Geraldine Wilson was an early childhood specialist, poet, writer and civil rights activist. She received a bachelor of science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University; and a master's from New York University's School of Education. After graduation, Wilson taught in the South Philadelphia public school systems. In 1964, she joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) located in the Mississippi Delta and Georgia, and was a co-planner of the Mississippi Institute for Early Childhood Education.
In 1966, she relocated to New York City to work as an instructor and consultant in early childhood education at New York University and other local colleges. From 1973 to 1979, she was the project director of the New York City Head Start Regional Training Office at New York University. During her tenure as project director, Wilson would continue consultant work with other Head Start programs outside of New York City.
In this program, Listervelt Middleton discusses the challenge of surviving the barrage of negative images that surround Black children's lives with child development specialist Ms. Geraldine Wilson.
Listervelt asks what parents can do to help Black children to feel good about themselves. Ms. Wilson responded that children are reflections of adults. Parents have to think about how they feel about themselves and after that, will be more prepared to assist children in developing a more positive self-image. We are casual about the society's treatment of us and over the years, this system has eroded positive feelings that we may have had in the past about ourselves. We should examine our homes and what's hanging on our walls. She cites a toothpaste tube featuring a white couple and quotes Piaget about media constantly giving off messages with which children interact and from which they learn. The increase in white advertising and the physical likeness of white people on billboards, in public buildings, in sculpture and statuary, it's very important that we see to it that the children have books, and that we spend time with children, sitting and reading to children, telling family stories. Some of our history is slipping away from us. These things make a difference in the development of children.
I feel very strongly that with this group of our children, the first group to be largely taught by white people, that we will have a serious problem with transmitting our culture, our history, and our heritage because we will no longer have our children in the presence of African Americans who can role-model important cultural behaviors and who, in the past, tauight them a certain amount of history and how they should behave as Black children. We have to see that as important. They discuss the caricature of Aunt Jemima. Wilson explains that minstrelsy was an industry, and the behaviors were passed on to the larger community. Along with this era came ridicule and caricature expressed through the development of products that were sold, bought and displayed in most white households. This was one of the tools by which we were made to feel ashamed of many of the expressions of African heritage.
The discussion continues on topics including Martin Delany, Frederick Douglass, Joe Lewis, High John the Conqueror, and more.
View the full interview for more of this conversation.
Geraldine Wilson died in New York City in 1986. The Geraldine Wilson Papers are available here in the New York Public Library.
