For generations, children have chanted songs, recited rhymes, and consumed entertainment without ever knowing the histories embedded within them. In his new book Eeny, Meeny, Miny – No!: The History of Racism in Children's Music and Entertainment, author Devin Walker pulls back the curtain on these seemingly innocent cultural artifacts to reveal a hidden legacy of racism woven into the foundations of American children’s media. Drawing on decades of research, investigative expertise, and his work as a teaching artist, Devin traces how minstrel traditions, segregation-era narratives, and racially coded imagery shaped playground games, nursery rhymes, and beloved television shows. 

The Institute for Policy Studies, in partnership with Sankofa Videos Books & Cafe, will host Devin for this Black History Month talk and book signing for adults that examines children’s music and entertainment that can help parents, educators, and caregivers better shape children’s environments. At the event the book Eeny, Meeny, Miny – No! will be available for purchase and signing by the author.  

Devin L. Walker is a Human Rights and Pan-African researcher, author, and award-winning children’s musician, known nationally as “Uncle Devin, The Children’s Drumcussionist.” His professional development training, “Racism in Children’s Music: Liberating Music for the Black Child,” has been used in universities, libraries, and schools worldwide. His research began with The Silence That Kills, critiquing the Black church’s silence on social justice, evolving into The Kemit Report and two books. With roots in political organizing and Pan-African solidarity, Walker blends scholarship, culture, and music to challenge injustice and inspire action.

Moderator: Reyanna James, the Inequality Research & Editorial Associate at the Institute for Policy Studies.