Posted by Stephanie Scurlock

Middle school teacher travels horseback to teach Black history lesson

Posted: Dec 16, 2007 02:19 PM EST

FAST FACTS:

• * Black Heritage Riders venture cross country to spead word of African and African American history
• * Cross country journey began September 22nd in lower Manhattan ends 3rd week in February
• * Keep track of journey through www.blackheritageriders.org

stephanie.scurlock@wreg.com

Memphis (12/16/2007) Galloping through downtown Memphis on an arabian stallion, it’s something you don’t see everyday. It’s the way New Jersey middle school teacher,  Miles Dean, is journeying cross country to teach a lesson in the history of a people.

"The story of Africans and African Americans who from the 1500’s through the 1800’s assisted with the exploration, expansion, and the development of the United States. That history that’s not told in the text books of the classrooms,"said Dean.

Dean started in lower Manhattan in September. He’ll travel all the way to California.

"African American children need to know more about who they are. They need to know their history did not begin in slavery, that they have a rich 6,000 year old history," said Dean.

Dean blogs on the web about places he’s visited showing how his ancestors helped contribute to the building of the nation.

Dean said, "Teachers need to teach more African American studies. Incorporate more African American history into the math and sciences because the history is rich in all disciplines."

Just as important as the rider in this journey is the horse. His name is Sankofa. Loosely translated in Africa, it means to return to the source.

In the midsouth the Mississippi river is the source of a lot of African American history. We watched as Sankofa and Dean amazingly galloped over the Hernando Desoto Bridge to cross it with 18 wheelers surrounding them. It was a dangerous trip but one Dean says he wanted to make. He poured libation in honor of them as he crossed.

"Many of our ancestors have lost their lives, given up their lives. Taken their own lives or had their lives taken in the Mississippi," said Dean.

Dean travels 6 to 7 hours a day on horseback. Sankofa is his main horse but he has another in his traveling stable. Each stallion does 15 to 20 miles a day. The hope is to reach Los Angeles by the third week in February, just in time to celebrate Black History month.

You can keep up with Dean and his black heritage riders tour through his website, www.blackheritageriders.org