Introducing the William F. Spivey History Channel For Children
A Tool for Parents to Discuss Sensitive Issues with Their Kids
Welcome to the William F. Spivey History Channel for Children. This newsletter will cover many of the topics covered in the William F. Spivey History Channel but will contain less graphic descriptions and photos, along with biographies and quizzes.
I will be writing with my 11ā13-year-old grandchildren in mind. The three of them have extensive vocabularies and are very inquisitive. Older children shouldnāt feel bored or that the material is for younger kids.
I didnāt label this as Black history because, for the most part, itās American history with a focus on people of multiple races and ethnicities. Other countries, including Haiti, Africa, European nations, and the Caribbean, often enter the discussion.Ā
The goal isnāt to make children angry or feel guilty. Itās to widen knowledge and, in some cases, to correct whatās been taught in school textbooks. Iām most familiar with Florida and Texas schools, where they minimize some experiences and highlight others. They might celebrate the first Black person to accomplish something without sharing what barriers they had to overcome. They teach ānatural increaseā or ānatural reproductionā when nothing about the process is natural.
Depending on the child's age and understanding, parents might want to read the material with them and be prepared to answer their questions. True learning takes place when children become interested enough to want to know more. Towards that end, Iāll be happy to respond to your questions. Iāll typically provide links to source material and can give suggestions as to related readings. Iāll typically respond within 24 hours.
This specialized newsletter will require more sensitivity on my part than usual, and I anticipate the stories will take longer to produce. My intent was to offer these lessons on a paid-only basis, but several people have suggested they would like to try it out first. I appreciate that multiple Substack subscriptions can add up quickly. Iāve decided to make the William F. Spivey History Channel free until July 1, 2025, when I will reevaluate.Ā
Thank you in advance for your support. You can expect a minimum of two stories per week.
William F. Spivey
Debunking the old story about Washington's dentures would be good. The catalog of lies I learned in school and in children's programming years ago is pretty big. Did you know Chubby Checker was white? Neither did I until that "Schoolhouse Rock" clip. All the whitewashing we were exposed to blows my mind.
Thank you, William. I teach 5th grade social studies, and my students appreciate that they get to learn the ārealā stories from American history in my class. I look forward to having this new tool in my toolbox.