They helped people run away to freedom by letting them hide in their homes, wagons, churches, underground tunnels, and other secret hiding places. “People helped in many different ways to make the Underground Railroad work. Many of them worked secretly on the Underground Railroad.” Some of these Abolitionists were Black, some of them were white, and some of them were Mexican. People who wanted to get rid of slavery and let all Black people be free were called Abolitionists. “In many states in the American South, slavery was allowed for more than 200 years, even though a lot of Americans didn’t think it should be allowed. If the enslaved people tried to run away to find a better life, they would usually get caught and be sent back to their enslavers, who would then treat them even worse.” Talk about the helpers on the Underground Railroad and how it worked White people were allowed to hurt and punish enslaved people, and didn’t pay them at all even though they were helping the white slave owners make money and take care of their homes and families. “White people bought and sold these enslaved people, made them stay at certain houses and farms to work. Property means things you own, like a car or a couch or a toy.” Even though these millions of enslaved Black people were no different from you and me, many white Americans treated them like they were not human-because there was a law that said that white people could own Black people as property. “It’s because the people who were escaping were enslaved people. Do you know why it had to be a secret?” Explain the history that lead to this point It’s called ‘underground’ not because it was under the ground but because it had to be a secret. It was a system of escape routes for people who needed to get out of danger and into a safer place. “Have you heard of the Underground Railroad? It wasn’t a real railroad with tracks and trains. So here’s a script you can use to find the right wording for discussing slavery and the Underground Railroad with kids (elementary school age and up). Take the Underground Railroad-it’s such a hopeful, inspiring, and fascinating story that’s important for kids to be aware of, but of course it can be tricky to explain since it begins with the brutality of enslavement. One key to making some of the disturbing parts of America’s history more appropriate for young kids is to put emphasis on the helpers and activists-the people who worked to make things better. At the same time, you don’t want kids to be too shocked, ignorant, or resistant to these hard-but-true facts when they hear about them later in life. Even for parents who really want to teach kids more about Black history, it can still be hard to know what to say when it comes to scary topics like slavery and other racial violence.
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