It's officially Spring! To celebrate the season, the Spring Breaks some of our children are enjoying this week, the worst of the winter storms behind us (we hope), this Thoughtful Thursday offers some Spring poetry. Today's we have odes to Spring from several masters: two poems by the great African American poet Claude McKay, one by the renowned Puerto [...]
March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. While skimming through poetry relating to St. Patrick's Day, frankly expecting to find nothing to hit my fancy, I was pleasantly surprised to run across a poem celebrating motherhood which, while written about an Irish mother, has universal application. I also found a couple of lovely Irish blessings which we all can use. [...]
In celebration of Women's History Month, today's Thoughtful Thursday features poems by well known African-American women poets: "won't you celebrate with me" by Lucille Clifton, "Legacies" by Nikki Giovanni, and "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou. The following biographies, courtesy of poetryfoundation.org, gives you some insight into their brilliance. A prolific and widely respected poet, Lucille Clifton's work emphasizes endurance [...]
We at GCP think parents should celebrate Black History every month. But since February is the "official" Black History Month (established as such in 1967 by President Gerald Ford; now there is a bit of BHM trivia for you), we will focus on some family "must-do's" this month. 1. Talk about your Family History with your sons and daughters. [...]
Thoughtful Thursdays are back! For those new to GCP, Thoughtful Thursdays feature poetry, quotes, and other literary delights for you to enjoy and share with your sons. The first Thoughtful Thursday of Black History Month 2017 features a classic poem by Langston Hughes, "I Too, Sing America". In this poem Hughes reminds us that Americans of all hues can [...]
In honor of Dr. King's birthday, here are some of his many wise words. Let us all share some of Dr. King's wisdom with our sons and daughters as we celebrate his life. Enjoy! “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday offers an anthem to remind us that we have endured hard times before, and we will survive them again. James Weldon Johnson wrote the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (and his brother John Rosamond Johnson wrote the music) in 1900 as a birthday tribute to Abraham Lincoln, and it was first performed by a [...]
Looking for a wonderful picture book celebrating culture and diversity that your sons (and your daughters) will love? Rice & Rocks introduces us to the delightful young Giovanni, who is looking forward to another great Sunday of hanging out with his pet parrot Jasper and playing with his friends who are coming to dinner, until he learns that his [...]
On Tuesday October 11, at 10pm EST, ESPN will present "A Conversation with The President: Sports, Race and Achievement". In conversation with students from North Carolina A&T State University, President Barack Obama will discuss a variety of issues including the "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative (which addresses opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color), athletes and social activism, [...]
"Tell us about your first relative to come to the United States. Where did he or she come from?" A third grader had this question for homework the other day. His dad called me in a panic: "We haven't told him about slavery yet--he's too young. How is he supposed to answer this?" After commiserating with the dad about [...]