4/22/2017 0 Comments I Have Heard of a Land1998, Written by Joyce Carol Thomas, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper Coretta Scott King Award (1999) I Have Heard of a Land is a historical fiction tale of a single black woman who makes her home on the Oklahoma countryside in the late 19th century. I Have Heard of a Land tells the tale of a little-known (at least to me) aspect of the American pioneer story: that the Oklahoma Land Runs of 1889 and 1893—where people literally raced from a starting point to claim land for free in Oklahoma—were opportunities open to African Americans. Oklahoma was also one of the only places where single women could own land in their own right, without need of a man. I Have Heard of a Land follows a single black woman as she makes her home on the Oklahoma prairie. The conditional nature of the narration (note it is "I have heard of a land," not "I have seen a land," or "I know a land") could make this a fantasy of this woman; she could be thinking about what her experience will be like if she decides to take part in the Oklahoma Land Race. But if this is just an imagination, it is a vivid one. The prose flows, and the images are romantic, but the work is not romanticized. This woman works! What I love most about I Have Heard of a Land is how it takes what is predominantly a very white narrative (think Little House on the Prairie) and gives black people a place in it. And this is no speculative, revisionist history, this really happened! Both the author and illustrator (who are both African American) are descended from black Oklahoma pioneers just like the woman in this book. What is interesting about the book, and may prove contentious for some, is how little it addresses the racial biases of the time. This is not a book about racism (at least not an any way explicitly). This is a book about a woman making her place on the American landscape through her own hard work, the help of her (also black) neighbors, and her dreams. I personally think this is great because how often do African Americans get a piece of representative historical fiction that does not deal with racism? This book does not ignore racism (one thinks about why she is leaving her point of origin, other than the indelible pioneer spirit she possesses), but it does not highlight it either. It takes the iconic American story of the pioneer, and puts a black woman in the middle of it. She has a right to be there, and she does not have to suffer for it.
Note: It should be brought up that Oklahoma Land Runs were an example (sadly one of many) of the American government forcibly removing Native Americans in order to give the land to "more deserving" people. This was a horrible part of American history, and should not be ignored. I can see why this book did not bring up this aspect of the Oklahoma Land Runs, but that does not mean we as adults should fail to discuss it, even with children. Resources:
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