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Imani hid in a closet. Everyone was supposed to be quiet, but there was some of her classmates talking- until one normally quiet kid in her 3^rd grade class asked, “It’s been a while- what if it’s for real this time?”

The teacher usually shushed the noisy kids during an active shooter drill. But what if this time was different? Imani’s heart began to pound.

All the kids jumped, some screamed, when the door to the closet opened. 

But it was just the teacher.

All the kids had been hiding in the closet for the active shooter drill. These drills happened every three months at the school. The teacher apologized for startling the kids. She told them, as a normal part of the drill, that all the children would speak to the school counselor that day.

When Imani got home, she told her mother, father, and 12-year-old sister Hope about what happened at school. “We had another school shooter drill- but we didn’t know if this time was FOR REAL.” Imani said, her heartbeat racing a little more as she thought about it. Her mother decided not to remind Imani that she had reminded her before school that they would have a drill. “Then the older kids began talking. Sarah says that they should just ban guns. Her parents say they’re the problem. But Anthony argued his Daddy says all the teachers should just be armed. He said something about the Second….something.”

“The Second Amendment: ‘A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’” Imani’s father said. “It means people in the United States have a right to have a gun, or ‘Arms’. It’s not about arming school teachers against school shooters, though. It’s about letting people stand up to a government that is causing harm. It’s part of the first 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights.”

“Oh yeah! I just learned about the Bill of Rights!” Imani remembered having just went on a mission with her sister. Her sister- and her dog, Prince, for some reason- were “History Detectives”. It was a kid-run agency and they were part of the Voting Rights Unit. Her sister solved mysteries and helped save history. Imani had time travelled to 1776 Philadelphia to help a 10-year-old boy hear one of the first readings of the Declaration of Independence. The Twister- a villain who liked to twist time- had given James fake information that kids were not allowed at the reading. Then, another time, she had gone with her sister back to the History Detective Headquarters. There were lots of problems all over the timeline. So Hope and her Detective partner 12-year-old Abraham had researched a bunch of people during different years. Hope- well, Hope’s dog as well- had figured out The Twister had taken quill pens from Black activists. Having nothing to write with, they were prevented from using their First Amendment rights to petition the government. And Imani learned it was called a petition and not a potato. That’s when 19-year-old Miss Barbara, who gave out the missions, told her about the Bill of Rights.

“Oh- your class taught about the Bill of Rights?” Imani’s Dad said in surprise. Her mother and father looked at each other and smiled. They had sure put Imani in a good school!

Just then, Prince barked and ran to the front door, whimpering to be let out. “Hey Imani- come take Prince out with me.” Hope said, mainly so her little sister wouldn’t spill the beans about their adventures.

Imani wanted to talk more, but was also excited to hang out with her older sister, so she went outside with them.

“You can’t talk so much!” Hope scolded. Just then, Hope looked at a magnifying glass she had. It looked ordinary, but Imani learned it wasn’t. Hope smiled, “Let’s go!”

A portal appeared in front of them. The portal was shaped like a magnifying glass with gold and purple light and sparkles around it. The kids, and Prince, went through it, and met up with fellow History Detective Abraham. They were now in a huge building. This was the History Detectives Headquarters. They went up to see Miss Barbara in her big windowed office. 

On a screen was a flashing red dot. Imani had learned that that meant there was an anomaly. And that an anomaly meant The Twister had changed something in time. And that meant it needed to be investigated and fixed.

“Oh, hello Imani.” Miss Barbara turned around, surprised to see Imani on a mission for a third time. “I’m sending all of you back to May 12^th, 1862- something is wrong. On this day, an enslaved man named Robert Smalls is supposed to steal a ship.”

“Isn’t stealing wrong?” Imani asked.

“Well, yes, almost always- but this was during the United States’ Civil War. And, Robert Smalls was enslaved- meaning other people decided they could own him, simply because he was Black.” Imani looked at her Black skin as Miss Barbara spoke. “A war like this today would be like if half of the United States decided they wanted to do their own thing and not be part of the United States anymore. Back then, one of the issues leading to this division- ”

“Not more math…” Hope muttered. Prince rubbed his head against Hope’s leg to comfort her thinking about math.

“- was if Black people should still be enslaved. Well, The South wanted to keep Black people enslaved. And The North was against this. Robert Smalls wanted to fight and form a militia. But he wasn’t allowed. Right after the Second Amendment was passed, the federal government passed the Militia Act of 1792- this barred Black people from being able to use guns.”

“Isn’t the Second Amendment all about having arms in case of a bad government?” Imani asked. Imani flexed her arms.

Miss Barbara laughed. “Yes and no. Arms means guns. And it was in case of a ‘bad’ government. But who was the bad government to Black people at the time? So, to prevent any rebellion from Black enslaved people, they made it so Black people couldn’t have guns- or serve in the military, despite them having served in the Revolutionary War. Robert Smalls and others were against this. And they didn’t want to be enslaved. When someone thinks they own you, they can do whatever they want- including kidnapping you, beating you, separating you from your family, killing you- whatever they want.”

“Like a school shooter who will just kill people?” Imani asked, thinking back to what she heard older kids talking about at school that day.

“Kind of, yes.” Miss Barbara responded. “Well Robert Smalls wanted to be free and help others be free. It would be like if you could stop school shooters forever. And The South was winning the war at that time. That meant there was only one way to not be enslaved and get freedom: to serve in the army of The North. So, on May 12^th, 1862, Robert Smalls takes- well, is supposed to take- the CSS Planter ship from the people who enslaved him. The ship was loaded with guns meant for The South for The War. Robert Smalls knew how to steer ships and act like the captain would. He is supposed to rescue himself, his family, and others, and surrender the ship to The North. He also tells The North the secret codes The South uses in The War to talk.”

The kids- and the dog? - saluted back. Hope pulled out her magnifying glass, taking her sister’s hand- and did Hope’s dog Prince have one paw on a magnifying glass too?! Hope and Abraham spoke in unison to their magnifying glasses as Prince barked along: “Take us to the time coordinates!” A shimmering light surrounded the kids.

By: Caitlyn Arnwine (formerly Caitlyn Cobb and her daughter, Hope Grace. This was written in 2026 with a complete source list at the bottom.



© 2026 Transformative Justice Coalition. All rights reserved.

© 2026 Caitlyn Arnwine and Hope Cobb. All rights reserved.

Feel free to publish on your social media outlets and teach these lessons, with credit given to the Transformative Justice Coalition. Please let us know if you do share the series so we can publicly recognize and thank you. Be sure to send any publications to carnwine@tjcoalition.org so we can repost!

We encourage everyone to share this series to your networks and on social media under the hashtag #VRABlackHistory and to use this series for school projects. You can also tweet us @TJC_DC to share your own facts or connections to this history.

Others can sign up for the daily articles at VotingRightsAlliance.org. 

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

We hope you enjoy our #VRABlackHistory Series 2026

From the Transformative Justice Coalition and the Voting Rights Alliance



Please note, if you'd like to opt out from only the upcoming daily Black History Month Voting Rights Alliance #VRABlackHistory series, please email carnwine@tjcoalition.org. Unsubscribing at the bottom of this email unsubscribes you to all Transformers, not just from this special February Series.

INTRODUCING: History Detectives

The Transformative Justice Coalition and the Voting Rights Alliance, in honor of Black History Month, are continuing the annual tradition of our daily special series devoted to sharing the legacies and stories of the sheroes, heroes, and events in the fight for Black suffrage. This series was created in 2017 and will introduce all new original articles this year- with a twist.

The 2026 #VRABlackHistory Series will center around the United States’ 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It will also center around teaching kids the Black History voting rights advocacy that surrounds the United States Constitution and its amendments, as well as different forms of government, with a new children’s series: “History Detectives”. This will be a series parents, guardians, teachers, and siblings can read to the children in their lives, with a lesson guide which includes what each story will cover as well as a short fun quiz. 

The “History Detectives” Series follows three kids, Hope – aged 12-, Abraham – aged 12-, and Imani- aged 8-, as well as their dog Prince, as they work in a secret kid detective agency aimed at helping figures or events in history stay on track anytime there’s an anomaly caused by “The Twister”, a villain who twists time with the goal of impeding progress, like a tornado tearing through and erasing history.

The “History Detectives” article draft attached has not only been put through the Dale-Chall Readability Test, giving an average of a 4th through 6th grade reading level; but, has also been tested with children, and is made with input from the author's soon-to-be 14-year-old daughter to ensure it’s engaging for kids. And did you know the author is also pregnant, due in February?! That makes this series all the more timely!

But we didn't forget about the adults! Each of the “History Detectives: Voting Rights Unit” articles (aside from this prologue) will also be paired with a counterpart article for adults to read. The adult counterparts will filter out the children’s story, and dive deeper into the historical figures or events the “History Detectives” article covered.

In addition to these daily newsletters all February long, this series also incorporates daily social media posts; an interactive calendar; and, website blog posts to spread the word broadly.

References