Thread by @Ebonyteach

A Birthday Cake for George Washington was challenged on multiple grounds, and rightfully so. In my opinion, its fundamental problem was that it was historically inaccurate, and perpetuates myths of the Founding. (See my recent article.)

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I've co-authored 2 academic articles about this:
academia.edu/29353278/Much_…
academia.edu/36759519/Georg…

A third article is in progress, as is a book, #ReadingRacialHistory.

I'm also on the advisory board for a recent report on the teaching of US slavery:
tolerance.org/frameworks/tea…

I've also done plenty of threads on slavery in children's literature over the past 4 years. You can search @Ebonyteach & "slavery." This was my National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoc research project, but I've been working on this issue for almost a decade now.

It is difficult to gain access to schools to research how we learn about slavery, difficult to trace how historical knowledge about slavery is gleaned through sites outside of K-16 history courses (e.g., picturebooks, novels, TV shows, films) & difficult to publish in this area.

As a researcher, when I've sought access to schools to study how slavery is being handled in literacy classes, I've gotten side-eyed. What's my motive for asking questions about slavery?

And both articles in print were quite a journey. (Grateful to the editors of both.)

The Teaching Tolerance report confirms my experiences over the past 6 years, which is why I was happy to sign on. When it comes to slavery, I'd argue that all Americans are united in a conspiracy of silence, where White guilt meets Black shame.

It's time for that to end.

Some of my mentors in the field (senior scholars who've been studying Black children's literature for decades) wanted to publish a response to that NYT editorial. But the NYT wasn't interested.

Once again, this is why compared to authors & journalists, critics have little power.

Instead of asking why critics, activists, parents, and others objected to picturebooks like A FINE DESSERT & A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON, ask yourself how both stories could've been revised during the editorial process.

This is not about creators; it's about systems.

Taken together, even good children's books about slavery are leaving kids without enough information about what happened in the past, and why. Those misperceptions aren't corrected by textbooks in middle or high school, as the Teaching Tolerance report shows.

Now, I'd argue that no single children's book should shoulder that burden. But when do the horrors of United States history get taught? Especially when it's written into the Constitution that we have a right to be happy? politico.com/magazine/story…

If you missed Barbara Ehrenreich's BRIGHT SIDED when it came out a decade ago, it may be time to pick up a copy or listen to the audiobook.

As a culture, we don't like to think about unpleasant things. We also seem to believe in "positive confession." nytimes.com/2009/10/10/boo…

Why can't the United States face what happened in its past? Because our culture -- & this cuts across many demographics -- rewards "being positive."

We believe in magic. But we can't wish our way out of our present troubles. npr.org/templates/stor…

We need to face our history & ourselves. Otherwise, we're in trouble.
(I know all about what it means to wish, to hope, to dream. I wanted to escape into fantasy & fairy tales. But... if we die while we're in these dreams, we'll die in reality.)