While the Trump admin is banning books, Ryan Coogler has become a history teacher
The Chinese history lesson I did not expect to learn in 'Sinners'
Writer’s note: I fully understand why people are seeing “Sinners” so many times. If I didn’t have to walk my dog and didn’t take a bus to the movie theater, I would’ve paid to see the movie all over again the same day. There’s about a 99% chance I’ll see “Sinners” again before it leaves theaters. For mothers who don’t know what they want to do tomorrow, I strongly recommend seeing this movie in theaters.
“Every day is a school day” is a phrase one of my favorite editors would say if she read something in my articles and confirmed my sources were correct. As a Fact Checker for a different client, I respected the skepticism. When she was impressed by a particular fact I’d written about, I’d usually read this quote from her on Slack.
“Sinners” Spoiler
And that is how I felt while watching “Sinners” and wondering why Chinese people were in Mississippi and included in a memorable music scene. This was a school day for me. I had no idea about Chinese history in the south. I came home and started watching a collection of videos about how Black people and Chinese people coexisted during Jim Crow. (Ryan Coogler also had a point about Chicago being a plantation with tall buildings, considering the history of the Dan Ryan Expressway and other obvious segregation in the early- to mid-1900s.)
Mississippi rarely if ever came up in my history classes, which is peculiar considering the well-documented ties between Chicago and Mississippians. Even when talking to family and friends, I never heard a word about China.
Spoilers End.
The Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler classic partnership is drowning in history lessons, which is especially timely during a Trump presidency picking a fight with other nations and simultaneously wiping out Black history in books and venues. (That movie tariff idea from Trump is not coincidental.)
Recommended Read: “Chadwick Boseman’s acting resume could be your black history class ~ Virtual teachers, here’s your opportunity to teach what history books leave out”
This 2015 film, written by Coogler, confirms how useful it is for guardians, parents and even older siblings to incorporate daily (or weekly) history lessons for younger counterparts, specifically those who will probably never learn these historical accounts in school. While the film was inspired by Coogler’s Uncle James, all of the memories that were given to the writer-director-producer are now a history class for the rest of the nation (and world).
Recommended Read: “Life before slavery: African history gets the silent treatment in U.S. schools ~ Teaching U.S.’s mistreatment of Africans is important, but what about pre-slavery?”
Outside of seeing movies like “Sinners,” what other ways can adults use to educate students (whether they’re in private or public school, or being homeschooled) and make it interesting from a pop perspective?
8 ways to incorporate daily (or weekly) history lessons from pop culture
Find a scene. Choose a scene or person from a recent movie, and ask the student to write a paragraph (minimum 100 words) or present a few facts to you about what they learned. (Example: From “Sinners,” share lesser-known information about Clarksdale, Mississippi.)
Read a book. Ask the student to read a book or article about someone who was featured in the film soundtrack.
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Write a journal entry. Find a scene in a book or a movie that could’ve ended differently. Rewrite it. But with this rewritten entry, it must include at least one new fact about a real-life person, place or object related to the original topic that wasn’t in the film.
Find the art. Whether it’s a skyline, a boat, a river or a car, ask the student to find pieces of art that relate to this specific item. Then, ask the student to print out a few of those images, and write a “fun fact” about each image. (For eco-friendly students, create an online photo collage instead.)
Recommended Read: “Oprah Winfrey impressed Michael B. Jordan with reusable straws, and I copied her ~ Trump's rambling about single-use plastic straws does not help the economy or environment”
Invest in a small business. Clearly, the student can’t buy Irish beer or contribute money to a juke joint, as was the case in “Sinners.” But there was a scene in the Michael B. Jordan film in which Smoke and Stack needed someone to create signs for their business. Either let the students create their own version of what the signs would look like with their own arts-and-crafts supplies. Or, provide a onetime raise in their allowance so students can order their own sign from a Black-owned (or other minority-owned) business.
Create a social media account. Whether the child is already allowed to be on social media or not, having a channel to share fun facts is a win-win. Let them pick whatever it is they’re interested in, and post daily facts on that topic. (Example: The Hoodoo Society created a website and social media accounts to share more about the history of hoodoo.)
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AUSLET 8 Pack Decorative Sound Absorbing Panels, Sound Absorbing Wall Art, 48X32 Inches Acoustic Wall Art for Decoration “SINNERS” SPOILER ALERT: Design a price chart related to items found within a film. There were multiple scenes in “Sinners” when Smoke or Stack (or both) were either negotiating a price for entry fees, for labor requests or store charges. Helena Hu (who played Lisa Chow) was also involved in the price wrangling and bartering. For math-loving students, this is a perfect opportunity to create a type of business with prices. Make up a scene in which the student wants to pay a particular price but keeps running into bartering customers. This financial skill will be a longtime lesson for them in Corporate America — especially for women, who are 42% less likely to ask for a raise. SPOILER ENDS.
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ADVANSYNC Black Student Union Authentic Handwoven Kente Cloth Graduation Stole Write a letter for a cause. There is no age limit on writing to any government official. If there’s a topic that concerns the student while watching a film or reading a book, write to an alder(wo)man, senator, governor, House of Representatives official, Attorney General or whoever else that is in charge of fixing this issue. This is not only enforcing the significance of future voting but also introducing the student to local and national leaders.
Make the next movie, book or musical choice they enjoy a fun way to make the most of pop culture. Educational lessons don’t have to be boring or separate from entertainment.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!