Who Will read About Who? at Read Roger
http://www.hbook.com/blog/2010/02/who-will-read-about-who.html

What’s Acceptable to Believe About Kids’ Reading Choices? This guy really needs to be checked. 500+ hits to his column.

http://ozandends.blogspot.com/2010/02/whats-acceptable-to-believe-about-kids.html

And Bell is beating up this Ally at Bookslut.

Kids of Color and the New American Whitewashing

-Tee

I’d like to see more poc members commenting and engaged when these incidents jump off.

Thank you,
LaTonya

If this long link takes you to nowhere this was on AOl this morning, about the new Vanity Fair issue.

Dyanne

When I read about something like this it makes me wonder if maybe I’ve missed a book because the cover has been whitewashed.

Wow! I’m so proud of you! You broke it down and laid it out. Definitely unacceptable. Book covers should be diverse in ever sense. There is no argument. You should be applauded for reminding us on the true reality of the goings on behind the literary scene and stepping up to the plate. Keep it going Tee, you’re awesome…..You have opened so many doors …so happy to be back in the loop once again…Rawsistaz is Awesome!

love you!
Kal

When I first saw that you were going to post on this subject I had decided not to read it. I have been steaming over this issue since that debacle with Liar. I have HP and thought, enough for right now, wait a little while.

But this thing with not putting “POC” on books where “POC” are the main characters is reminiscent of the time when Black musicians could not be on the album cover. Seriously, things are moving backward at breakneck speed.

Authors have had to accept a lot from publishers especially in the way of covers. You try and give up. But this issue isn’t one that I believe an author can give in on. It would make us, the writers of color, that is, non-existence people.

But let’s forget about the writer and the morality of doing that. Let’s look at ti from the publisher’s pov. MONEY. Do they think readers will not be ticked and return the books in record time to the book stores. They evidently haven’t thought of the damage it would do to their sales. We already know people of color and the authors don’t matter. Readers not buying their books should make a noise. But of course, the intent is not to hurt the author, so I guess like you suggest Tee, we need to ban together to stop this from happening again. This would have to be my personal line in the sand.

That this is happening in 2010 makes me feel sick in the pit of my stomach.

Dyanne

Great article Tee, and I saw past your anger to see that you were hurt as well. As all of us black authors were.

We need black and other people of color to not only to create POC online communities we need to integrate mainstream sites so other folks know who and where you are. We need to dismantle the argument they don’t know where to find good POC lit and resources. And as long as we are out of sight, many won’t know where to look. I realize we shouldn’t have to lead folks by the hand. On the other hand if we were more connected with mainstream YA blogging sites for example, many of us would have witnessed the blow up firsthand. Many of us didn’t know because we don’t anything about the children/YA blogosphere. Well, it’s huge and it’s been growing for some time.

Multiculturalism Rocks

http://nathaliemvondo.wordpress.com/

Ari from Reading In Color interview Nathalie here

http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2010/01/blogger-spotlight.html

These are only a few things, but we can not sit quiet and just watch this continue to go on. Yes, you may have to take a day or week to respond in more than just anger, but we must do something.

This is one reason why it saddens me that programs like READ are not funded for LIFE. Our children need those type of programs!

-Tee

Shoot, I even started writing my article early and I normally write it the morning it’s due. ROFL. Shhhh. This post is actually the 2nd or 3rd version because that anger was coming through and overshadowing the message.

Like I said already…count RAWSISTAZ in!

-Tee

I was mad. I said so. On MLK I launched a boycott that’s how angry I was. It took me a couple days though before I could write my Open Letter to the publisher. I knew it would be linked and I knew a lot of folks were watching so I had to be careful not to come off like the crazy, angry black woman. Folks love an excuse to ignore you.

Sorry about the multiple posts. Like you, I’m passionate about this issue and we are fighting back.

Thanks.

But count me and RAWSISTAZ into the mix and I will be putting the RAWW logo on the site and supporting the efforts. This can not continue to happen!

The RAW Reviewers will CONTINUE to review books which feature POC and get the word out via our RAWSISTAZ chapters, BlackBookReviews.net and other projects we have in the works. So, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need us.

-Tee

Do you know the issues I’ve had with Joy over the whole “I want a pretty doll (aka a white doll with long straight hair)” or “I want my hair to be straight so it’ll be pretty”? She would get huffy if I had her hair braided or done in curls. What? And she was around 4 or 5. I’m sorry, but it shouldn’t be like that! Scratch that! I am NOT sorry. I’m getting pissed off again.

It shouldn’t have ever been like that. But now? NO! She should not have thought that only long and straight hair was pretty. That is absolutely ridiculous. Thankfully, she’s had me around AND those books with brown faces to show her ALL different shades and types of hair and those little brown dolls I bought even though it took me forever and ever to find them.

-Tee

And when there are polls asking for recommendations, vote. Read publications like School Library Journal so you know what’s going on. There is a great series, Writers Against Racism that was hosted by Amy Bowllan at SLJ. I encourage you all to google it. It is well worth reading and supporting.

There’s plenty to do and we readers and writers would love to have you on the frontline.

Thank you,
LaTonya

-Tee

It is unbelievable.

-Tee

I just posted a lengthy reply. I hope it shows up. Please let me know if you see it.

Plenty of white readers did get involved. A group of allies created the POC Challenge. Many wrote letters and blog posts. In the YA blogosphere this was huge. I’m very involved in the YA book blogging community and I called for a boycott. When Bloomsbury issued a statement they were changing the cover, many readers were distracted so I created Readers Against WhiteWashing. You will find links to dozen of articles on blogs and newspapers when this happened. I posted and shared this news on our RAWSISTAZ yahoo.group.

When you visit RAWW you find a large number of fans are white readers. Another project, Diversify Your Reader was created by white bloggers.

We have allies. We need more black readers in the conversation because allies cannot speak for us.

There are a handful of black book bloggers who focus on children and YA literature and we are tirelessly fighting and we have gained allies. What we need are more black readers actively reading, reviewing and blogging about books for kids of color. We need members from communities like here commenting when these controversies blow up.

One way to show publishers that we will not stand for this practice is to be vocal when it happens, to be present in the circles where publishers are reading book reviewers blogs. And believe me at BEA publishers hosted a bloggers panel. They are listening to bloggers. We need to be present at BEA and other book events. I will be speaking this summer at the National Diversity In Libraries Conference in Princeton.

Below is a list of bloggers committed to kids of color:

The Happy Nappy Bookseller

http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/

Crazy Quilts

http://campbele.wordpress.com/

Reading In Color- Only AA teen who blogs exclusively POC. She was quoted in the Guardian, Jezebel, Salon and L.A. Times. I highly suggested everyone read her letter to Bloomsbury because it lit up the blogosphere.

http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/

Black-Eyed Susan’s

http://blackeyedsusans.blogspot.com/

Color Online

http://coloronline.blogspot.com/

GAL Novelty

http://galnovelty.blogspot.com/

If you don’t blog, please start reading those of us who do. Comment.