The world of video games never ceases to amaze me. Best-selling games where the objective is to steal and rob as much as possible exist alongside games successfully aiding children in elementary basics like reading and math.
How about an educational video game teaching the concept of slavery? I know it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but it has convinced me it’s a step in the right direction.
“Mission U.S.: Flight to Freedom” is an online game at mission-us.org where players are given the opportunity to be Lucy, a 14-year-old slave on a Kentucky Plantation in 1850.
In five levels of the game, Lucy is expected to complete her daily chores along with added tasks her master expects her to take on.
“Mission U.S.” provides a series of free online simulation games set in various eras of U.S. history and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
So yes, the people who brought you “Sesame Street” are giving children everywhere the opportunity to play as a slave and hopefully learn something in the process.
Sensitivity to the issue should be put aside in the face of an opportunity to educate about a topic that deserves more in-depth attention. Presenting different outlets for African-American education is important progress.
I had to try it out.
Before getting on the site and playing the game, I was skeptical. I wanted to know how a game about living on a plantation could hold my attention span while teaching me history — something schools across the country continue to struggle with.
I lasted a pathetic 20 minutes in the game before receiving a black screen informing me I made too many wrong choices and was sold to the South.
It is understandable how younger people find the game interesting. As Lucy, players are given opportunities to make their own decisions toward the various tasks they are expected to complete throughout the day.
Perhaps if I made the choice to actually fix Miss Sarah’s dress instead of napping in her room, I would have made it to level two.
“Flight to Freedom” provides a storyline where playing the game not only entails Lucy being the slave and doing her chores, but also observing the tragic surroundings she was forced to accept as normalcy.
Players get to make their own choices which come with consequences and in turn learn a lesson about history. They also learn that completing every task given as a slave will not provide a high score because, to no surprise, you never get to win in the game called slavery.
The only negative I saw to this simulation game was the inaccurate facial expressions the characters presented. The angry slave owners may crack a smile, but I’m positive the slave cleaning another slave’s wounds would not have the same grin.
Apart from the former, I see this as a great learning tool for middle school children to keep up with American history. Seventh and eighth graders across the country are using “Mission U.S.” during their history classes while their teachers are sharing positive reviews on media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
Interactive learning will usually beat out reading from a textbook, but a game on African-American history comes off as a stretch. I have to say that THIRTEEN, the maker of “Mission U.S.”, is making progress in the line of innovative education.
And if you don’t believe me, visit mission-us.org and see if you can make it to level five without getting yourself sold as a slave girl in Kentucky.
Marie-Therese Yokum is a 19-year-old public relations and finance sophomore from Lafayette. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_mtyokum.
 
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Contact Marie-Therese Yokum at [email protected]