To know who you are, you must know where you have been. To understand your modern culture, it is crucial to know its origins. Instilling a sense of cultural relevance to young black children is Carolyn Hoskins' mission, which came to fruition last week as the first Black History Museum on the Peninsula opened.
Located in the heart of Redwood City, the Black History Museum is an intimate, handmade display organized by subject and time period. Hoskins, the museum founder, hopes to show young children that blacks are more than rap music and basketball scores; they are more than entertainers.
Beginning with the journey of Africans on slave ships and touching on everything from inventions to hair care, the concise presentation of artifacts and posters is a journey through the largely overlooked contributions of blacks to American society.
Once inside the museum, everyone from Willie Mays to Lee Elder beckons you to read their stories, to see their inventions and accomplishments. Artistic displays of photographs, books and memorabilia breathe life into the past. Traditional dolls provide a tangible experience of those who came before; the large section of inventions reminds you that remote controls and lotion were bestowed upon us by blacks. Hoskins achieves her goal of education as you linger around country music records and wooden carvings.
Inspired by her grandson seven years ago, Hoskins began a traveling presentation of black history to various middle and high schools on the Peninsula. The former sporting goods store owner received such a positive response from students and parents that her collection began to grow. Private donations compose most of her funding and materials.
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As successful as the traveling history lesson was, Hoskins felt that a tangible location for the showcase would be beneficial to the community.
Displaying the collection in an actual building allows Hoskins to extend Black History Month beyond February; it allows her to extend education outside of classrooms and class periods. The current building is a temporary location donated by the San Mateo Credit Union. Hoskins is attempting to find a permanent home where black history can thrive and continue to inspire new generations of children.
Hoskins stresses the importance of reading, buying black history books from local library sales and giving them to any child that is interested. The vast impact that education has on young children is what motivates Hoskins, as she lights up when quoting a child who visited the museum.
"You mean to tell me that black people have inventions?" she said the child asked her. "I'm going to take a different approach and have more respect for what African Americans have done."
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