DEAR HARRIETTE: I get so tired of the same old stories every February. Don't get me wrong: I think Black History Month is important. But my kids come home every year learning about the same three or four public figures. I don't want to sound crass, but I think my kids deserve to learn about more than Dr. King and Rosa Parks. What about the other leaders who did great work years ago and even now? Every time I mention it at my children's school, people tell me to mind my business. This might be because I am not black. I am a white American, and I think this topic is important for my kids to learn. How can I get them to consider expanding the curriculum? -- Looking for History, Chicago
DEAR LOOKING FOR HISTORY: Start way before February to plant the seeds for a curriculum change. Go to your school principal with a formal proposal for an expanded curriculum. If you get no traction, go to your school board. It would be good to get parents and teachers to support you by signing a petition requesting such a curriculum.
At the same time, make it your business to educate your children independently by introducing them to museum exhibits, books and videos about less familiar African-American stories.