Class notes: 10th graders on the new course

The Notebook collected written comments from five 10th graders of racially diverse backgrounds who are taking African American history at W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences in the city's Roxborough section. The course is taught by social studies teacher Michael Thompson.

All the students expressed positive feelings about the teacher and the course materials. Here are their responses on how they feel about the class and about African American history, what they hope to learn, and what they've learned already.

Tori Wooden

I feel good about this class in my roster because I get to learn more about my heritage than I already do, and I get a chance to learn about where my roots are and real information about how the slaves survived and become free. African American history means a lot to me. If I didn't know my history or know of the things that happened back then there's no telling where I would be now.

I hope to learn about where Africans came from; why White Americans used us for farm labor and why did they think we deserved to be enslaved? Why didn't Blacks realize they were as strong as they were until slavery was almost over? I have learned about slave trades, Europeans, Egyptians, the Middle Passage and where slaves came from.

Amy Spinks

I think it's okay, because it's something interesting to learn. What [African American history] basically means to me is that the Africans were slaves for almost all of their lives, and I think it's wrong.

I hope to learn more about the slave trades and why African Americans were really enslaved. I learned that people bought the slaves and bartered for them as well – trading rum, calico, weapons, etc. I've learned about the Middle Passage and where slaves came from.

Xavier Williams

I really enjoy it. [African American history] is more than just slavery. There's the history of Egyptians in Africa and the Civil Rights Movement in the US to the most recent history like the civil war in Sierra Leone.

I want to learn everything I can. [I've learned about] ancient Egyptian facts and information about the slave trade.

Kristen Lambert

I think [the class] is good. It's expanding on the information I already know.

[I've learned] that not everyone that was involved liked [slavery] or thought it was moral. Also that not only Whites had slaves – that even some Blacks did too! [I've learned] how human beings can think and act at their worst; also that I probably originated out of Africa.

Jonathan De Malavez

In the beginning I was confused, but now I am glad that I have the course. It helps that my teacher does a good job of teaching it. [African American history] means the history of African American culture and how they were treated as a people in the past.

I wanted to know if African Americans had an easy or hard time throughout their history here. [I've learned] that [African Americans] had one of the hardest experiences of living life that I have ever researched or known of.

-compiled by Deborah Russell-Brown