokane) and look for programs on HBO and the History Channel. Computer Web searches of "black history" results in hundreds of links and resources. For example, go to www.tolerance.org and inmotionaame.org.

From my son. a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, I'm learning history that connects us to this African nation. Senegal is the African country closest to the U.S., and Goree Island was the last spot of motherland visible to the slaves bound for the Americas.

I return to my books. A treasured "teachable moment" comes to mind. Some years ago 14 preschoolers and I had finished sharing a story about Rosa Parks and her courage to sit in the front of the bus. We moved to the snack table for celery logs and milk. Eliza pondered her celery stick full of peanut butter and the raisins, mini white marshmallows and Cheerios. She decorated her celery with the marshmallows on one end and raisins on the other. Once finished, she announced, "Mrs. T., Look! It's the bus and Rosa Parks has to sit back here." Then she rearranged the marshmallows and raisins in side-by-side pattern of white, dark, white, dark ...

As a teacher, I continually witness children's moral clarity and capacity to offer respect, dignity, honesty and compassion. Awareness of the civil rights movement came late in my youth. It is my responsibility to inspire generations of children to embrace these positive values throughout their lives. May this month of reflecting, learning and living these true moral values and human rights for all people extend to every month of the year.

MARY TOLAND

Sagle

Mary Toland is a board member of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force.

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

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WWII participants became RPCVs Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

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February 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peter McPherson keeping busy in DC 12 Feb Martha Ryan wins Award for pre-natal program 12 Feb John Perkins reveals dark side of U.S. aid 10 Feb Kathleen DeBold involved in lesbian activism 10 Feb Jim Doyle to fix Wisconsin deficit without raising taxes 10 Feb Chris Dodd proposes Class Action Fairness Act 10 Feb RPCVs create Tsunami Assistance Project for India 9 Feb Donna Shalala talks about her Peace Corps days 8 Feb Senator Frist proposes Global Health Corps 8 Feb Bush's budget to end Perkins loan forgiveness for PCVs 8 Feb Tom Petri's Direct Loan Reward Act to save $18 billion 8 Feb Izaak Edvalson helps educate a Doctor 7 Feb Carol Bellamy condemns Female genital mutilation 7 Feb Carl Pope criticizes Bush environmental priorities 7 Feb Mike Tidwell defends wind farms 6 Feb Kinky Friedman for real? Voters may not care 5 Feb Bruce Anderson's Newspaper folds amid money woes 5 Feb

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Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

Read the stories and leave your comments.