English Book Selection
KJ Gray-Richardson '22 Staff Writer
The pages of great literature are a looking glass that enlightens the reader with a sense of empathetic awareness. Peering into this glass provides both a reflection and a window to the personal beliefs, life experiences, and moral judgments of oneself and others. The reflections birth new perspectives, shining a light on misconceptions and reforming them to a compassionate outlook on life. The windows offer the opportunity for readers to connect cognitively and emotionally with people of different backgrounds. In a multicultural world, children must-read diverse texts that affirm their own identities and expose them to a variety of cultures beyond their own. The absence of diverse texts strips children from the opportunity to be seen, heard, and understood; and to learn, grow, and gain a global perspective.
I, along with many other students at Howard High, feel mis- or under-represented by the books taught in our English classes. Year after year as I opened the class assigned books I had to search for my looking glass. The lack of diversity in the English curriculum continuously fogs the mirror with old white men, propelling what Chimamanda Adichie calls “the danger of a single story,” time and time again.
My own single story - that of a non-diverse selection with poor representation of my own race - was challenged as I researched this article. Initially, I went into this article with very strong opinions and assumed they were all accurate depictions of the current book selection. As a senior attending Howard High school for four years, I felt I had more experience in comparison to other students and could confidently state that our current book selection was not diverse. The fact that I could count on one hand how many times I was assigned a book written by a non-white author from the last four years was all the evidence I needed. Having many discussions about the lack of diversity with my peers, I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. I felt obligated to write this article and be the voice for the minorities who didn’t feel represented.
When the books assigned in classes are written by and only contain stories of cis white men, it denies students the opportunity of gaining exposure to the real world. Maya Saleh, also a senior, said, “I feel like it takes away from moving forward… [Book selection should] give minorities the chance to finally get their place to speak up, have their say, and really have a safe place and community to really talk about their issues.” America’s dismissal of minorities is reflected in the school system’s reading list. For instance, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the most critically acclaimed novels in history and is seen as a great literary example of racial injustice and prejudice. This novel supposedly portrays the Black experience, but only contains 2 Black characters, Tom Robinson and Calpurnia. The white author, white narrator, and white protagonists are depicted as righteous and noble, seeking out justice. Atticus is in the role of the “white savior”: a white person who “guides people of color from the margins to the mainstream,” (Teachsimple). This phenomenon forces the viewer/reader to witness Black experiences from a white perspective, denying Black people the chance to explain their own experiences. In reality, the white savior is a mythical character type that over-congratulates white people for not being racist.
The few books routinely taught in the classroom that are written by non-white authors (specifically Black authors) only depict the slave experience. On one hand, America’s refusal to acknowledge slavery gaslights African Americans' generational trauma and manipulates the world into believing “slavery happened so long ago” and “wasn’t even that bad.” It’s crucial to acknowledge slavery and its impact in America. On the other hand, to solely promote that depiction of the Black experience is degrading, and further strengthens the white superiority complex in this country and in popular literature, which, as Saleh explains, “continue[s] on those really toxic, dehumanizing ideas that we’ve had in this country forever.” Senior Uzo Iloanya adds, “Even though it is a part of our past… we were people before we were slaves. We were people while we were slaves. And we were people after. We should… expand our vision on who we are as people… in terms of art and culture [and] simple things like culinary dishes.”
Between the lack of representation, misrepresentation, and oversimplification, it’s hard to see a path to a more diverse and representative book list. In the course of my investigation, I took a peek at this book list and was shocked to see more diverse book options than I anticipated. There were quite a few added since I was a freshman that I was completely unaware of, such as “Things Fall Apart,” “The Good Earth,” and “The Poet X.” The majority of these books are in the 9th grade curriculum. A freshman, Fatoumata Ben Aya, explains, “The books that we read in Mrs. McManus’s class… are more diverse. We read one story, and that story was by a black author.” This text, Jason Reynolds’s “Long Way Down,” doesn’t solve the issues of representation and relatable plots according to Iloanya. “It’s about gun violence. It’s about Black people in the hood.”
Underclassmen have a whole different set of looking glasses provided by the new set of books added in the book selection. The question is whether this increased representation through new book titles like “Long Way Down” will provide the step up we need in a predominantly white school in desperate need to see our Black community as more than descendants of slaves and violent criminals.
However, limited options is only one of the many factors impacting teachers’ decisions to present diverse literature. From a student perspective, teachers have selected the same “classic” texts year after year with little thought to student interest. Once I spoke with teachers, this perception was challenged. Many teachers want to diversify the books as well, but the closed-door process of selection is something unknown to students. We don’t know that teachers care.
Contrary to popular belief, teachers are not in charge of selecting books for the curriculum. The book selection process consists of the recommendations from the book committee, approval of the Board of Education, and good responses from the public all before the books end up in schools. The book committee is an open council of parents, teachers, students, and community members who propose new titles for the curriculum. The committee receives a list of recommended books, which the county purchases for the council to read, and each member must decide if the book fits into the curriculum standards for a specific grade. Maturity rating and lexile scores are also determining factors. A lexile score measures how difficult a text is, so if a book has a low score it cannot be taught in higher grade levels. There is more focus on maturity ratings with lower grade levels to ensure that the content is not overwhelming for students. Other factors like diversity and inclusivity may not be determining factors unless a member advocates them to be. Former book committee member and supporter of the We Need Diverse Books movement, Ms. Jeffrey, shared the positive effect of having diverse members on the board, saying, “From a black woman's perspective… there was a lack of diversity in the book[s] where my insight is different than another teacher's insight. The Asian teacher's insight is different from my insight. He or she may see something that I totally missed. And so we try to come to a compromise.”
The fight for actually reading diverse texts in the classroom only begins with the Book Committee; then it’s up to teachers to decide if they want to teach new books. Teachers might have to pay out of pocket for class copies of new books. During the pandemic, schools gained access to virtual resources like Actively Learn, which encouraged teachers to teach new books because it provides students with free access. Dr.McArdle, the English Department Instructional Team Leader, shares, “Over the last three years, we've seen a significant change in the diversity of authors and the types of books that are available to us.” Although Actively Learn is a useful tool, many teachers still prefer hard copies of books, and titles with which they are familiar. As Dr. McArdle described, “ English teachers… work hard and when you plan a novel to teach and you've been teaching it for years, you get better at teaching it. So sometimes when you teach a new novel, you don't feel as ‘on your game’ as a teacher because you have to learn a lot about the book.” Complicating the choice further are factors like available materials for newer titles, and teachers’ comfort with diverse literature.
HCPSS policy 8050 addresses teaching controversial topics and advises teachers to allow open discourse and students’ expression, but must do so in an “objective and impartial manner.” As Saleh points out, a lot of diverse literature contains controversial issues. “[Teachers will] talk about the bare minimum to try their best to make people as comfortable as they can be. Why are you trying to make a subject that is uncomfortable and has traumatized generations a comfortable topic? That doesn’t make sense.” This caution leads teachers to rely on classic titles and, according to Saleh, “mask that uncomfortability.” Ms.Jeffery adds, “I know there is a need for classics, but I also think there’s a need for diverse voices… And I’m the kind of person that likes to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
I think we all should adopt this mindset and be a part of the change. Diversifying books starts with students having a spot at the table. I, like many other students, had no idea what the Book Committee was before I started this article. Ms. Jeffery advises, “What I think you all don't know is that you do have a voice. You just never knew you had a voice. So if you want to make a change, make a change.” Students need to join the Book Committee so we can voice our opinions. In the meantime, teachers must put forth the effort of learning new titles and building resources to show that they understand the importance of diversity: To combat a history of white privilege by giving a voice to historically silenced minority students through representation in literature. It’s not an inconvenience to listen to our stories; it’s an important mirror for minorities and a window for all students to connect with the diverse community at Howard High.