Busy Bee Preschool VB

Happy black history month! Have a read about Phillis Wheatley. Her words crossed oceans before her freedom did.

Before America believed Black people could think,
a Black girl made them prove they could recognize genius.

Her name was Phillis Wheatley.

She was born in West Africa—likely the Senegambia region—and taken from her homeland around the age of seven. She was forced onto a slave ship that stripped her of family, language, and childhood. The ship’s name was Phillis. When she arrived in Boston, that name—the name of her captivity—became the one history would remember her by.

She was sold to the Wheatley family.
They gave her their surname.
They gave her work.
And unintentionally, they witnessed a brilliance they could not contain.

Phillis was small, quiet, observant. In a world that expected nothing from her mind, she learned English with startling speed. She absorbed the language. Studied the Bible. Read classical literature. And by the time she was thirteen years old, she was writing poetry—elegant, complex, deeply spiritual poetry.

Not imitation.
Mastery.

Her words carried rhythm, theology, philosophy, and restraint. They spoke of freedom, faith, morality, and the contradiction at the heart of a nation that preached liberty while holding her in chains.

And because she was young, Black, female, and enslaved, many refused to believe she could have written them.

So America did what it often does when Black brilliance appears too early.
It demanded proof.

At just twenty years old, Phillis Wheatley was summoned before a panel of eighteen prominent white men in Boston—ministers, politicians, intellectuals. She was interrogated. Asked to recite passages from classical texts. From scripture. Asked questions designed not to understand her, but to disqualify her.

This was not a literary discussion.
It was a trial.

A young Black girl, enslaved, standing before power—forced to defend her own mind.

She passed.

They signed a statement affirming the poems were hers. Only then was she permitted to be called a poet.

In 1773, Phillis Wheatley became the first African American to publish a book of poetry: Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. It was published in London because American publishers still hesitated to believe what they had already witnessed.

Her words crossed oceans before her freedom did.

Phillis Wheatley cracked open a door that had been sealed shut. She proved—publicly and permanently—that Black intellect existed long before permission was granted. That African minds were not empty vessels. That genius does not require freedom to be born.

But her story is not only triumph.

Freedom came late. Support faded. The nation that praised her poetry did not protect her life. She died young, in poverty—another reminder that recognition has never guaranteed care.

And still, her legacy endures.

Every Black writer who came after her walks a path she carved under impossible conditions. Every sentence written in defiance of erasure carries her echo.

Phillis Wheatley did not just write poems.
She forced a nation to confront the lie at the center of slavery—
that intelligence, imagination, and humanity could be owned.

Black history did not begin with permission.
It began with people like Phillis—
who wrote anyway,
spoke anyway,
and made the world answer for its disbelief.

I invest a lot of time researching and sharing these important stories. If you’d like to support the work behind them,
here’s the link: https://buymeacoffee.com/blackamericanhistory
Every coffee helps me keep creating.

Happy Black History Month!

Lets learn about Oney Judge

Most Americans know George Washington as the “Father of the Nation.” Very few know the name Oney Judge.

Oney Judge was an enslaved Black woman owned by George and Martha Washington. She worked as Martha Washington’s personal attendant, meaning she was constantly present, constantly watched, and constantly vulnerable.

In 1796, while living in Philadelphia (then the nation’s capital), Oney Judge did something extraordinary.... she escaped.
She fled north to New Hampshire, where slavery was functionally ending. George Washington spent years trying to recapture her. He used federal resources. He enlisted friends. He tried quiet coercion and public pressure.

He failed.

Oney Judge lived the rest of her life as a free woman; poor, hunted, and unprotected by the law. But FREE! Years later, she gave interviews explaining exactly why she ran: she knew she was about to be given away like property.

For years, visitors to President’s House, a National Park Service site, could learn about Oney Judge and the nine enslaved people who lived and labored in the same house where Washington governed the nation.

That exhibit didn’t diminish the founders... It told the whole truth.

This exhibit was also removed by the Trump administration’s executive order to “restore truth and sanity to American history,”.

Not revised.
Not expanded.
Removed.
Why?

Because stories like Oney Judge’s complicate the mythology that Trump and his supporters revel in. Bathe in. Believe in.

Our complicated history forces us to hold two truths at once:
• America was founded on ideals of liberty
• Those ideals were denied to the people who built it

If Oney Judge disappears from public memory, George Washington becomes uncomplicated again.
Good. Pristine. White.

If slavery becomes background noise, freedom becomes abstract. If resistance is erased, obedience becomes the default story.

Black History Month exists precisely because people like Oney Judge were never meant to be remembered.

She wasn’t loud.
She wasn’t armed.
She wasn’t protected.

She simply refused to remain property.

That is not “divisive history.” This is not "false" history. This IS
American history, a part that this administration seeks to erase.

And if the truth makes us uncomfortable, that’s not a flaw, that’s the point.

- Shared from Syler

A proud and unexpected moment receiving this Google award. To say it has been a journey to get here is an understatement. Our Owner and lead teacher, Kelly, has poured her blood, sweat and tears into this space to make it one of the most loving spaces in Hampton Roads.

Our teachers are the absolute best and love our sweet babes. I couldn’t imagine this place without even one of them.

And our families - many have been with us since the beginning. Many have stuck with us through the muck as we figure everything out. But this steady past year has been such a blessing to grow with our kiddos.

We are so grateful for our community and so glad to be a part of serving it.

Join us Saturday, March 22nd!

👶Are you a first-time, new, or expecting parent or caregiver? Join us Sunday, Dec. 8 at Central Library for a community baby shower celebrating *you*! You'll learn tips on setting a reading routine, selecting books for babies, and more.
🆓You’ll also receive a book-themed care kit! To register:
https://vbpl.librarymarket.com/stork-storytime-and-community-baby-shower-0
💗 This program is in partnership with the Elks Lodge 2268.

Stork Storytime and Community Baby Shower | Virginia Beach Public Library Events Calendar for Virginia Beach Public Library

We are ecstatic to announce that we have received our two-year permanent license in hand and are able to continue to serve our community! We love our families, our kiddos, and our teachers! ❤️

It’s been a bumpy road, and while we’re not in the clear yet, we’re determined to do everything we can to support our community. Through it all, I can’t say enough about this woman right here. From phenomenal care for our littles, to creating such a positive work environment and fun learning environment for our kiddos, she is our star. No matter how this all turns out, we are so grateful for and proud of you, Kelly!

Such a fun Thursday at Busy Bee this week. VB Library staff came and had story time with us! You can look forward to this special treat every month at Busy Bee!

In case any of our families are interested, I wanted to share this beautiful offering with you ❤️

📢 Calling all youngsters ages 3-9 who want to try kids yoga. Our neighbor, PEAR Maternal Mind & Body, is hosting a group session starting this Saturday, 3/23/24. 🧘
Children will learn about ♥️ moving your body through motion, ♥️ emotions and ♥️ breathing techniques. The session will meet for 7 weeks every Saturday from 9 AM-10 AM.

➡️ Space is limited
➡️ Class is donation based

For questions or to 📝 sign-up, contact Tyler: [email protected] or (757) 348-7521. We hope to see your littles there! This is a great program to learn about regulating emotions.

Our first staff meeting in the books! Gosh, we just love our teachers ❤️🐝❤️

🐝 🙏🏼 🐝

Busy Bee Preschool’s official grand opening is Monday!

Thank you so much to all of the families and staff who got us here!