So in the first letter, the Librarian described how children in American schools are fed a relentless diet of racial resentment and hostility.
So I asked for examples and here is what he sent:
Dear Mr. Flaherty:
The School Library Journal, “Diversity Issue” Culturally Diverse Books Selected by SLJ’s Review Editors.
Deep In The Sahara
By Kelly Cunnane and illustrated by Hoda Hadadi
A little girl in Mauritania wants to don a malafa, the head to toe covering all Muslim women wear. It is described as “A Positive And Empowering Portrayal Of A Muslim Culture.”Mauritania has black slavery, women are 3rd class citizens, female genital mutilation is practiced and there are many women who don’t like being covered from top to bottom. However, this is an ideal book for “diversity.” There are books that deal with racism and slavery. And are as follows…
Johnson, Angela. All Different Now: Juneteenth, The First Day Of Freedom
Life of American black slaves before and after emancipation.Edinger, Monica. Africa Is My Home: A Child Of The Amistad
African girl kidnapped from Africa, and goes to America after the revolt on the Amistad.Wiles, Deborah. Revolution.
A black boy and white girl during Freedom Summer in Mississippi.Other books on the list deal with a Pakistani Muslim boy, a Chilean girl during the Pinochet years, migrant workers, the Haitian earthquake, bi-racial kids and other topics. There was an uproar over no works by American Indian authors on the initial “diversity” list. So, another list was created with even more issues dealing with color- the Black Panther movement, Civil Rights sit-ins and other topics. One is titled Yummy: The Last Days Of Southside Shorty… a true story about an inner city black child. This was on their “updated” list with reader input.
I understand the importance of books with historical settings. This SLJ issue highlights this. However, it is frustrating to see black children only getting access to books that emphasize slavery, Jim Crow and racism perpetrated by whites. While Africa and the Caribbean have black nations that are wonderful and free of bigotry (though the book about the Sudanese girl may counter-act that view, if so, it is rare).
Other librarians and schoolteachers I know have commented on the same thing… yet are afraid of being reprimanded or losing their jobs for being racist if they point this out. So, black children continue to get books that revolve around slavery and Jim Crow… and white kids get the continual re-enforcement that all whites (with few exceptions) treat blacks poorly.
BTW… this issue also has and article on Diversity and Muslim-Americans and how there needs to be more books about Islam in America’s schools. That is another post entirely.
