A bit of a hodgepodge for Summer 2020 poems in today's Thoughtful Thursday: two poems celebrating familiar visions of summer (Fireflies! Kool-Aid!) and one prayer/poem that reminds us that our focus this summer must include more sobering and critical visions. Jacqueline Woodson, who brings us "Firefly", is an award-winning of over 30 books for children and young adults, who served [...]
Our nation continues to mourn the passing of Congressman John Lewis, whose funeral was today at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Presidents Bush and Clinton spoke, and President Obama delivered the eulogy. (You can find the transcript of Obama's eulogy here). Here are a few inspirational quotes from Congressman Lewis, taken from speeches which in which he talks about [...]
This week on Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis: Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, President of Spelman College. Dr. Campbell recalls wonderful parenting moments from her childhood and talks about how she raised her three sons to pursue their unique paths. This conversation is chock-full of great parenting advice! You can listen to it starting TOMORROW, July 29th on Apple [...]
In today's Thoughtful Thursday we feature two poems that highlight touchy subjects in the Black community: being called "articulate" and the head nod. I learned the definition of "articulate" from my uncle Percy Sutton, who included in its definition the fact that you should not regard it as a compliment when white people directed it at you. Uncle Percy, [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday showcases more current voices in poetry, courtesy of poets.org's focus on featuring Black poets in its poem-a-day offering throughout the summer. If there were ever a time to subscribe to poem-a-day, it would be now, so that you can have Black poetry pop into your inbox on a daily basis for the next few months. What [...]
This week on Ground Control Parenting with Carol Sutton Lewis: Anne Williams-Isom, Dumpson Chair in Child Welfare Studies at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service and former CEO of The Harlem Children's Zone. Anne is a passionate child and family advocate who shares her extensive professional expertise and her remarkably good common sense in this great parenting conversation. [...]
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration and asked, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?". He acknowledged the Founding Father's ideals of freedom, but lamented that these ideals were painfully hypocritical in light of the existence of slavery in the U.S. Five young descendants of Douglass recently gathered [...]
We are a few days away from Independence Day 2020. As in prior years today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates Independence Day with two poems from one of America's most beloved and well-known poets, Langston Hughes (1902-1967). These poems are even more powerful in light of recent events. Share and discuss with your children. Enjoy, and enjoy the 4th! I, Too, [...]
Nick News is back with a special hour-long presentation–Kids, Race and Unity: A Nick News Special, premiering TONIGHT, June 29, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). Hosted by global superstar Alicia Keys, the program will feature the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement answering children's questions, offer tools for families to have constructive conversations about race and inclusivity, and highlight [...]
In today's Thoughtful Thursday we focus on two young African American poets: Angelo Geter (left photo) and Joshua Bennett (right photo). Angelo Geter is a poet and performance artist also known as "EyeAmBic." A National Poetry Slam champion, Geter is releasing his debut poetry collection in late 2020. He is the Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, SC, and an Academy [...]