A few weeks ago, my 10 year old little brother was practicing his reading comprehension skills for school using the website Razkids.com. After a while, I'm interrupted from my studies by him telling me about what was written in one of the audio/eBooks on the site that says, and I quote "In 1899, the army paid black soldiers the same as white soldiers- $13 per month. Black soldiers needed to write messages and understand orders and maps. Those who couldn't were taught to read and write. The army provided them with food, clothes, shelter, work and a chance for adventure."
Now, if you have every taken an elementary history class in North America, you know very well that these black soldiers were told to fight in the war or continue being slaves and even afterwards were never given the freedom that they were promised. "Adventure"? What kid should ever grow up believing that war is an "adventure". War is war. You kill people and they kill you and your comrades back. What Razkids has written is an offense to every man and woman serving their countries during wartime and an attempt to re-write the past while taking advantage of impressionable kids.
When I contacted a custom service representative of Razkids, I was given an empty promise. The representative said that he has contacted his development department because "We take great pride in offering a high-quality product" Below is the email I send and the response I received. (I obviously replied that I was "angry face"-ed at the "resolution [he] provided [me] today?")
As of the day I am posting this, Razkids has decided to continue letting that book, "The Buffalo Soldiers" be read by impressionable kids without correcting their facts. This historical archive PDF states that what Razkids has written is a completely warped view of history, but they aren't completely wrong. After a debate that the black soldiers headed, THEN they were able to get equal pay. But still, "a sense of adventure" and getting the chance for education? They spin it like the black soldiers were given the highest honor when really they were given basic needs for the first time. Just because we don't want kids to feel sad and tell them upsetting stories does not mean we get to change history in their favor. I am not able to talk with their media relations because personal blogs do not count. I am writing this as a whisper in the world of the internet with the hope that someone out their with a bigger voice might hear and help.
Now, if you have every taken an elementary history class in North America, you know very well that these black soldiers were told to fight in the war or continue being slaves and even afterwards were never given the freedom that they were promised. "Adventure"? What kid should ever grow up believing that war is an "adventure". War is war. You kill people and they kill you and your comrades back. What Razkids has written is an offense to every man and woman serving their countries during wartime and an attempt to re-write the past while taking advantage of impressionable kids.
When I contacted a custom service representative of Razkids, I was given an empty promise. The representative said that he has contacted his development department because "We take great pride in offering a high-quality product" Below is the email I send and the response I received. (I obviously replied that I was "angry face"-ed at the "resolution [he] provided [me] today?")
As of the day I am posting this, Razkids has decided to continue letting that book, "The Buffalo Soldiers" be read by impressionable kids without correcting their facts. This historical archive PDF states that what Razkids has written is a completely warped view of history, but they aren't completely wrong. After a debate that the black soldiers headed, THEN they were able to get equal pay. But still, "a sense of adventure" and getting the chance for education? They spin it like the black soldiers were given the highest honor when really they were given basic needs for the first time. Just because we don't want kids to feel sad and tell them upsetting stories does not mean we get to change history in their favor. I am not able to talk with their media relations because personal blogs do not count. I am writing this as a whisper in the world of the internet with the hope that someone out their with a bigger voice might hear and help.
