Family Fun

Food ||| Folktales & Songs ||| Children's Books ||| Genealogy

• See also the Teacher Toolkit
• See also Black Family Technology Awareness Week (second full week of February each year)

Food

African Cookbook http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Cookbook/about_cb_wh.html

Menus and recipes from Africa, by country.

RecipeSource: Africa

African Bobotie, FuFu, Peanut Soup, Morrocan Lemon Chicken, Anise Bread , Zimbabwe Greens and Yellow Raisin Rice are just a few of the 70 African recipes you can try at this site.

Soul Foods http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/soul.html

Barbeque sauce, seafood gumbo, grits, black eyed peas, greens, beans and more!

National Council of Negro Women, creators. The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro. Reprinted by Beacon Press, 2000. Read more at Amazon.com

This is a real gem back in print! First published in 1958, this book includes contributions from NCNW members in thirty-six states and offers exceptional insight into American history and the African American community at the time of its publication. It's arranged according to the calendar year, and even includes a recipe for Harriet Tubman's favorite dish.

The African-American Heritage Cookbook : Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances from Alabama's Renowned Tuskegee Institute. By Carolyn Quick Tillery. Birch Lane Press, 1997. Available at Amazon.com

Two hundred recipes and memories!

Larissa's Bread Book: Baking Bread & Telling Tales with Women of the American South. By Lorraine Johnson-Coleman. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 2001. Available at Amazon.com

I love this book! It explores and celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the south, through the eyes of a young girl and ten aging women who share their memories...and their recipes. (There are twelve different versions of cornbread...yum!) As the author writes, "...the South was never only black and white, but was always a rich rainbow of ethnic groups..." So you'll find represented here African-American, North European, Italian, Mexican, Cajun, Appalachian, Cherokee and Jewish traditions.

Soumas Heritage Creole Cookbook. Panderina D. Soumas. Soumas Heritage Creole Creations, 2000. Available at Amazon.com

Soumas' Creole roots include traditions from Louisiana, France, Haiti, Florida and the Greek Islands. Where else will you find recipes for African Rhythm Drummettes, Grandpa Charlie's Creole Bayou Cheese Ball, or Soumas Shrimp Cakes?

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Folk Tales & Songs

Folk Tales: African American History Resource http://www.toptags.com/aama/tales/tales.htm

More than 30 tales from Africa.

Deep In The Bush http://www.phillipmartin.info/liberia/

The stories used in this lesson were collected by the author while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. They have been kid- tested and approved around the world with students from kindergarten through grade eight.

Urban Legends Reference Page http://www.snopes.com

Did you know that "Tropical Fantasy" is owned by the KKK and contains an ingredient to make black men sterile? Or that Liz Claiborn claimed (on "Oprah" no less) that she won't design clothes for black women? These and many more frequently circulated Africana-related internet hoaxes are false. Search AFRICAN AMERICAN when you get to the website.

Hushabye http://creativefolk.com/lyrics.html#hushabye

History and lyrics for the slave song "Hushabye" or "All the Pretty Little Horses." You can also download this song as MP3 for only $1.

Children's Stories From Africa: DVD Monterey Video 2000.115 minutes Available at Amazon.com

Nandi Nyembe tells 12 stories on a stage of an African hut. The stories are built around the age-old tales of African wildlife: wart hogs, monkeys, crocodiles, and the like. These tales teach simple morals: the dangers of greed, the importance of picking your friends, following your heart. Only a few still pictures accompany each story--the heart of this program is our vivacious storyteller.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears...and More Stories from Africa. DVD Scholatic Video Collection, 2004. 61 minutes. Available at Amazon.com

Adapted from the Caldecott Honor Book By Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, Narrated by James Earl Jones. A tall tale sets off a chain of mishaps in the jungle. Will the jungle creatures ever get the story straight? A STORY, A STORY Adapted from the Caldecott Honor Book By Gail E. Haley. Once, all the stories in the world belonged to Nyanme, the Sky God. He kept them in a box beside his throne. But Ananse, the Spider Man, wanted them - and caught three sly creatures to get them. WHO'S IN RABBIT'S HOUSE? By Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, Narrated by James Earl Jones. Rabbit has a problem - someone is inside her house and won't let her in. Can the leopard, rhino or elephant help Rabbit get in her house?

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Children's Booklists

Black Books Galore! http://www.blackbooksgalore.com/

Publishers of Black Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children's Books (1998) and MORE Great African American Children's Books(2001) by Donna Rand and Toni Trent Parker. John Wiley & Sons. Written by parents for parents, these books provides brief but insightful, personal reviews of nearly 1000 childrens books categorized by age and reading ability. MORE also provides a suggested "Season for Reading Calendar" (books for any time of year), parent and family reading, web sites, and a listing of award winners. (PS...I love these books!)

Morgan Reynolds Publishing http://www.morganreynolds.com

This company is dedicated to publishing quality biographies and histories for young adult readers. I find them to be concise and appealing, without skirting the issues of race in American society. African American titles include Mr Civil Rights - The Story of Thurgood Marshall, Gwendolyn Brooks - Poet from Chicago; William Grant Still - African American Composer; Marcus Garvey - Black Nationalist; The Pullman Strike of 1894 - American Labor Comes of Age; John Coltrane: Jazz Revolutionary; also athletes such as Charlie Sifford who broke ground for Tiger Woods.

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Genealogy

Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity by Dee Parmer Woodtor. Random House, 1999.

This is a well-written and comprehensive guide to the types of records which can be used to document the African American experience, how to interpret them and understand them in the context of American social history. Sadly, it's out of print but many inexpensive new and used copies are available at Amazon.com.

American Legacy Magazine Genealogy Workshops

Workshops are held each month in a different part of the country. The cost is only $19.95 and includes a one-year subscription to American Legacy Magazine. I haven't been to a workshop, but I'm a huge fan of the magazine so I'd expect this workshop to be of equally high quality.

African American Lives http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/

This fascinating PBS series uses historical documents, family history and science to trace the family trees of 9 prominant African Americans: Henry Louis Gates Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Dr. Ben Carson, Whoopie Goldberg, Dr. Mae Jemison, Quincy Jones, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, and Chris Tucker. This website will help show how you can trace your own family's history.

Cyndi's List http://www.cyndislist.com/african.htm

A comprehensive and frequently updated listing of genealogy sites on the web.

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