Journal entry by Al Negstad — a minute ago
Trygve and I are in the Little House on the Prairie preparing for Memorial Day. The Sinai, S.D., American Legion sponsors an annual event with a speaker, rifle salute at the cemeteries followed by lunch. Their primary focus is on deceased veterans but locally, as is true nationally, the day has gradually expanded to a remembrance of any loved one who has died.
The relative position I occupy in the land of grief comes into focus as I reflect on the difference this year compared with last. Last Memorial Day was about six weeks after Joanne's death. When the Legion honor guard came to her cemetery I stood weeping at her grave, marked only be temporary sign, though it did have her picture. Today, when Trygve and I delivered her flowers, the pain and grief, though strongly present, is not nearly as intense as it was last year. Also there is a platform by her stone on which to place the flowers. Such markers, as this comparison between last year and this, help me understand my relative recovery. Now I can say that I'm learning to live with my loss.
This morning I said goodbye to 5, of my 5th grade reading students hoping that we meet again next school year. We just finished reading Crow, by Barbara Wright. It's a young readers, historical novel about the violent end to Reconstruction in Wilmington, N.C. The title I assume intends to invoke the beginning of Jim Crow laws. The events told in the book happened but the main characters are fictitious. Moses, a ten year old black boy is the main character and the story is narrated through him. I provided the historical context for the students. Several of my groups have African students but this group was all Hmong (see picture). They liked the book and it was eye opening for them to see how quickly after the Civil War African Americans were again oppressed. It is a good book for introducing the reality of white supremacy to elementary students. They were all glad that they read it though they often recoiled at the violence depicted.
A Google search of Wilmington's history gave no clue about the violent end to Reconstruction. Several African Americans were killed as white supremacy was violently asserted. It's perhaps safe to assume that the history available on Google was authored by Caucasians. Just another example of minorities being written out of the story.
Takk for alt,
Al
Pictures: Joanne's flowers and my 5th grade readers.
The relative position I occupy in the land of grief comes into focus as I reflect on the difference this year compared with last. Last Memorial Day was about six weeks after Joanne's death. When the Legion honor guard came to her cemetery I stood weeping at her grave, marked only be temporary sign, though it did have her picture. Today, when Trygve and I delivered her flowers, the pain and grief, though strongly present, is not nearly as intense as it was last year. Also there is a platform by her stone on which to place the flowers. Such markers, as this comparison between last year and this, help me understand my relative recovery. Now I can say that I'm learning to live with my loss.
This morning I said goodbye to 5, of my 5th grade reading students hoping that we meet again next school year. We just finished reading Crow, by Barbara Wright. It's a young readers, historical novel about the violent end to Reconstruction in Wilmington, N.C. The title I assume intends to invoke the beginning of Jim Crow laws. The events told in the book happened but the main characters are fictitious. Moses, a ten year old black boy is the main character and the story is narrated through him. I provided the historical context for the students. Several of my groups have African students but this group was all Hmong (see picture). They liked the book and it was eye opening for them to see how quickly after the Civil War African Americans were again oppressed. It is a good book for introducing the reality of white supremacy to elementary students. They were all glad that they read it though they often recoiled at the violence depicted.
A Google search of Wilmington's history gave no clue about the violent end to Reconstruction. Several African Americans were killed as white supremacy was violently asserted. It's perhaps safe to assume that the history available on Google was authored by Caucasians. Just another example of minorities being written out of the story.
Takk for alt,
Al
Pictures: Joanne's flowers and my 5th grade readers.
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