CRT Dialogue Prep

 1. The first main takeaway I have from the course is that literature has traditionally been published and marketed to serve white, wealthy protestant consumers. Seeing children's literature and the publishing industry as a conservative force is a new view for me, but one that makes sense from a historical standpoint. When we look at which books are banned, we must consider who it is benefitting and who it is disadvantaging. 

2. The second main takeaway I have from this course is that we should not shy away from what makes us uncomfortable (Khanna). Our discomfort is rooted in something that can be dissected and examined. To expand on my first point, by paying attention to what makes those with the most social power/status uncomfortable we can get at the root of a lot of social issues. This can be accomplished through literature.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Ban Bronx Masquerade?

As I was reading Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade, I could not figure out why this book was banned. While I am vehemently against the idea of banning books as a whole, usually I can at least identify why some parties want to censor certain stories. I understand why The Color Purple was banned by conservative forces for its depiction of sexual assault and homosexuality even if I believe that those things have no right to be censored by interest groups with no connection to those experiences. Bronx Masquerade perplexed me, however, as most of its more mature themes are in the background. It did not linger on some of these heavy topics in a way that I thought could lend some to censor it. The bulk of the story explores the writings of Mr. Ward’s students. While many have tragic backgrounds that deal with heavy topics, they are all referenced and referred to in the past tense. None of these darker ideas are lingered on or shown in the present like in The Color Purple. For example, one of the...
Read more

Charlotte is Dead and Why That is Real

 Here is the first passage I read from my copy of George . It is the last statement of the FAQ (AOTAWTS). (It should be understood that Alex is talking explicitly as the author.) It is the last page of my copy before the About the Author section. I recommend reading all of this section. " I'm so glad I understand transgender people now. Okay. This isn't a question, but I'm adding it here anyway. George is only one story. It is the story of a white, middle-class transgender girl growing up near New York City, written by a white, middle-class genderqueer person who grew up on Staten Island, New York. Every transgender story is different, just as we are all different. Race, money, disability, and other realities further impact these differences . I will add that you don't need to understand someone to respect them, so while I'm glad you have a greater insight into Melissa's experience, I hope you also learned from Mom, Kelly, Scott, Jeff, Rick, Ms. Udell, amd...
Read more

Two Main Insights for CRT Dialogue

1. Banning books is a way to push the white supremacist agenda, as seen through the case in York, PA when they banned 270+ books about black and brown experiences. This was also demonstrated through the specific banning of The Hate U Give for reasons such as youth activism and revolution.  2. Keeping books on separate shelves makes people feel invalidated about their life experiences, whether that includes their sex, gender, race, or sexuality. This is especially prevalent for young minds that are not fully developed, because if they see themselves as "other," they will begin to believe it. 
Read more