Jalen and Keyonna Seawright, parents from Michigan, have always honoured the important work of the Black heroes who came before them. Now that they have two daughters — Karington, 3, and Kaidence, 2 — they want to pass this meaningful history onto their kids. Rather than exclusively reading them books or showing them videos, Jalen and Keyonna have begun dressing their little ones as important figures who have impacted Black history as we know it.
"Growing up, I went to a small traditional Black church and every February we would put on a Black history program where we as kids would dress up as a famous African American and tell the church about the person," Jalen told POPSUGAR. "I wanted my kids to engage in a similar way, too! But with COVID-19 we had to get creative so we decided to do it from home."
Determined to get their daughters interested in Black history at young ages, Jalen and Keyonna explored educational activities they could do at home, planned themed crafts, and — after both thrifting and buying a few things from Amazon — put the kids' dress-up outfits together.
"I really wanted them to begin to engage with the success of Black women, specifically."
"I really wanted them to begin to engage with the success of Black women, specifically, at a young age," Jalen explained. "So we decided to start with some of the more well-known figures, like Rosa Parks. We dressed them up as different figures both past and present and take them on what we call 'learning adventures' to teach them more about the figure."
Ultimately, Jalen and Keyonna want their daughters to be proud of the women who came before them. "It's extremely important for them to know the reasons why they have these freedoms. They have them because of the Black women who paved the way for them!" said Jalen. "I want them to grow up to be both confident in their abilities and grateful for the women that sacrificed for the freedoms they now enjoy."
Scroll ahead to get a peek at the icons Karington and Kaidence have dressed up as so far!