We celebrate nationally a racist propaganda enthusiast who for the majority of his career created cartoons depicting blacks as Niggers and criminals. For Dr. Seuss great works of blatant racism-we celebrate and wear hats! We dress our scholars up. We have school days and pass our bookmarks with The Cat in The Hat image. I have even seen principals of color promote school-wide activities for good ole boy Dr. Seuss.
In turn, we condemn Trump and other racists’ actions as Confederate statues while leaving the memory of one of the most well known racist cartoonist intact. It is a disgusting sight to witness grown adults, specifically adults of color, dress as Suess. Would we place white sheets with eyeholes as Klan members and walk around school? Would we black face our children and send them to school? Yet, we do when we wear our "cute" striped hats. In the name of making reading fun, we create safe images of a man that was a major proponent of supporting factions and laws that were directly against people of color, Koreans, Asians, and immigrants.
The apologists will state, "Can't everyone change?" Yes, they can. We all can be forgiven and correct our actions but we must be held accountable for all the actions that we directed in our names. There is no overwhelming evidence beyond loose assumed correlations that he was regretful; however, there is a mountain of cartoons that were left as a legacy of his racist’s beliefs. The facts remain that Dr. Seuss was a racist. A loud, proud, and very verbal proponent and supporter of racism in America that we consistently overlook. To be fair, Dr. Seuss is quoted as saying that he was slightly regretful of some of his earlier work; however, he never condemned nor regretted all of his work of that nature. His later work is still in question as the images are not as clear but the messaging may be implied or embedded. I can not in good faith promote, teach, or trust Leaders of POC who promote a known racist.
I teach my scholars that the first rule of reading before you open the book is to: 1. Research the author. Why? Who the author is will have a great weight of how much value I attribute to your material. 2. Many can lie or create great fiction but the non-fiction of your life to me always reveals the spirit of what the author intended ie Facebook lives. Every one is a star on the book or Gram but what is your real-life like? It is clear what this author (Dr. Seuss) is and was. I ask you do your own research on Dr. Seuss. When you do, you will see why America who has been bred on the backs of systematic racism, capitalistic greed and oppression in the name of freedom embraces Dr. Seuss as its hero.
I love America. I love the citizens and my fellow neighbors. Even when America continuously shows its blatant disrespect for the equity and equality of creating safe spaces in Education for people of color but what I will not do or allow is for the truth to be white-washed and ignored in the name of making reading fun.
In turn, we condemn Trump and other racists’ actions as Confederate statues while leaving the memory of one of the most well known racist cartoonist intact. It is a disgusting sight to witness grown adults, specifically adults of color, dress as Suess. Would we place white sheets with eyeholes as Klan members and walk around school? Would we black face our children and send them to school? Yet, we do when we wear our "cute" striped hats. In the name of making reading fun, we create safe images of a man that was a major proponent of supporting factions and laws that were directly against people of color, Koreans, Asians, and immigrants.
The apologists will state, "Can't everyone change?" Yes, they can. We all can be forgiven and correct our actions but we must be held accountable for all the actions that we directed in our names. There is no overwhelming evidence beyond loose assumed correlations that he was regretful; however, there is a mountain of cartoons that were left as a legacy of his racist’s beliefs. The facts remain that Dr. Seuss was a racist. A loud, proud, and very verbal proponent and supporter of racism in America that we consistently overlook. To be fair, Dr. Seuss is quoted as saying that he was slightly regretful of some of his earlier work; however, he never condemned nor regretted all of his work of that nature. His later work is still in question as the images are not as clear but the messaging may be implied or embedded. I can not in good faith promote, teach, or trust Leaders of POC who promote a known racist.
I teach my scholars that the first rule of reading before you open the book is to: 1. Research the author. Why? Who the author is will have a great weight of how much value I attribute to your material. 2. Many can lie or create great fiction but the non-fiction of your life to me always reveals the spirit of what the author intended ie Facebook lives. Every one is a star on the book or Gram but what is your real-life like? It is clear what this author (Dr. Seuss) is and was. I ask you do your own research on Dr. Seuss. When you do, you will see why America who has been bred on the backs of systematic racism, capitalistic greed and oppression in the name of freedom embraces Dr. Seuss as its hero.
I love America. I love the citizens and my fellow neighbors. Even when America continuously shows its blatant disrespect for the equity and equality of creating safe spaces in Education for people of color but what I will not do or allow is for the truth to be white-washed and ignored in the name of making reading fun.
