1. Racial Stereotypes about Blacks in Adolescent Literature: Helping or Hurting Standardized Reading Assessment Achievement Scores?
Facilitator: Kenia Brown, MA, MLS, EDS Barry University June 28, 2017 EDU 723-Advanced Seminars in Reading Professor: Dr. Jennie Rickets-Duncan

2. Agenda Purpose Goals Definitions Stereotype Chart Themes
Cover Art Analysis
Dialogue and Language Analysis
Statistics and Trends
Feature and Journal Article
Moving Forward: Responsibility of Black Authors
Questions

3. Purpose
The purpose of this presentation is to stimulate progressive thought concerning literature marketed towards black adolescents and to determine if the current selection of books are helping or hurting student reading achievement; do the books increase recreational reading and are the stereotypical themes harmful or partial truths.

4. Goals Define multiculturalism
Define stereotypes and analyze demographic stereotypes
Analyze young adult literature covers
Analyze dialect in young adult literature
Discuss trends and statistics of young adult literature for black students
Review contemporary thoughts about black young adult readers and teaching to engage

5. Definitions Multiculturalism:
Works that focus on [people of color](Kruse and Homing, 1990, p. vii)
Literature about racial or ethnic minority groups that are culturally and 
socially different from the white AngloSaxon majority in the United States, whose largely middleclass values and customs are most represented in American literature (Norton, 1999, p. 580)
Cai, M. (2011). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: reflections on critical issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press page 4-6.

6. Definitions Multiculturalism:
Books that feature people of color, the elderly, gays and lesbians, 
religious minorities, language minorities, people with disabilities, 
gender issues, and concerns about class (Harris, 1994b, p. 117).
Literature by and about people who are members of groups 
considered to be outside thesociopolitical mainstream of the United 
States (Sims Bishop, 1992, p. 39).
Books other than those of the dominant culture (Austin and Jenkins, 1973, p. 50)
Cai, M. (2011). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: reflections on critical issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, page 4-6)

7. Definitions Stereotypes
Miller Lachmann (1992) defines stereotyping as follows: [W]hen an author assigns general 
characteristics to a group particularly if those characteristics have long 
been attributed to the group rather than exploring its members' diversity and individuality(p. 16). 
Stereotype is a pejorative term that denotes an oversimplified generalization that trivializes individual differences and complexities.
Stereotyping also converts real persons into constructed, artificial people (Enterman, 1996, p. 1).
Cai, M. (2011). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: reflections on critical issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (pg. 69)

8. Stereotypes as Partial Truths
“When stereotypes in books for children and young adults are 
criticized, a typical argument put forward in their defense is: 
Aren't some people in real life like that? It implies that if the 
images exist in reality, it is then legitimate to present them in 
literature.” Jack and Honeybunch Go to Heaven, a delightful 
picture book that depicts blacks in heaven eating spareribs and listening to jazz, has been criticized for being too stereotyped. Why? Some African Americans do like jazz and spareribs. Ezra Jack Keat's books about Peter have been accused of being 
derogatory because the mother portrayed is a large black 
woman. What is wrong with that? Some African American 
mothers are large women, (p. 402)
Cai, M. (2011). Multicultural literature for children and young adults: reflections on critical issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press pg. 74.

9. Evaluating Demographic Stereotypes
Stereotype (Describe stereotypical thoughts or ideas you have about the demographic)
Where/Why/When did you develop or determine this stereotype? (Describe the experience)
Low income/welfare recipients
Politicians
Teachers
Black female
Black male athlete
Black male doctor
White male
Indian doctor
Muslim business owner
Woman in a wheelchair
Overweight white woman
Person with Down Syndrome
Hispanic female teen in the mall
Flight attendant
Police officer

10. Black Male

11. Black Male: (from graphic novel “Monster”

12. Black Male

13. Black Female

14. Black Female Relationships With Each Other

15. Black Female Relationships With Each Other

16. Black Young Adults in Love

17. Black Young Adults in Love

18. Black Young Adult (16 – 20 year olds)

19. Black Female Self-Esteem

20. Questions of Responsibility re: Language, dialect and Poverty Themes
Is appealing to black young adult and adolescent readers with overuse of slang, socio-economic dialect and poverty themes and/or profanity irresponsible considering high stakes assessments and failing schools?

21. Questions of Responsibility re: Language, dialect and Poverty Themes
Does the end justify the means? The end: the realistic urban fiction increases black adolescent recreational reading? Does the increased recreational reading increase achievement scores? Are words of slang, profanity the best way/only way to engage black students? Is this way leading to assessment results?

22. What 5 words from the exerpt do you think could provide subliminal reinforcement of stereotypes to a black young adult reader?

23. What stereotypical themes are subliminally being reinforcement to a black young adult reader?

24. Language on Cover Art

25. Statistics

26. Feature Article Discussion Moving Forward/Questions
Paul Langan: Do black children need realistic urban fiction as a catalyst to increase recreational reading (preventing assaults)? Dr. Chris Emdin: Do white teachers need increased training in teaching black children and engaging black children to read?