Dinah used to be one of my favorite Re/ 16th note songs (and this post used to be how I used it). However, since learning of Dinah's racist history I have cut the song from my teaching. There are so many other great re or 16th note songs and I will be making super fun Orff Arrangements to a lot of them soon!
Here are some great resources on the racist history of Dinah and other songs, and how we as music educators can ensure that we are always working towards greater equity and against systems of oppression in our own teaching practices:
Pancocojams- Pancocojams showcases the music, dances, language practices, and customs of African Americans and of the other people of Black descent throughout the world.
Decolonizing the Music Room- Providing research for music educators on unsung narratives in U.S. music resources and tools for decolonizing practices.
Now What? Steps to Anti-Oppressive Music Teaching- Great strategies from Elizabeth Caldwell over at Organized Chaos. Be sure to click around on her blog- it is amazing and so many other resources are tucked inside as well.
You Might Be Left With Silence When You're Done - This is an article by Martin Urbach, one of the members of Decolonizing the Music Room mentioned above. Read. Learn.
I am always trying to read, learn, and act on new knowledge to ensure that all students in my room know that I care for them and their culture and their unique selves. We all make mistakes, but actively working against racism and other forms of oppression should be a goal of every teacher. As I find more great resources and articles, I will be updating this post.
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