February is Black History Month.
And Taylor Trotter, mother of five-year-old Paisley, plays an interesting daily dress-up game to help her daughter learn about eminent and influential black figures.
Trotter came up with this innovative idea when she was taking a child psychology class at school that helped her understand how children from multiracial and black backgrounds face many challenges. Such students often find it difficult to fit in with a particular group and learn about their ethnicity and heritage.
This is when she decided that she’d ensure her daughter Paisley, who is biracial herself, learns about Black history and becomes more confident with who she is.
“I knew I had to make a conscientious effort to teach her about the Black side of her and the Black history,” Trotter said. “And I want this to help her become confident in loving who she is.”
And that is when she came up with this interesting daily dress-up game. Each day, Trotter dresses up Paisley as one renowned black figure, takes a picture, juxtaposes it with the picture of the historical figure, and puts up a post on Facebook explaining the figure’s achievements and contribution to history.
Until now, Paisley has dressed up as the first woman Vice-President of the United States, Kamala Harris; iconic tennis legend, Serena Williams; activist Amanda Gorman; Capitol Hill police officer Eugene Goodman who saved the lives of many congressmen and congresswomen in the recent attacks; and renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass, among others.
Trotter has been taking this initiative for the third year now. At the end of each year, she collects all the pictures and creates a book.
Trotter has also admitted that she wants her daughter to be aware of the racial injustice and systemic inequality in America.
Isn’t this such a wonderful endeavour by Trotter? What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
