Controversial storybook re-emerges

An Anonymous Patron writes “Sunday’s Boston Globe had an article called
about a new version of Helen Bannerman’s 1899 Little Black Sambo which landed a spot on the Kirkus 2003 Editors’ Choice List. Illustrator Christoper Bing thought the story had everything: ‘An exotic hero, an exotic location. It’s got danger — the tigers — and then he outwits them’. Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Director of the Media Center at the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston finds the accolade ‘outrageous.’ “

December 16, 2003 by Uncategorized 6

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6 Responses

  1. tomeboy says:
    December 17, 2003 at 12:04 am

    Just an observation…
    that Dr. Poussaint and the Judge Baker Children’s Center would hardly be considered conservative.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous Patron says:
    December 17, 2003 at 12:26 am

    And your point is?
    Hmm. Nowhere in the article does it suggest that Poussaint or the Center are conservative.

    Or is your point that conservatives aren’t the only ones who try to shut down things they disagree with?

    Or are you just trolling?

    Reply
  3. tomeboy says:
    December 17, 2003 at 2:11 am

    Re:And your point is?
    With all do respect, if you can’t honestly discern my “point” I am not sure my parsing will help.

    Reply
  4. jbz says:
    December 17, 2003 at 11:52 pm

    Institutionalized racism at work
    This is such a clear example of institutionalized racism: the illustrator has “no idea” that his work will have such a negative effect on people who feel oppressed by it. Thanks for publishing the story; I’m going to use it as an example in some upcoming anti-racism trainings.

    Reply
  5. Mary Mac says:
    December 18, 2003 at 12:55 am

    Re:Institutionalized racism at work
    I don’t know about the illustrator and his stance, but the author, a Scot, is not necessarily using Black to name an African child. She may be using it to refer to an Indian child, as in earlier days the British referred to the native people in India as blacks.– I had a copy of Little Black Sambo as a child that did NOT have the original illustrations. Although the little boy was very dark, his clothing was obviously Indian in style, never mind the names. I loved the story of how the little boy outwitted the dangerous–but dumb–tigers, and think that a new edition with updated illustrations that could rescue the story would be great.
    Here in our area Huckleberry Finn was just under seige in a local high school for using inappropriate language. We cannot re-write the past, only deal with it appropriately in the present. Some stuff we are stuck with. Little Black Sambo is the story of a wise and resourceful child. Huckleberry Finn is the first American novel with a three dimensional, admirable African American character. We lose much if we indulge in any form of censorship (imho).

    Reply
  6. jbz says:
    December 18, 2003 at 1:14 am

    Re:Institutionalized racism at work
    I agree with your sentiments on censorship (we may be in the same area, since the Huck Finn incident is local news in Seattle) but the case is still one of institutionalized racism. As I’ve been learning in supervisor’s training, sometimes the facts in a case matter less than the feelings of the people involved which cannot be dismissed without making them worse. The journalist made serious efforts to seek out a variety of views and gave voice those who felt hurt, but did not explain institutionalized racism as a system that victimizes individuals as members of groups. This is what will make it such good fodder for consciousness raising among well-meaning white people.
    As a librarian I can’t resist recommending books:
    Sharif Abdullah’s Creating a World that Works for All, Berrett-Koehler, 1999
    Jeff Hitchcock’s Lifing the White Veil, Crandall Dostie & Douglas, 2002

    Please look them over and respond with your thoughts.

    Reply

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