Each February‚ the United States recognizes the efforts and sacrifices of African Americans who helped shape the country. If you’re unsure how to teach youngsters about Black history this month or throughout the year‚ experts frequently recommend turning to literature for help. Literature as a gateway to understanding Books may children engage with all types of history‚ but they are especially useful for understanding the nuances of Black history. Meg Medina‚ an award-winning children’s novelist and 2023-2024 National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature‚ underlines the importance of great texts: “I think when we give kids really rich texts and trust them with the information‚ trust them to be curious‚ allow them to follow their curiosity‚ we do them an enormous service.” Here are six Black History Month reading recommendations from authors‚ librarians‚ and bookshop employees‚ suitable for children and teenagers alike. A Library and Bright April: exploring history through fiction The Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden suggests two seminal books: A Library by Nikki Giovanni and Bright April by Marguerite de Angeli. These novels offer young readers windows and mirrors into African American realities and the importance of representation. Hayden emphasizes the significance of exposing youngsters to the richness of their past‚ saying‚ “I think we owe it to the young people in our lives to introduce them to that free resource: the library.” I Am Ruby Bridges: a story of courage and resilience Brittni Robertson Powell‚ program director for bookstore Baldwin &; Co.‚ recommends I Am Ruby Bridges‚ a moving depiction of Ruby’s experience as one of the first Black children to integrate an all-white school in the South. Reflecting on her own son’s reaction to the book‚ Robertson Powell emphasizes the importance of personal narratives in developing empathy and understanding‚ encouraging children to use the book’s teachings in their own lives. Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library: celebrating intellectual legacy Author Meg Medina recommends Carole Boston Weatherford’s Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library‚ a captivating investigation of Arturo Schomburg’s effort to preserve and celebrate Black heritage. Medina underlines the significance of crossing identities and various viewpoints‚ urging readers to explore Schomburg’s legacy as a catalyst for discovery and empowerment. The Black Kids: exploring identity amid turmoil Juno Kling‚ a Denver teen librarian‚ recommends Christina Hammonds Reed’s The Black Kids‚ a powerful representation of racial tensions during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Kling emphasizes the book’s relevance in addressing current concerns and encouraging young people to traverse complex social and political settings. ABC Black History and Me: education via illustration Jameka Lewis‚ a Denver library branch manager‚ suggests ABC Black History and Me by Queenbe Monyei‚ an intriguing alphabet book on Black historical figures. Lewis emphasizes the book’s accessibility and diversity portrayal‚ offering young readers an engaging introduction to prominent Black leaders. Embracing the journey of discovery Through reading‚ young readers embark on a transforming journey of discovery and comprehension. As we commemorate Black history‚ these books are invaluable resources for developing empathy‚ resilience‚ and a greater awareness of varied experiences. Discover the depth of Black history through the perspective of exceptional storytellers and visionaries‚ who inspire future generations to embrace the legacy of resilience and achievement.The post 6 books for young readers to celebrate Black History Month first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

In times of anxiety‚ the modern era has given us a popular but harmful coping mechanism—doomscrolling. A cognitive response similar to ruminating‚ doomscrolling entails repeatedly scrolling through bad content online‚ providing only a short respite without addressing the underlying cause of worry. Let’s look at the influence of doomscrolling and how to break out from the loop. Rumination‚ doomscrolling‚ and the illusion of control Rumination‚ the mental act of repeatedly cycling over worrisome thoughts‚ has a digital counterpart in doomscrolling. While both may temporarily provide a sense of control over worry‚ they fall short of addressing the root causes. They may worsen the situation by exaggerating its breadth and distorting reality. Recognize and redirect The first step in ending the doomscrolling cycle is self-awareness. Recognize the indicators of a downward spiral and disrupt the trend. Instead of giving in to the appeal of endless scrolling‚ turn your attention to alternate activities that actually treat your worry. Concrete steps for combating doomscrolling Calm your mind When anxiety sets in‚ engage in calming activities like mindfulness meditation‚ deep breathing‚ exercise‚ or a simple walk. Shift your focus away from the virtual chaos and toward the soothing routines that settle you in the present. Expressive writing Directing your emotions onto paper results in a physical narrative that externalizes the source of fear. This method not only provides temporary relief but also helps you gain a better understanding of your emotions. Studies show that expressive writing can reduce anxiety by transforming your inner turmoil into an organized story. By externalizing your thoughts‚ you create a concrete detachment from the anxiety‚ which aids comprehension and resolution. If writing or journaling isn’t your thing‚ check out this article for some helpful alternatives. Focus on control Evaluate the origins of your concerns and assess whether they are within your area of influence. Concentrate your efforts on taking actionable steps to handle situations that are within your control.  Rather than giving the impression of control through doomscrolling‚ embrace actionable control. Refocus your efforts on finding practical answers to the problems that are causing you concern. By focusing on what you can change‚ you can not only break free from the cycle but also actively construct a bright future.The post Break your doomscrolling habit: calm your anxiety and reclaim control first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

The motive behind Adam and Eve’s disobedience was comparison‚ which led to covetousness‚ which led to pride‚ which led to selfishness‚ which led to ungratefulness for what God had already provided (all rooted in fear).

The motive behind Adam and Eve’s disobedience was comparison‚ which led to covetousness‚ which led to pride‚ which led to selfishness‚ which led to ungratefulness for what God had already provided (all rooted in fear).

The NFL MVP trophy is headed to the DMV

Russell Westbrook is so sensitive

A funny thing happened on the way to wall-to-wall coverage of the Supreme Court hearing on Colorado’s decision to disqualify former President Donald Trump on 14th Amendment grounds: Special Counsel Robert Hur published his office’s report on the investigation of President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents‚ and bedlam ensued. Special counsel Robert Hur’s report bumped the Supreme Court hearing as the top story across the dial. Each of the networks differed slightly in their approaches‚ but ended up in the same place: using the report’s explosive comments on Biden’s mental acuity in order to distract from contradictions between Biden’s statements and the report‚ with a dash of “what about Trump”. Most emblematic of the coverage is NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt’s introduction to the story filed by senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez: LESTER HOLT: No criminal charges‚ but at the same time‚ little to celebrate for President Biden today‚ after a special counsel investigation found he willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after leaving the vice presidency. A scathing report centered on documents‚ some classified as top secret‚ found in Mr. Biden's home and former office that special counsel Robert Hur said presents serious risk to national security but raising serious questions about the president's recall‚ saying his memory was significantly limited in interviews with investigators. Tonight the president says he cooperated completely‚ threw up no roadblocks‚ and sought no delays. The special counsel‚ meantime‚ drawing a sharp distinction between the president's document troubles and the criminal documents case pending against former President Trump. The controversy providing another split screen moment in the race for president on the day the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether Donald Trump belongs on the Colorado ballot. Always and at all times‚ as I’ve often said‚ the truest and purest victim of the news cycle on any given day is the electoral prospects of Joe Biden. Today was no different. Every report featured some type of reaction‚ either from the White House or the Biden campaign‚ to the age and mental acuity portions of the report. Most notably‚ ABC’s Mary Bruce: MARY BRUCE: Look‚ the White House is well aware of voters' concerns about the president's age‚ and they are pushing back against the special counsel's characterization. Biden's legal team in a letter saying‚ quote‚ “We do not believe that the report's treatment of President Biden's memory is accurate or appropriate. The report uses highly prejudicial language to describe a commonplace occurrence among witnesses: a lack of recall of years-old events. Such comments have no place in a Department of Justice report.” Then adding‚ “In fact‚ there is ample evidence from your interview that the president did well in answering your questions about years-old events over the course of five hours.” Bottom line‚ while this report legally clears the president‚ politically‚ David‚ this could still be damaging.  Everyone mentioned classified reports‚ but the greatest amount of detail as to the scope of that information came from CBS’s Catherine Herridge: CATHERINE HERRIDGE: The records included documents marked classified‚ as well as Mr. Biden's personal notebooks of national security briefings. The records contained highly sensitive intelligence‚ sources and methods‚ military programs and capabilities of foreign terrorist groups. That piece of information alone demolished the narrative that Biden’s documents case is somehow different from Trump’s. We were also reliably told that Biden’s documents were “locked”. Come to find out‚ they were all over the place.  The special counsel’s report cites a recording of Biden acknowledging in 2017 that he had boxes of classified documents‚ which contradicts any narrative of immediate turnover of documents to the National Archives as soon as Biden became aware. The networks did not report this‚ as it demolishes the narrative of this case somehow being different from Trump’s. Emphasis of Biden’s mental woes was the shiny object that allowed the networks to hide this plain contradiction. Even then‚ ABC and CBS were not fulsome in their coverage of the memory aspects of the report. Only NBC mentioned the phrase “diminished capacities”‚ which speaks to Biden’s future ability to perform his duties beyond memory lapses. Overall‚ a very bad day for the White House‚ one which the media could not mitigate despite their level best attempts at firefighting. For the ABC transcript‚ click HERE   For the CBS transcript‚ click HERE  For the NBC transcript‚ click HERE   

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota‚ who is seeking to challenge President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination‚ said that the special counsel report released on Thursday demonstrates that the president cannot remain in office for a second term‚ according to Fox News Digital."It's another sad day for America and particularly for President Biden and his family‚" Phillips told the outlet. "While President Biden 'willfully retained and disclosed classified materials‚' the Special Counsel elected not to prosecute him because a jury would likely not convict a 'well-meaning‚ elderly man with a poor memory.'""The Report simply affirms what most Americans already know‚ that the President cannot continue to serve as our Commander-in-Chief beyond his term ending January 20‚ 2025. Already facing the lowest approval numbers in modern history and losing in each of the key battleground states‚ this Report has all but handed the 2024 election to Donald Trump if Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee — and I invite fellow Democrats to face the truth‚" Phillips noted‚ according to the outlet.The executive summary of the report stated that‚ "Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen‚" but noted that "we conclude that the evidence does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."Biden has been on a glide path toward easily clinching his party's presidential nod‚ but Phillips has been sounding the alarm."In 2016‚ Joe Biden made the wrong decision by not running‚ and in 2024 he's making the wrong decision by running‚" Phillips recently tweeted. "Compare him at the 2016 convention (link below) to yesterday‚ and then think 5 years into the future…" — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!