CCBC-Net Action Items

Sunday, March 2, 2014

In February of 2014, the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin hosted a month-long discussion of multicultural literature. The first two weeks were about the state of the field, which is not showing the growth it could. Doing the math, a little over seven percent of the books published last year had African/African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific or Asian/Pacific American, or Latino content, themes, topics, or characters. These are the numbers shared by CCBC at the start of the discussion:

We [CCBC] received approximately 3,200 books at the CCBC in 2013. Of those,

• 93 books had significant African or African American content

• 67 books were by Black authors and/or illustrators  

• 33 books had American Indian themes, topics, or characters (see note at bottom of page regarding quality)

• 17 books were by American Indian authors and/or illustrators

• 58 books had significant Asian/Pacific or Asian/Pacific American content

• 85 books were by authors and/or illustrators of Asian/Pacific heritage

• 57 books had significant Latino content

• 48 books were by Latino authors and/or illustrators 

In the third week, the CCBC discussion broadened to include a specific book: Tim Tingle's How I Became A Ghost. In the fourth week, the book that was up for discussion was Eric Gansworth's If I Ever Get Out of Here. Both are exemplary works of literature by Native writers. 

If you clicked on the links I provided for the books, you may have noticed that they both went to Birchbark Books in Minneapolis. It is a small, independent bookstore that specializes in books by Native writers. Another small, independent bookstore I support is the one run by Teaching for Change. 

On the 21st, Zetta Elliot was interviewed on NBC New York. If I could, I'd embed that video. Since I can't, please go watch it: Zetta Elliot on Diversity in Children's Books.

At the end of the discussion, listserv member Sarah Hamburg synthesized some of the ideas put forth regarding how people could advocate for more books that are representative of all the peoples who, in some way, are part of the United States. Sarah included a great many links. I've added a few more, and invite you to send me links for those I've missed, or ones that could be added. 

Based on feedback I've already received (5:20 PM, March 2, 2014), I'm adding this right now:

Support small bookstores! Above, I (Debbie) pointed to Birchbark Books in Minneapolis as a source for books by Native writers. Another source I pointed to is Teaching for Change. They have an online store, and a physical one, too, inside of Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. Deborah Menkart, Executive Director at Teaching for Change, sent me an article with a graph that shows--quite powerfully--their commitment to carry books by or about people of color. And support organizations committed to social justice. Rethinking Schools has excellent materials for professional development. 

As you read Sarah's words below, you'll see places where she suggested/asked people to add to what she's done. The things I added are marked with an asterisk. 

Here is Sarah's synthesis:

Many of the ideas focused on personal activism: actively buying books representing a diverse range of voices; committing to ongoing challenges (Crystal Brunelle mentioned The Birthday Book Challenge, Diversity on the Shelf Challenge, and Latino/as in Kids’ Lit. Challenge); recommending and promoting diverse books to others when and wherever possible; asking for them at bookstores, schools and libraries; using social media in those efforts and to draw attention to issues of representation; writing reviews on Amazon, B&N and Goodreads; and stepping out of personal comfort zones to make connections and advocate on these issues. *Get to know social justice organizations like Teaching for Change and Rethinking Schools, and tell others about them, too. 

For writers and illustrators, people also suggested personal activism would include: stepping out of artistic comfort zones; consciously considering questions of representation, audience and perspective in one’s work (including whether the perspectives and voices of people of color tend to be explored/presented in a heavy context); soliciting and listening to feedback from members of the communities one is writing about when going outside one’s own culture; and also considering questions of cultural bias and representation while conducting research and evaluating sources.*Cynthia Leitich Smith wrote an outstanding piece for writers that is a must-read: Writing, Tonto & the Wise-Cracking Minority Sidekick Who Is the First to Die.  

The same considerations hold true for those publishing, buying and using books with children, promoting books to parents and teachers, creating library and bookstore displays… etc. including whether those books receive the same quality and quantity of promotion, and whether they are somehow held apart from other books.

Many came back to the importance of smaller presses in making space for new voices. This included Tim Tingle’s publishers Cinco Puntos Press and RoadRunner Press, and Lee & Low Books. (Would it be helpful to create a list to share here of independent publishers who are actively publishing “multicultural” books?) Lyn Miller-Lachmann talked about visiting smaller presses at conventions to order books and create buzz. Jason Low talked about “liking” Lee & Low on Facebook and using social media to promote them and their titles, and purchasing their books through independent bookstores. Are there other ways people can actively support small presses, or that smaller children’s publishers can perhaps share resources to further cross-promote with one another? (Some consortium, such as an umbrella website?)

People also mentioned the importance of writers’ events and conferences, such as the Native American Literature Symposium (NALS), VONA Voices, the Lambda Literary Foundation, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the Muslim Voices Conference, the Comadres and Compadres Writers’ Conference, and the Carl Brandon Society. (Would it be helpful to compile a list of similar conferences/organizations?) Is there a way to facilitate more outreach to events such as these, and also encourage more inclusion/ promotion of writing for children at those events? *In addition to NALS, an option for Native writers is Wordcraft Circle. 

Along with such conferences, people talked about the possibility for individual outreach to writers/ artists who are working in other areas, but who seem like they might be suited to the children’s book field (like Debbie Reese introducing Eric Gansworth to Cheryl Klein.)

It’s exciting to see new businesses forming, like Cake Literary and the Quill Shift Literary Agency (where you can sign up to be a reader.) Are there other ways people could help promote them?

People have also started an amazing array of blogs, websites and tumblrs that focus on aspects of diversity in children’s books. These include Diversity in YA, Rich in Color, American Indians in Children’s Literature, The Dark Fantastic, CBC Diversity, Lee & Low’s blog, Cynsations, *Crazy Quilt Edi, *Fledgling, *The Brown Bookshelf… (I know I’m leaving many out! Please add them– would a list of these be helpful, too?) Would it also be helpful to create some sort of consortium here as well–like the Niblings umbrella?

In addition, people asked that “diversity” be an inclusive idea, and not limited to one group or set of groups.

Along with these existing or already mentioned avenues for activism, I had a few other possible ideas based on issues people have raised. Some may well already exist in some form, and if so please excuse my ignorance! I also don’t know if some may feel segregating rather than inclusive, or otherwise problematic–but here they are (All initiatives mentioned below would include leadership in design and implementation by people from the communities in question.):

School Library Journal, Horn Book…etc. might create a regular column, written by a Native, PoC, and/or LGBT, and/or Muslim, and/or disabled contributor, which might discuss issues regarding children and books in different communities, or highlight reviews of recent books by people from those communities, or discuss collection development/classroom use issues related to problematic books, or be published in a bilingual format, or simply be a space always kept open for additional voices from less-represented communities.

Development of a course within the Massachusetts 5-college area, in conjunction with the Carle Museum, for Native college students/students of color to study illustration and writing for children.

Outreach to a group like 826, with centrally-organized workshops about writing/illustrating led by people in the children’s book community.

A group within SCBWI for Native artists/ people of color to meet and speak about issues in the field specific to their communities, and provide resources and networking opportunities.

A subsidized (with some form of community grant?) internship at one of the children’s publishing divisions or literary agencies for a person of color or Native person.
Some form of organized mentorship program for aspiring authors/ illustrators.

A bilingual division of something like Net Galley, featuring bilingual books, and other books by Latino/a writers and illustrators.

A group made up of members of publishers’ marketing departments, convened to study marketing strategies and approaches, with leadership that includes, outreach to, and input from members of different communities.

Some e-publishing/print-on-demand initiative or business, focused on bringing back out-of-print titles by people of color.

Also, something like the New York Review of Books Classics, which would bring back into print/reissue/highlight classic children’s books by people of color–including international titles. (Or, actively petitioning the NYRoB children’s collection to include more such titles–do they currently have *any* books by people of color on their list? I couldn’t find them.)

Concerted outreach at events like Bologna to find and acquire titles by international authors of color/indigenous authors for publication in the US.

Something like the PEN New England Discovery Award (which recognizes the work of unpublished children’s writers, and provides an opportunity to have that work read by an editor at a publishing house) that would be national, and would recognize work by unpublished Native/PoC writers. It could include a specific category for nonfiction.

Inclusion of Toni Morrison’s book Playing in the Dark (and Zeta Elliott’s article “Decolonizing the Imagination”) on the reading list at MFA Programs focused on writing for children, with a curriculum that includes more lectures/discussions about race, writing and the imagination–not just in the context of discussion about writing outside one’s own culture.

Focused outreach as part of recruitment initiatives for MFA in writing for children programs (perhaps writers’ conferences like those listed above would be one good place?) and promotion of existing opportunities like the Angela Johnson scholarship at VCFA.

A centralized resource for parents/teachers that would look at still-read classics and more contemporary books, and examine different responses/ perspectives on those books related to representation. This might include strategies and perspectives on classroom use. (A sort of “critical engagement” resource, with different perspectives- like that of Debbie Reese’s American Indians in Children’s Literature.)

More inclusion of issues related to representation/cultural bias in reviews of current nonfiction and fiction titles.

Some central website to publish/promote lists of recommended titles (such as the Top 100 Books by Indigenous Writers, Recommended Books regarding the Middle East, Lee & Low’s Pinterest pages, and the many other lists of recommended books shared here…) There might also be the possibility of compiling and promoting new lists, based on the needs and interests of those who work with children.  Maybe individual titles from the lists could be highlighted on a rotating basis as well.

Lobbying and activism on related issues, such as funding for public schools and libraries, and support of those institutions (as well as businesses like independent bookstores) on the local level.

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It is important to note that, among the list of 33 books with American Indian themes, topics, or characters, there are some that are stereotypical in nature, like Susan Cooper's Ghost Hawk, or otherwise problematic, like Helen Frost's Salt. Right now (March 3, 2014), those two books are actually selling in greater quantities than Tingle or Gansworth's books.