Thursday, June 18, 2009
Education / Hannan Parent Finds Donelson Christian Academy Summer Reading Offensive
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Comments (19)
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I think she is right to be pissed for not getting any response from the principle. But I think she's waaay off base in wanting the book off the list. She should be glad that the school, as white as it is, wants their kids to learn about diversity and the racial obstacles Jackie Robinson had to overcome. I can't remember the specific books I read, but I remember reading stuff similar to that in grade school, and it only made me more sensitive to the detrimental effect of racist slurs, not less sensitive.
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Wow. This *might* have been a good opportunity to educate her kid about racism and how people used to think and talk and act in this country and why we no longer view words like this as appropriate.
Instead she called for the waaaaaahmbulance.
I guess it goes without saying she wouldn't have wanted her kid reading Huckleberry Finn. Sounds like part of the problem here is that "Joey" was the only kid in the class who could offer the perspective of a non-white kid. In any book they read about racial issues, not just the Jackie Robinson book, all the kids would have been looking at him. The dynamic of the discussion might have been different in a more racially diverse class. And so how are things going to be particularly different at BGA?
As to the responsiveness of the principal, I had an interesting conversation yesterday with someone whose kids attend a public HS in Williamson County. When her kids first enrolled in the school, other parents told her she wouldn't like the principal. Then she said she realized that the principal was dealing with the helicopter parents of 1,600 kids. His strategy was not to be very responsive to their barrages of calls and emails on this, that or the other. Instead, he always made himself available to the students themselves. The parent figured out that the strategy should be to communicate with the principal through the kids. I realize that a private school is a different environment, where the parents are more directly your customers than in a public school, but there is a certain logic to this principal's approach that I respect, especially given the penchant among so many parents today to bring even minor issues directly to the school administrators.
She deserves a response from the school and a discussion with its leaders, no question.
But she also needs to realize that the kids who might be tempted to use those slurs need to see that they are wrong NOW, before they're cocky teenagers or adults. Pretending the words don't exist means that lesson can't be taught.
Interesting story. What you're missing, though, is the subtext of the decision to move their son from DCA to BGA. This is clearly about more than just finding a school that has a "diversity coordinator" or a principal who will return your calls. It's about paying twice as much tuition and jumping up the social ladder into a prep school for the rich (and overwhelmingly white) elite of Williamson County. It's kind of like transferring from Lipscomb to Vanderbilt (and claiming you are doing it because Vanderbilt has a pro-diversity policy.)
Appreciate the insight Henry, but I gotta disagree.
I think only your true social-climbers would go through the headache of uprooting their family and willingly paying twice as much money just for the sake of "jumping up the social ladder." Having talked with Catlett, she doesn't seem to fit the bill.
Also like your take on the issue, Anonymous. But like you say, a small private K-12 is quite different than a public HS with 1,600 kids. Jesus, just typing that out makes me shudder.
Uhm,
Would Battleground Academy's name not be a part of some sort of enduring, possibly nostalgic, reminder of a certain armed conflict involving the right of, well, you get the idea.
Uhm, yes. In fact, I believe the school used to have a Rebel flag incorporated into its identity, and if I recall their sports teams were called the Rebels. I believe the school's name, however, was more of a reflection of its location within the Franklin battlefield.
Words have meanings, and the only reasons to bring up that kind of language to nine year old students is to make sure that every generation continues to use them.I am the VP of Black and Blue Publishing Company the company that published Mrs. Catlett’s novel Black Butterfly. A wonderful coming of age fictional novel,that takes place here in the south. Ms. Catlett’s novel addresses race and a number of topics not appropriate for 9 year old 4th graders like her son. Learning about race and history is important, but in an age appropriate fashion is doubly important. To polarize any child of any race in a lesson or discussion to the point where they are made to feel uncomfortable is not necessary.
Anonymous – Yes my son read a new version of Huckleberry Fin not the version I read as a child. He will also read Pudd’n Wilson by the ninth grade. But not at age nine and in the 4th grade.
have him read both of Obama's books.
They gave great insight into his personal experience as a bi-racial child surrounded by white elite and native Hawaiians.
Autumn:
Can you elaborate on how the version of Huck Finn your son is reading is different from the original that you read?
Thank you, when he is a teen,
Both books by President Obama are on our bookshelves waiting for him.
Seems to me she's jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Something is fishy about this story. And possibly many of the parents and kids at DCA and maybe BGA didn't find the language offensive because they still hear those words used descriptively. Just look at our State legislature's antics lately.
Anonymous,
As a fifth grader I read the original version that was typical Mark Twain raw to the nature of the time period laced with racist language. I sat in class as my white classmates laughed at these terms. Some maybe because they had never heard them or knew for sure what they meant or who the terms where directed toward. Along side other black students who laughed too either from embarrassment or shame. I felt so uncomfortable and hurt to have to sit in class affected by the language unable to express to my classmates and my teacher that is was embarrassing and demeaning. All of the black students at some point talked about how it made them feel sad and ashamed to have to read that book in class as if the most hurtful language was nothing more than words in a book. And not wanting to read material like this for the class. My son read the illustrated classics version last year. It was the same story without raw racist language. When he is older reading any and all material in its original raw state would be ok with my husband and me.
Autumn:
I was afraid that was what you were going to say. The problem is that the racist language is not merely flavoring or detail to give the reader a more realistic sense of the time period; it is essential to the book itself — a story of how Huck comes to break with the society in which he has been raised and decides that he'd rather go to hell than to maintain the old racist attitudes.
If fifth-graders are reading Huck Finn in class, it is essential that their teacher explain what's going on with the language and help the students understand both the context and purpose. You can also make the case for waiting until students are in late middle school or high school before reading this book. But I just don't see the point of reading this book without its original language.
Anonymous,
My ninth grade English class was perfect for books like these full of the original racist language because the kids have matured to a degree at this point. Where there is a lot of good healthy discussion shared among the students and the teacher. Opinions varied and it was a diverse group therefore it was interesting. For me it was where I learned to enjoy the works of Mark Twain and others who told their stories in this format. In due time for everything is what I am I saying, so that little brown children aren’t stripped of their dignity. Teachers find safe ways to talk about Martin Luther King Jr., always which is appreciated, so it can be done when speaking of others on any topic.
Why is that so unreasonable to you?
What good comes from nine year old children reading about lynching with this kind of brutal language?
I agree with Autumn. Words are power. They can hurt and destroy. Used properly, with sensitivity and respect for others, they can uplift and educate. If the school is offering a book like this, there should be some discussion of those negative words. Racism is not over. We still have racists who long for the old ways and feel we don't deserve equality. The fact that the principal didn't respond to Autumn's email speaks volumes. Her opinions and concerns should have been talked about. Did he even see her or her son? I hope he did. To downgrade her for transferring her son to another school is judgmental without knowing more about the circumstances.
Educators have a great responsibility to present a well rounded education. African American youth are at the bottom of the food chain in statistics. Anyone wanting to keep their child from being a statistic by maintaining positive reinforcement, should expect some support from our educators, even if it's just to listen and respect their views, agreement or not .
This woman is someone who thrives on getting in the middle of situations ( just google her name) She loves to be on the news in the newspapers and on the radio. She is an attention seeker. I for one am very happy that she no longer is affilated with DCA, I'm sure where ever "little joey" is she is bringing her terror to that school now.
