Banned Book: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor Keishauna M. Banks ISTC 615 Towson University

BANNED BOOK Figure 1. Cover Art.(Kearney,1976). READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Why is Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry a Challenge Book? Challenged for insensitivity, racism and offensive language (ALA,2002). Racial bias Racism Violence (tar and feathering, burning, lynching, shooting Age inappropriate Racial slurs (“N” word 34 occurrences)

Examples of use of the “N” word in context in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 'Whose little nigger is this !' bellowed Mr. Barnett. Everybody in the store turned and stared at me. 'I ain't nobody's little nigger!' I screamed, angry and humiliated. . (Taylor,1976) 'You big black nigger, I oughta cut your heart out for what you done! My brothers laid up like they is and you still runnin' 'round free as a white man. Downright sinful, that's what it is ! Why, I oughta gun you down right where you sit.” . (Taylor,1976) 'We want that thieving, murdering nigger of y'all's.‘. (Taylor,1976) 'New! How come you wanna waste a new rope on a nigger!' asked Melvin Simms. (Taylor,1976)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Challenge Timeline 1993-Louisiana high school Removed from reading list due to“racial bias.” 2004-Florida school district Challenged due to“inappropriate” for the age of the group reading and due to use the “N” word. 2000: An Alabama elementary school library Challenged due to use of “racial slurs.” 2002- ALA Top 10 of ALA most frequently challenged 1998-California middle school Challenged due to use of“racial epithets.” 2004-Seminole County School in Florida African American (AA) parents of 8th graders challenged due to finding the book inappropriate for their 13-year-old son. (ALA,2015)

(Taylor,1977, p.151 )

Themes The importance of family and loyalty. The importance of land and independence The importance of self-respect and respect of others

Setting 1933 Mississippi United States Great Depression Era Segregation of Whites and Blacks/ Jim Crow Laws The South was still mainly rural. Many black families were sharecroppers and did not own land Racial prejudice / “Nightriders” or “Ku Klux Klan” Figure 5. Mississippi Sharecroppers. (Eisenstaedt, 1936) Figure 6. Mississippi Sharecroppers. (Eisenstaedt, 1936)

Figure 4.Logan Family Tree. (Taylor, 2001) Figure 3.Famiglia albero. (Stessa,2015) Figure 4.Logan Family Tree. (Taylor, 2001)

Should Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry be banned in BCPS? Follows BCPS Selection Guidelines Appropriate for recommended levels Pertinent to the curriculum and the objectives of the instructional program Representative of differing viewpoints on controversial subjects Acceptable in literary style and technical quality Accurate in terms of content Has 2 positive reviews (Glick,2014) Just because I do not like what happened in the past it does not mean that it lacks relevance. We van use lessons from the past to teach empathy, mutual respect and tolerance.

Reference List American Library Association (2015). Ten most frequently challenged books of 2002. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Related_Links7&Template=/ContentManagement/Conten tDisplay.cfm&ContentID=28124 Glick,F.(2014). Selection guidelines for school library media centers baltimore county public schools. Retrieved from https://bcpslis.pbworks.com/w/file/89801849/selection2014.docx Eisenstaedt,A.(1936) Mississippi sharecroppers [Image file]. Retrieved from http://time.com/3525476/under-a-mississippi-sun-portraits-of-depression-era- sharecroppers/ Goldberg, B. (2000). Censorship watch. American libraries, 31(2), 15. http://search.proquest.com/docview/197138423?accountid=231

Reference List Stessa, F. (2015).Famiglia albero [Image file]. Retrieved from http://it.depositphotos.com/9692433/stock-illustration-family- tree.html Taylor, M. (1976). Roll of thunder, hear my cry (D. Kearney, Illustrator). New York, New York: Dial Press. Taylor, M. (2001). The land. New York, New York: Phyllis Fogelman Books. Walicek,,J. (2015).Mississippi delta[Image file]. Retrieved from http://www.litwitsworkshops.com/