FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2023; Charlotte, Vermont – Clemmons Family Farm is releasing “Two Bessies on Two Wheels”- an African-American history curriculum package for grades K-5 in honor of Black History Month. The curriculum package, which is available online as part of the Vermont nonprofit organization’s Windows To A Multicultural WorldTM K-12 program, features two women who were pioneers in airplane and motorcycle travel: Bessie Coleman, the first African-American and Native American to obtain a pilot’s license, and Bessie Stringfield, the first African-American woman to ride a motorcycle across the United States. Both women broke through significant barriers of gender and race discrimination to pursue their joy of freedom, travel, and adventure. The online arts-integrated curriculum includes lesson plans and curated resources from trusted sources for teachers and parents of students in grades K-5. There are also downloadable worksheets, coloring pages, and art projects that enrich students’ learning as they create collages, songs, and poems about the two African-American women pioneers in travel.
Clemmons Family Farm approached Vermont singer-songwriter KeruBo to commission a new song that would help bring to life the stories of the two African-American women. After reviewing the curriculum and doing her own research, KeruBo wrote Vroom! which Clemmons Family Farm used to produce an animated video. “I wouldn’t have known about these two women, who embodied excellence in their trade, had Clemmons Family Farm not asked me to write a song about them as a part of their Windows to A Multicultural WorldTM curriculum. As an African from the Diaspora, it gave me a deep sense of belonging and connection to Black Americans. I felt honored to be chosen to write a song about their experiences. These two wonderful, courageous women who were determined to overcome all barriers stacked against them- during a time when discrimination based on race, skin color and gender was legal- ended up becoming icons in US history,” says KeruBo. “It made me delve deeper into the history, music, and culture of their era to give me inspiration for Vroom!’s style and genre”, she explains, referring to the song’s jazz rhythms of the 1920’s through 1940’s.
Vroom! is also the subject of a state-wide contest for Vermont K-5 classrooms, who are invited to create and submit music video storyboards for Vroom! during Black History Month. The classroom that produces the winning storyboard, selected by a panel of judges, will work with KeruBo to co-produce and co-star in the music video. Contest resources include a “Music Video Storyboard Imagination Practice Activity” that helps students learn to create storyboards by reviewing the lyrics, song, and a sample storyboard for the Janet Jackson music video “Made For Now,” shared in a downloadable worksheet. “The ‘now’ generation is so creative. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!” KeruBo adds.
The “Two Bessies on Two Wheels” curriculum and Vroom! music video storyboarding contest, all available through the online curriculum, are intentionally designed to mobilize the arts to help catalyze learning and dialogue about African-American history in classrooms, homes and communities. The contest guidelines help K-5 students share the history of Bessie Stringfield and Bessie Coleman with their local communities and discover the motorcycle and airplane adventure stories of their family members, neighbors, and other community members. The Wilkins Harley-Davidson dealership in Barre is partnering with Clemmons Family Farm on the Vroom! music video storyboarding contest and will be one of the locations for the filming of the “Vroom!” music video.
“Wilkins Harley-Davidson is proud to partner with the Clemmons Family Farm to share the story of Bessie Stringfield with grade K-5 Vermont students. Together we hope to inspire these young minds as to what is possible when they are confronted by challenges in their lives. The story of Besse Stringfield perfectly illustrates the triumph of the human spirit over racial and gender barriers. We cannot think of a better message to deliver to the youth of Vermont,” says John Lyon, Co-Owner of Wilkins Harley-Davidson.
Clemmons Family Farm is currently seeking partners who are in Vermont’s airplane industry to help share news of the curriculum and to provide locations for the filming of parts of the Vroom! music video. Airplane industry representatives are encouraged to reach out to Clemmons Family Farm to discuss opportunities to collaborate on the project.
“Clemmons Family Farm has again produced an excellent learning resource, ready to use by teachers of our youngest learners,” says Clemmons Family Farm board member Steven Berbeco, Ed.D. “These materials celebrate Black History Month as part of the Windows to A Multicultural WorldTM platform, a collection of learning modules that make Black history a part of what Vermont’s students learn, discuss, and celebrate every day.”
The “Two Bessies on Two Wheels” curriculum is available online for free during Black History Month. Register to enroll at: https://windows-to-a-multicultural-world.clemmonsfamilyfarm.org/courses/black-history-month-2023-two-bessies-on-two-wheels
Funding for the curriculum and contest is made possible in part through grants from Bay and Paul Foundation and Vermont Arts Council.
Contacts:
Lydia Clemmons, President
Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.
Email: contact@clemmonsfamilyfarm.org
John Lyon, Co-Owner
Wilkins Harley-Davidson
Email: John@wilkinsharley.com
Photo. Caption: KeruBo, a Vermont singer-songwriter, created the song “Vroom” for the “Two Bessies on Two Wheels” curriculum. Photo credit: Nani Clemmons.
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Clemmons Family Farm is an African American-led Vermont 501c3 nonprofit organization working in collaboration with a growing network of Vermont’s artists and culture bearers of African descent to mobilize the arts for community well-being.
Learn more and watch the Vroom! song and lyric video at: www.clemmonsfamilyfarm.org
