Middle grade social warriors and potential warriors are in for real inspiration. Sheri Winston's Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution touches on super relevant issues in the context of an engaging contemporary narrative.
Lotus and best friend Rebel, are starting seventh grade. For the first time they're going to separate schools. Lotus, a violin 🎻 prodigy, is going to a new performing arts school. She feels bad that it's diverting funds from the already severely neglected --as in roaches in the classroom--neighborhood middle school. But she believes that Atlantis is the only path to achieving her dream. Rebel, whose name well suits her, is attending and fighting for the neighborhood school.
Shall we say this is putting a real strain on their friendship?
But racist Atlantis is not exactly a bed of roses. Classmates throw paper airplanes into her Afro. The boy she pushed out of first 🎻 in the school orchastra nicknames her Buckwheat and posts some truly nasty memes on social media. But the administration refuses to intervene. In their mind her afro is too distracting. Unless she subdues her crowning glory she's on the path to expulsion.
The severe neglect of majority black public schools and racist dress codes are issues that activists of all ages should get plenty agitated about.
On a purrrsonal note I am not stepping out of my home this weekend. It's ❄️ and cold. Staying in with Tobago and doing homework is a much more appealing prospect.
A great big shout out goes out to educational social justice warriors.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
No comments:
Post a Comment