I think kids in every minority need to see people like themselves in books; that's an acknowledgment of their existence on this planet and in this society.
Interpretation
Representation in literature helps children from minority backgrounds feel acknowledged and validated in society.
This quote emphasizes the importance of representation in children's literature, particularly for kids from minority backgrounds. It underscores that when children see characters who look like them in books, it not only validates their identity but also helps them understand their place in the world. This acknowledgment is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging and self-worth among young readers.
In practice
In a discussion about diversity in literature at a book fair.
When I was growing up as a young lesbian in the '50s, I looked in vain for books about my people. I did find some paperbacks with lurid covers in the local bus station, but they ended with the gay character's committing suicide, dying in a car crash, being sent to a mental hospital, or 'turning' heterosexual.
Teaching is a profession in which capacity building should occur at every stage of the career - novices working with accomplished colleagues, skillful teachers sharing their craft, and opportunities for teacher leadership.
You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.
Critical and liberating dialogue, which presupposes action, must be carried on with the oppressed at whatever the stage of their struggle for liberation. The content of that dialogue can and should vary in accordance with historical conditions and the level at which the oppressed perceive reality.
Every lecture should state one main point and repeat it over and over, like a theme with variations. An audience is like a herd of cows, moving slowly in the direction they are being driven towards. If we make one point, we have a good chance that the audience will take the right direction; if we make several points, then the cows will scatter all over the field. The audience will lose interest and everyone will go back to the thoughts they interrupted in order to come to our lecture.
I don't know where to start," one [writing student] will wail. Start with your childhood, I tell them. Plug your nose and jump in, and write down all your memories as truthfully as you can. Flannery O' Connor said that anyone who has survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of his or her life. Maybe your childhood was grim and horrible, but grim and horrible is Okay if it is well done. Don't worry about doing it well yet, though. Just get it down.
We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.
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