I’ve been consulting since last October with two students from the Singapore American School on their National History Day project. First, they politely approached me with a request for an interview, then they loaded on the questions, and finally they showed me their nearly completed presentation. Here, I’ll share it with you:
National History Day is a highly regarded academic study for students 6-12th grade. It gives the half a million participants a chance to research history deeply, reading it from new angles, and with a commitment to thinking critically and digging out all the details that they can. Each year the NHD team comes up with a broad theme to help guide the focused studies. This year’s theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. I very much think my guys from Singapore American School are getting it — the history of African American women in the military is all about revolution – out of the kitchens and back rooms and into the world – reaction – some men didn’t trust it and didn’t like it, but America needed everyone – and reform – the president, at the close of the war, deciding that enough was enough with a segregated military.
They’re through the regionals, and their project is going forward to the nationals, to be reviewed by actual historians and college professors! C & J from Singapore American School, I wish you the very, very best as you learn and represent your school! Woot! Go, history!
Awesome project, just awesome. Tanita, I see you made it into the credits MORE THAN ONCE!
Why I, a white woman born in 1964, should feel so attached to this battalion is a mystery to me. Partly it’s because Mare’s War brings the story of the 6888th so to life that you feel like you’re part of it. But partly, also, I think, it’s just the women-at-war thing. I see these inspiring ladies receiving their national recognition in their 80s and 90s, and they look to me just like the ATA pilots receiving the same recognition here in the UK.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful project!
I know! I kind of did a happy dance at that — I’m in the credits!! It’s like having my own movie! Or close to, anyway.
It galls me the appalling treatment of these women — it’s not as if women weren’t involved in the workaday world in WWI – they cleaned boots, they built houses, they packed wadding — men should have known that they’d be equal to the task of flying planes and sorting and shipping mail as well. How is it that it was all such a surprise and a horror and a shame that it had to be hushed up and forgotten?
Hubris. Unbelievable hubris.
Wow. Just wow.
Very. Cool.
We’re having an in-house preview of the NHD projects and then they’re off to regionals Monday next.
These students did a nice job!!!