Entrepreneurs Whose Business is Black History
In addition to online services, Galloway-Blake — sometimes with a team — travels around the country when requested to spearhead Black history assemblies, workshops and professional development for teachers.
“We inform them how to teach black history, work with black students and incorporate Black history into their curriculum,” she said. “We’ll come to schools and communities to run our Black history summer reading program. We also have a radio show called “Save Our Black Boys.” We try to touch all bases with the students, teachers and parents.”
Galloway-Blake believes that the best Black history experience is the one parents can give to their children by reading with them and making an effort to keep books in the home portraying characters that mirror African-American children.
“Brown Sugar & Spice was started because we noticed a huge lack of availability of African American books to children, schools and educators back in the late 80s. Now there’s a plethora of books written about Black children and families, written and illustrated by Black people,” Galloway-Blake says.
“There are many bookstores, but our company has a niche; it’s true stories or “could be true” stories about people of color. We’re very particular of the story lines and illustrations. We want quality artwork that realistically depicts people. Also we want to be a realistic as possible with the accuracy of the text.”
Through her years of traveling and distributing Black history books and resources, Galloway-Blake has seen Black History Month’s significance lessen in schools. From recognizing the entire month, it’s gone to just a cultural week in some places. Even with her business, Galloway-Blake has witnessed the publication of Black History books fizzle.
A year of so after many African American themed books are published they go out of print because schools and parents are not buying them.
“If we don’t know our history, what’s the motivation for teachers to want to teach it?” asks Galloway-Blake. “If you see a school that’s not making an effort, offer to help them. We want to make the consciousness of literacy and teaching Black history in the home a priority.”
