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African American Heroes and Sheroes in Stories and Fairy Tales


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As a child growing up I loved to read. However, in the 60s everyone was so preoccupied with the civil rights movement, no one stopped to think what effect the stories and fairy tales we were reading would have on us kids. We had plenty of stories and fairy tales to read most of which tweaked our imagination of course. The only thing was all the faces we saw in these stories were white faces. Now I am not for one moment saying that I didn't like the stories by Hans Christian Anderson. Neither am I saying that the stories about Snow White, Prince Charming, Cinderella, and all the others were not enjoyable. But at the same time if you stop and think about it, how inspiring it would have been to grow up reading stories and fairy tales about African Americans or just people with brown faces. I remember as a boy when the first TV programs aired featuring African Americans. The first one was Julia, a television series about an African American nurse. The role was played by Dianne Carroll. The other was I Spy, a television series of espionage and intrigue. The role of the African American spy was played by Bill Cosby. Likewise I remember how excited everyone was. My mother never missed a show. She would smile and clasp her hands together with joy. People talked about these two shows everywhere, in the barber shops, the grocery stores, and even the teachers were talking about the shows in school. Seeing brown faces on TV in a positive light for the first time seemed to give the whole African American community a greater sense of pride. From the look and sound of things this was happening nationwide. Now, it's the cause and effect of these two TV shows which brings me to my point. As a parent I have been to countless PTA meetings. The subjects never seem to stray far from topics like a strong sense of pride, self worth, confidence, strong moral fiber, and a strong sense of responsibility to family and community. These are all attributes we try to instill in our kids as they grow into adulthood. What if our children grew up reading stories and fairy tales about people with brown faces who were Heroes and Sheroes? What would be the cause and effect if they read books and stories and the person or persons slaying the dragon had brown skin? What would be the prolonged effect if African American children grew up reading fantastic stories and the one saving the day looked like the faces they see in the mirror? I submit the it would have the same positive effect on them that Julia with Dianne Carroll and I Spy with Bill Cosby had on the whole of Black America in the 60s. It could do nothing but give them a strong sense of pride and confidence. Well! ATuskegeeAudio.com has done exactly that, published a story for all ages children and adults alike. If you think Alice in Wonderland was something, wait until you feast your eyes upon the pages of The Mushroom People. Clara Gooday, a nine year old African American girl, and her Aunt Tilly will take you on an adventurous roller coaster ride you shall not soon forget. There are too many wondrous things in this book to mention here. Masterfully written, the author has an imagination that is truly out of this world. There are creatures and things in this story never before seen or heard of in any book. For a peak inside Clara and Aunt Tilly's world please visit ATuskegeeAudio.Com. Others have and they say it is the best $14.67 they ever spent.

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