Yocum African American History Association: Help Us Teach Black History

YAAHA is grateful for all the individuals and organizations who support sharing black history to bring inspiring black achievements to the public on this Thanksgiving holiday. But, unfortunately, researching and writing about history is often compromised with sources that are slanted with political ideology.

YAAHA has spent the last six years bringing black history to the public that celebrates the historical significance of black accomplishments by using fact-based documented information.  At the same time, YAAHA does not shy away from the atrocities committed during slavery and beyond. Black history is American history, but black history is more than what is taught in our public school American history books.

Past Donations from our supporters have made possible these new teaching videos for black history:

• Marine Biologist Pioneers 
• Excerpt of Frederick Douglass’ Speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” 
• Prototype for “Talking History with Harriet and Roxanne” 
• Full Dramatic reading of “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Rodney Vincent Rice 

Visit our Resources page to find all of our videos.

How Significant is History?

Slaves were denied an education, but at significant risk, they fought to learn to read. Those that helped them learn to read were also at risk for doing so. Today, many black scholars write about the disparities in black education and try to find the solutions for the educational gap between non-white youngsters and their white counterparts. There is a multitude of reasons for this disparity, but one aspect remains clear. Our children do not know the thousands of their ancestors that went before them and accomplished great things for this country.

When people are ignorant of history, they are more likely to believe distorted narratives. Robert L. Woodson has made his life’s work to correct the distorted narrative that blacks are hapless victims of the cultural past. In an open letter to the National School Boards Association and Local School Boards, he writes: “The prevailing narrative of racial grievance has been corrupting the instruction of American history and the humanities for many decades but has accelerated dangerously over the past year. The most damaging effects of such instruction fall on lower-income minority children, who are implicitly told that they are helpless victims with no power or agency to shape their own futures.”

YAAHA supports individuals and organizations who provide stories of resilience and perseverance to empower our students.

Donate to YAAHA’s Education Fund to help:

• Create more Harriet & Roxanne animated videos for elementary history education 
• Establish an interactive virtual history platform for education K-12. 
• Continue to develop additional downloadable lesson plans for K-12 
• To provide speaking engagements for schools

The Importance of Charter Schools

Success Academy’s Excellent Track Record

Thomas Sowell is an advocate of education and believes in charter schools and school vouchers. He has encouraged school boards not to look for new and improved methods to correct the education gap but to return to old fashion principles of discipline and work ethic. Most importantly, to encourage young black students to work harder and abandon the counterproductive notion that seeking educational excellence is “acting white.”

In Charter Schools and their Enemies, Sowell compares 100 individual public schools to their counterpart charter schools, located in the very same building, serving the very same community. The test scores show the charter schools performing at a proficiency rate several times over the other schools in the same building. Unfortunately, more than 50,000 students are on waiting lists in New York City to get into these schools, such as Success Academy and KIPP charter schools.

Give the Holiday Gift that keeps on giving!

YAAHA is pleased to announce the third printing of Black History 1619 – 2019, now available in bookstores and with other vendors. In addition, you may purchase the eBook or hardcoverbook on Amazon.com. The book is an excellent resource for black studies in America.

“An Ideal Curriculum Textbook for Black Studies and American History.”
– Midwest Book Review

“Our Academy refers to this excellent and objective review of Black History that sheds light on many chapters of American history in a clear, objective, and precise language backed up by thorough research and many compelling photos and individual stories. It enables real conversation and constructive thinking about race in this country instead of the propaganda that seeks racial division for economic and political gain. I encourage other schools to use it when developing their American History courses, particularly during Black History month, as it is a wealth of resources for lesson planning.” – Frank LaGrotteria, D.Min, Headmaster, Bridgeport International Academy

YAAHA’s Goals

YAAHA continues to serve the community by providing in-depth materials to enrich the history of America by providing the invaluable contributions of black citizens. We are “Changing Perspectives About Black History in America.”

Please help us build leaders through black history education.
YAAHA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit; please consider donating to help us expand our educational materials. Thanks for being a supporter of YAAHA.