The Formation of the Literacy Development of Black Males: Linking History to the Future of English Education -Children's Literature and Black Male Youth

Ebony Joy Wi lk ins Univers i ty of I l l ino is at Chicago Author/Grad Student www.ebonyjoywi lk ins .com [email protected] ewi lk i5@uic .edu

THE FORMATION OF THE LITERACY DEVELOPMENT OF BLACK MALES: LINKING HISTORY TO THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH EDUCATION – CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND BLACK MALE YOUTH

When you follow in the path of your father, you

learn to walk like him –

Ashanti proverb

WWW.EBONYJOYWILKINS.COM

RQ. How does a historical examination of children’s literature, specifically picture books with black male characters, inform the literacy development of black male youth?

MAIN AIMS

FOUR CHAPTERS

Absence Mis-representation

Birth Arrival

ABSENCE

§ 

Misrepresentation

An author as image-maker can shape a reader’s reality (Gerald, 1972)

BIRTH LO O K C LO S E LY AT T H E S E M I R R O R S , T H E S E PA L E T T E S O F S K I N . E AC H C O LO R I S R I C H I N I T S OW N R I G H T ( T H O M A S & C O O P E R , 2 0 0 8 )

BIRTH

“…I am writing to ask you if you will please put in your paper some of the things that colored boys can work at when they grow up” –Franklin Lewis

ARRIVAL (20 T H CENTURY)

Recreation of literary image of

blacks

More books written about and by African

Americans

More accurate

descriptions of black

experience

1969

ARRIVAL

¡ Carved spaces for reading and writing  Writings used to:

§ build intellect § encourage

§ teach black history § inform

§ build self efficacy § value each other

§ right incorrect images § promote their voices

HISTORICALLY

Broderick, 1973; Larrick,

1965; Sims Bishop, 1982

“All-White World;” Negative representations

Of 5,206 books published, 6.7 % included 1 black

child Of 4,775 books, 14.4 % included blacks, negative representations

RESEARCH

Literature can impact our current literacy spaces:

q Serve as a bridge q Be used as a tool q Inform about students’ lives

PARALLELS

§ Literature as Shared Learning Experiences

§ Include black males § Collaborate with: § parents § community § students

§ Meaningful Interchanges with Books

§ Discuss misrepresentations § Use of enabling, high level books

WHAT NEXT

Texts and curriculum greatly shape African American students’ affirmations of themselves.

When they do not see themselves represented in literature, it is likely they will not read, feel unvalued, and could disengage in school all together (Harris, 1990; Sims Bishop, 1990;

Tatum, 2009)

WHAT WE KNOW

§ Check Awards’ lists § Publisher websites:

§ Just Us Books § Lee & Low Books

§ Black Books Galore! § Goodreads

§ Author websites § Blogs

§ Research journals

WHERE TO LOOK

¡  B ank s ton , J . ( 2 0 0 4 ) . C o r et ta Sc ot t K i n g an d th e S to r y be h i n d th e C o r et ta Sc ot t K i n g Awar d . B e ar, De laware : M i t c h e l l Lane P ub l i s h e r s .

¡  B rode r i c k , D . ( 1 97 3 ) . Image o f the B lack in Ch i ld re n ' s F i c t i on . New York , R .R . B owke r. ¡  H ar r i s , V. ( 1 9 9 0 ) . A f r i c an A m e r i c an C h i ld re n ' s L i te ra t u re : T h e f i r s t o ne h undre d ye ar s ,

Jour n a l o f N e g r o Ed uc at i on . 5 9 , no . 4 : 5 4 0 -5 5 5 ¡  Johns on -Fe e l ing s , D . ( 1 9 9 6 ) . T h e Be s t o f th e Br ow n i e s ' Book . New York : Ox fo rd Un i ve r s i t y

P re s s . ¡  Lar r i c k , N . ( 1 9 6 5 ) . T h e A l l - W h i te Wor l d o f C h i l d r e n ’ s Book s . S a t u rday Rev iew 1 1 : 6 3 -6 5 ,

8 4 -8 5 ¡  Mar t in , M . ( 2 0 0 4 ) . Brown Go ld : M i le s tone s o f A f r i can - Ame r ican C h i ld re n ' s P ic tu re Books ,

1 8 4 5 -2 0 0 2 ( Vo l . 1 ) . New York & London : Rout ledge . ¡  Roe s s e l , D . Ram pe r s ad , A . , & A ndrews , B . ( 1 9 9 4 ) . L an g s to n H ug h e s : P o et r y fo r Yo un g

P e o p l e . New York : S te r l i ng Pub l i sh ing Co . , I nc . ¡  S aunde r s , P. ( 1 97 5 ) . T h e P or t r aya l o f th e N e g r o i n C h i l d r e n ' s L i te r a tu r e f r om 1 8 5 0 to

1 9 0 0 . Sou the rn Connec t i cu t S ta te Co l l ege . ¡  S im s B i s h op , R . ( 2 0 07 ) . Fr e e Wi th in O ur se l ve s : T he d eve lop me nt o f A f r i can Ame r ican

ch i ld re n ' s l i te r a tu re . We spor t , CT & London : G re e nwood P re ss . ¡  S im s B i s h op , R . ( 1 9 8 2 ) . Shad ow & Subs tance : A f r o - Ame r ican Exp e r ie nce in

C o n te mp o r ar y C h i l d r e n ' s F i c t i o n . U rbana , Nat iona l Counc i l o f Te ac he r s o f Eng l i sh . ¡  Tat um , A . ( 2 0 0 8 ) . A f r i c an A m e r i c an M a le s a t R i s k : A re s e arc h e r ' s s t udy o f e ndang e re d

m a le s and l i te ra t u re t h a t wo rk s . I n S . Le h r ( Ed . ) , Shat te r ing the L o o k i n g G l as s : C h a l l e n g e , r i s k , & c o n t r ove r s y i n c h i l d r e n ' s l i te r a tu r e . No r wood , Massac huset t s : C h r i s to ph e r - G o rdo n P ub l i s h e r s , I nc .

RESEARCH

¡  Bannerman, H. (1899). The Story of Litt le Black Sambo (Vol . 1) . London: Grant Richards

¡  Christ ie, A . (1939). And then there were none: Ten Litt le Niggers : Col l ins Crime Club.

¡  Coll ier, B. (2007). Uptown : L ive Oak Media ¡  Flourney, V. Pinkney. J . (1985). The patchwork qui lt . New York: Penguin Inc. ¡  Hof fmann, H. (1845). The Story of Inky Boys . Glasgow: Blackie and Sons Ltd. ¡  Siegelson, K. & Pinkney, B. (1999). In the t ime of Drums (1 ed.) . New York:

Hyperion Book CH. ¡  Shange, N. & Nelson, K. (2004). Ell ington Was Not a Street New York: Simon

& Schuster Chi ldren's Publishing. ¡  Steptoe, J . (1993). Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: an Afr ican Tale : Harper

Festival . ¡  Steptoe, J . (2001). In Daddy's Arms I Am Tal l : Afr ican Americans Celebrating

Fathers New York: Lee & Low Books ¡  Thomas, J .C. & Cooper, F. (2008). The Blacker the Berry: Amistad. New York ¡  Waldman, L. (1993). My Neighborhood: The words and pictures of inner-city

chi ldren . Chicago: The Hyde Park Bank Foundation. ¡  Wilkins, E.J . (2010). Sellout . New York: Scholastic Press.

LITERATURE REFERENCES