Remove Not The Ancient Landmarks
Okay, if I've mangled that phrase, forgive me.
Life has a way of bringing things full circle. And that phrase is so appropriate. Several things occurred over the last seven days and they all come back to that phrase.
Earlier, last week, Princess A was tasked with finding a college-level book to read for her English class. We looked over the list and I pointed out Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Native Son by Richard Wright.
She said, "But I didn't want a racial book. You know...no books about race."
I kept my shock to myself. But this isn't the first time she's made a comment about her distaste for books that showcase the harsh realities of racism. She ended up choosing The Scarlet Letter.
Fast forward to Friday - I had the honor of interviewing Mildred D. Taylor, author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for The Brown Bookshelf. Ms. Taylor's answers moved me. She talked about people wanting her to dilute her books, the language and imagery because they deal with the harsh realities of segregation and race. She spoke about worrying that what she has to say no longer being relevant and this need for us, as a society, to make everything nice and neat.
I felt like she was talking to me. Or at the very least prompting me to ensure I didn't let Princess A run away from the past - our past as Americans, our past as African Americans.
Then, on my way home Friday, Al Sharpton was on the Michael Baisdan show talking about an event taking place in Memphis around the date that Dr. King was slain. He uttered the phrase "remove not the ancient landmarks," and I felt like - Yes, exactly!
Essentially it complements the phrase - those who don't learn/remember history are doomed to repeat it. Because if we ignore, remove evidence of or otherwise sugar coat the past, it makes it hard to put the present into perspective.
When it was all said and done, I don't regret letting Princess A choose the book she wanted. Going into a book with a bad attitude is a real mood killer. So it was essential that she choose a book she felt she could enjoy. FYI, a few pages in she was already having second thoughts.
But I digress. Interviewing Ms. Taylor and thinking about her words has reminded me that I must remain diligent about keeping the past in front of my girls. I don't want them forgetting just how many people sacrificed so they could live their current, comfortable lifestyle.
It's also a very good argument for why it's important that all readers be exposed to books by mutli-cultural authors. In the end, we've got to get all sides of the story. Not just the mainstream side!
Life has a way of bringing things full circle. And that phrase is so appropriate. Several things occurred over the last seven days and they all come back to that phrase.
Earlier, last week, Princess A was tasked with finding a college-level book to read for her English class. We looked over the list and I pointed out Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Native Son by Richard Wright.
She said, "But I didn't want a racial book. You know...no books about race."
I kept my shock to myself. But this isn't the first time she's made a comment about her distaste for books that showcase the harsh realities of racism. She ended up choosing The Scarlet Letter.
Fast forward to Friday - I had the honor of interviewing Mildred D. Taylor, author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for The Brown Bookshelf. Ms. Taylor's answers moved me. She talked about people wanting her to dilute her books, the language and imagery because they deal with the harsh realities of segregation and race. She spoke about worrying that what she has to say no longer being relevant and this need for us, as a society, to make everything nice and neat.
I felt like she was talking to me. Or at the very least prompting me to ensure I didn't let Princess A run away from the past - our past as Americans, our past as African Americans.
Then, on my way home Friday, Al Sharpton was on the Michael Baisdan show talking about an event taking place in Memphis around the date that Dr. King was slain. He uttered the phrase "remove not the ancient landmarks," and I felt like - Yes, exactly!
Essentially it complements the phrase - those who don't learn/remember history are doomed to repeat it. Because if we ignore, remove evidence of or otherwise sugar coat the past, it makes it hard to put the present into perspective.
When it was all said and done, I don't regret letting Princess A choose the book she wanted. Going into a book with a bad attitude is a real mood killer. So it was essential that she choose a book she felt she could enjoy. FYI, a few pages in she was already having second thoughts.
But I digress. Interviewing Ms. Taylor and thinking about her words has reminded me that I must remain diligent about keeping the past in front of my girls. I don't want them forgetting just how many people sacrificed so they could live their current, comfortable lifestyle.
It's also a very good argument for why it's important that all readers be exposed to books by mutli-cultural authors. In the end, we've got to get all sides of the story. Not just the mainstream side!
posted by Paula at 11:22 AM
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