From: Beverly Slapin <oyate>
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 12:36:13 +0000

In responding to Susan Daugherty's comments, I hope to be able to put reasoned thoughts to print. Please bear with me, because I am furious. In my mind, Susan's comments exemplify the problem. I am a K-2 librarian and even at that tender age, I try to impart

This sounds pretentious. Do you teach about "all cultures of the world"? If you don't, how do you teach "respect for all cultures of the world"? Or do you just try to "impart respect," as all adults should do with all children?

We talk about truth in books,

Unless they are growing up in families who honor and impart an understanding of traditional (oral) literatures that encompass past, present, and future, children of this age are just not developmentally able to think in those terms, nor are they able to process what is meant by "history." When you say "we talk about truth in books, whether it be nonfiction, fiction, folklore. We talk about versions," I have to assume that means that you tell the children whether something is nonfiction, fiction, folklore.

At ning

Can you tell me how you talk about "slavery, etc." in a "way that is not too frightening or upsetting"? Do you leave out the children sold away from their parents, the whippings, rapes, chopped-off feet, murders? If you do, what's left?

hers
 the

There was a move at that time to cull blatently racist material, but I question to what extent that actually happened.

at

Teachers don't all of a sudden become "more sensitive" by virtue of having racist books discarded. And teachers are supposed to be educated in the subjects they teach, as well as inteaching methodology.

How do you feel, Beverly and Debbie, re

This is more rhetoric. Of course, teachers should not completely neglect an area they are supposed to teach. Should they do this in math? Science? And I don't know what you mean by "do the best you can, expressing your ignorance honestly." Would you do this in math? Science?

I feel ity ou

It is a teacher's job to teach all children, whether "of the particular minority" or not. It is not a parent's job to "help teach" an area in which the teacher happens to be unprepared. Nor should it be assumed that because a parent is of a "particular minority," that that parent knows all about that "particular minority" or is able to teach about that "particular minority" or has the time to teach about that
"particular minority" or has the energy to teach about that "particular minority."

If you are putting one child into a special category and ut her his and

Here, you are putting the blame on the parents for not "supporting" their children. In fact, many children are so shamed and humiliated in class that they can't or won't talk about it?even with their parents?and they'll try to hide the fact that they're Indian, from the class, from the teacher, even from themselves.

Here, the accusatory use of the word "banning" is rhetorical. Would you
"ban" toxic substances, or would you put them on a high shelf? Would you
"ban" sharp knives, or would you put them in a drawer? Would you "ban" aspirin, or would you put it in the medicine cabinet? We protect our children from that which is hurtful. And, it is not a matter of
"intelligence" in seeing the "subtleties" in the books?there are none.


I believe that I did as a child. I knew that pa tood en I that mber.

Again, this is rhetorical. Would you comment this way about books that stereotype any other race or ethnicity? Try this: "I knew that pa admired the Negroes....I understood that ma was terrified probably mostly unreasonably. Laura was mainly fascinated. I thought I would have been too."
 I found it extremely fun to read Columbus's diary aloud with them etc. g, I mbus gain,

I'm glad you found it fun. Would you have said all of this about a children's book extolling the virtues of Adolph Hitler? A children's version of maybe?

That's all. I'm done. For now.

Beverly

______________ Beverly Slapin Oyate 2702 Mathews St. Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 848g00
(510) 848H15 fax oyate at oyate.org www.oyate.org
Received on Fri 15 Oct 1999 07:36:13 AM CDT