Black literature is under attack. Demand Randolph County reverse its ban on Invisible Man at tonight’s meeting. |
It took just one letter from an angry parent to convince a North Carolina school district to remove Ralph Ellison‘s Invisible Man from school libraries in the county. A short board meeting prompted by a single letter — describing one of the most significant pieces of Black literature in American history as “filthy” — was all that five members of the Randolph County Board of Education needed to feel justified in voting to ban the novel last week.1 It’s just the kind of quiet injustice — and officially-sanctioned bias — that happens behind closed doors in towns across the country all of the time. But this time, we have an opportunity to push back.
Just days after Randolph’s decision made national headlines, the school board called an emergency special meeting for tonight regarding the ban.2 If a couple of bad press hits is enough to make Randolph reconsider, imagine how powerful thousands of our voices can be.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that books by Black authors depicting American racism have been attacked. Earlier this month, the president of the Ohio Board of Education called Toni Morrison‘s The Bluest Eye “pornographic.”3 And in July, a Detroit-area school district came under fire for dumping a collection of over 10,000 volumes of invaluable Black books and artifacts.4 Enough is enough.
Banning Black stories not only alienates Black students, it denies all students the opportunity to engage with and discuss important themes like racial enmity in society and the development of personal identity. For elected officials concerned with the education of our young people, it’s particularly perverse that Randolph’s school board failed to recognize the irony of banning a book that’s about silencing critical voices and the ways in which racist culture restricts individuals from reaching their full human potential.
Thanks and Peace,
–Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Kim, Hannah, Johnny and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.
September 25th, 2013
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References
1. “Invisible Man Banned: Ralph Ellison’s Landmark Novel Banned From School Libraries,” Huffington Post, 09-19-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2956?t=9&akid=3136.1174326.F-YN-i
2. “Board to reconsider its ‘Invisible Man’ ban,” Asheboro Courier-Tribune, 09-20-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2957?t=11&akid=3136.1174326.F-YN-i
3. “ACLU to Ohio schools leader: Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ not porn,” News Channel 5, 09-12-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2958?t=13&akid=3136.1174326.F-YN-i
4. “Discarded Black history books incite protests in Detroit,” Amsterdam News, 08-10-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2959?t=15&akid=3136.1174326.F-YN-i
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You mean like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being banned or having special, censored copied made available in many school districts do to it containing the word, “nigger?”
The real question is whether a book containing reasonably detailed descriptions of pedophilia, incest, and sexual abuse of a young girl that was written by a White would be similarly banned. The answer, in all likelihood would be yes.
Methinks you just the book more by the color of its author than content of its pages.
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I think Huck finn should be in every school that wants it … and so should the Invisible Man. The notion that banning a book will some how protect children from … whatever, is odd. I have books in mind that I would love to ban but choose to go out of my way in avoiding …I don’t happen to believe everything at face value! I love fiction&nonfiction! and I feel I am able to discern fact fiction from doctrine … but not all of us can.
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I rather agree with your reply but your post seems to have a singular and different messages – that it was wrong to ban the book because it was by a Black author.
Personally, I see no value whatsoever in keeping a book by a Black on the shelves just because it’s by a Black. I care only about the content and, as for banning based upon content, my opinion of that is solely governed by the age restrictions and other controls in the school libraries.
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Actually, I don’t mention race whatsoever because I read books from all genres all writers no matter what race and a few have contained the experiences of pedophilia,incest etc. I don’t think we should run from that. I think a book that promotes it as a doctrine is questionable at best but that is my own opinion, like I said we cannot shelter our children but we can talk to them about what they are reading why and find out how they feel. I know that the Invisible man was only available to those taking diversity or black fiction/lit courses, that too is silly. It was and will always be a classic …the writer is an African American. I am sad that people in charge of educating our youth or next generation would put themselves in the albeit authority. That is just wrong. The first time I heard the N-word , yep I say N-word was in the 1st/2nd grade. I smacked the girl and ran home crying. The word has historical meaning and Finn did it justice …Now, do I want everyone using it? NO. I am slightly upset you have but I have to make my own mind up … I know my kids will have or had to read Finn and the invisible man and while they did they don’t seem tainted … I also had/have mine in alternative schools for more diversity, language skills and learning that people are different in many ways other than race religion and language … they are not bad. I am an English lit type so …
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well, like I have said on many occasions, I don’t always post things that align with my own ideology … if so, you and many others wouldn’t read post and challenge me or the writers … that would be boring.
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