Hey Reader,

As a white family, Black History Month isn’t about “discovering” something new. It’s about recognizing how much we were never taught, and how much was deliberately erased.

It’s about choosing to listen.

As a family, we’re being intentional about learning the stories that shaped our country, even when they’re uncomfortable.

What we learned at Sloss Furnaces

We’ve only visited one of Alabama’s historic sites so far: Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. We expected towering iron stacks and industrial history. We didn’t expect to confront convict leasing.

After slavery was abolished, Black men were arrested on minor or false charges. They were forced into brutal labor in mines and furnaces, such as Sloss Furnaces.

Walking those massive structures felt heavy. Our kids asked hard questions, and there were no easy answers.

But standing there made the history real in a way textbooks never did.

Why this matters for our family

We could have skipped that part of the story - it certainly would've been easier. However, avoiding painful history doesn’t change it, and misses a key opportunity for teaching empathy.

As white parents, we feel a responsibility to help our kids understand how systems harmed, and continue to harm, Black communities. A key tenet of our faith is justice for the oppressed, and it's too easy to ignore what makes us uncomfortable.

Travel gives us space for those conversations.

The Places We Hope to Visit Next

There are other Alabama sites that tell powerful stories we haven’t yet experienced firsthand:

• Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
• Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
• Freedom Riders National Monument
• Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

These are places we want to approach with humility.

Beginning where we are

You don't have to have a perfect lesson plan or roadmap. You can start with one visit, one conversation, and one hard truth at a time.

Visit a site and read the signs. Sign up for the tour that talks about difficult things. Listen to perspectives that are different from your own.

We’re still learning, and we definitely don't have it all figured out.

If you’d like to explore all ten Alabama parks that tell stories of resilience and injustice, you can read the full guide here:

👉 https://dinkumtribe.com/national-parks-in-alabama/​

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Let’s raise kids who understand history honestly

With care,

Jenn Warren