For generations, children have chanted songs, recited rhymes, and consumed entertainment without ever knowing the histories embedded within them. Eenie, Meenie, Miney, No! 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 work as a teaching artist, Devin Walker, aka Uncle Devin, traces how minstrel traditions, segregation-era narratives, and racially coded imagery shaped everything from playground games to beloved television shows. Through historical analysis, personal reflections, and frameworks grounded in Pan-African organizing and systemic equity, Walker invites readers to confront uncomfortable truths—while offering a path forward rooted in accountability, context, and transformation.

​

More than a historical exploration, this book serves as the written companion to Walker’s widely delivered professional development training—providing educators, parents, artists, and youth-serving professionals with practical language, critical context, and actionable tools for creating joyful, culturally safe experiences for children today.

​

A necessary, eye-opening journey, Eenie, Meenie, Miney, No! challenges us to reimagine children’s entertainment through truth, justice, and love.