Nashville News Blog

I think she is right to be pissed for not getting any response from the principle. But I think she's waaay off base in wanting the book off the list. She should be glad that the school, as white as it is, wants their kids to learn about diversity and the racial obstacles Jackie Robinson had to overcome. I can't remember the specific books I read, but I remember reading stuff similar to that in grade school, and it only made me more sensitive to the detrimental effect of racist slurs, not less sensitive.

I guess it goes without saying she wouldn't have wanted her kid reading Huckleberry Finn. Sounds like part of the problem here is that "Joey" was the only kid in the class who could offer the perspective of a non-white kid. In any book they read about racial issues, not just the Jackie Robinson book, all the kids would have been looking at him. The dynamic of the discussion might have been different in a more racially diverse class. And so how are things going to be particularly different at BGA?

As to the responsiveness of the principal, I had an interesting conversation yesterday with someone whose kids attend a public HS in Williamson County. When her kids first enrolled in the school, other parents told her she wouldn't like the principal. Then she said she realized that the principal was dealing with the helicopter parents of 1,600 kids. His strategy was not to be very responsive to their barrages of calls and emails on this, that or the other. Instead, he always made himself available to the students themselves. The parent figured out that the strategy should be to communicate with the principal through the kids. I realize that a private school is a different environment, where the parents are more directly your customers than in a public school, but there is a certain logic to this principal's approach that I respect, especially given the penchant among so many parents today to bring even minor issues directly to the school administrators.

Interesting story. What you're missing, though, is the subtext of the decision to move their son from DCA to BGA. This is clearly about more than just finding a school that has a "diversity coordinator" or a principal who will return your calls. It's about paying twice as much tuition and jumping up the social ladder into a prep school for the rich (and overwhelmingly white) elite of Williamson County. It's kind of like transferring from Lipscomb to Vanderbilt (and claiming you are doing it because Vanderbilt has a pro-diversity policy.)

Uhm,

Would Battleground Academy's name not be a part of some sort of enduring, possibly nostalgic, reminder of a certain armed conflict involving the right of, well, you get the idea.

Words have meanings, and the only reasons to bring up that kind of language to nine year old students is to make sure that every generation continues to use them.I am the VP of Black and Blue Publishing Company the company that published Mrs. Catlett’s novel Black Butterfly. A wonderful coming of age fictional novel,that takes place here in the south. Ms. Catlett’s novel addresses race and a number of topics not appropriate for 9 year old 4th graders like her son. Learning about race and history is important, but in an age appropriate fashion is doubly important. To polarize any child of any race in a lesson or discussion to the point where they are made to feel uncomfortable is not necessary.

have him read both of Obama's books.

They gave great insight into his personal experience as a bi-racial child surrounded by white elite and native Hawaiians.

Thank you, when he is a teen,

Both books by President Obama are on our bookshelves waiting for him.

Anonymous,

As a fifth grader I read the original version that was typical Mark Twain raw to the nature of the time period laced with racist language. I sat in class as my white classmates laughed at these terms. Some maybe because they had never heard them or knew for sure what they meant or who the terms where directed toward. Along side other black students who laughed too either from embarrassment or shame. I felt so uncomfortable and hurt to have to sit in class affected by the language unable to express to my classmates and my teacher that is was embarrassing and demeaning. All of the black students at some point talked about how it made them feel sad and ashamed to have to read that book in class as if the most hurtful language was nothing more than words in a book. And not wanting to read material like this for the class. My son read the illustrated classics version last year. It was the same story without raw racist language. When he is older reading any and all material in its original raw state would be ok with my husband and me.

Anonymous,

My ninth grade English class was perfect for books like these full of the original racist language because the kids have matured to a degree at this point. Where there is a lot of good healthy discussion shared among the students and the teacher. Opinions varied and it was a diverse group therefore it was interesting. For me it was where I learned to enjoy the works of Mark Twain and others who told their stories in this format. In due time for everything is what I am I saying, so that little brown children aren’t stripped of their dignity. Teachers find safe ways to talk about Martin Luther King Jr., always which is appreciated, so it can be done when speaking of others on any topic.

Why is that so unreasonable to you?

What good comes from nine year old children reading about lynching with this kind of brutal language?