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[Makonero]

The first lady, who is increasingly carving out a public profile for herself, chose the classic children's book and nine other Dr. Seuss titles to send to an elementary school in Cambridge, Mass., in celebration of "National Read a Book Day."

But a librarian at Cambridgeport School refused to accept the gift, criticizing Trump administration education policies and images in the books.

Seuss's illustrations are "steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote in a letter to Trump on Tuesday.

Phipps Soeiro points to recent literature that addresses potential racism in Seuss's work, including a book by professor of children's literature Philip Nel that argues Seuss's depiction of the Cat in the Hat was based on racial stereotypes and inspired by traditions of blackface entertainment.

She also calls Seuss "a bit of a cliché" and a "tired and worn ambassador for children's literature" in her letter posted on the Horn Book, a publication covering literature for children and adults.

The Cambridge school system released a statement saying the librarian "was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district," according to CBS Boston.

"We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes," the district said in the statement. Representatives from the school system did not respond to requests from The Washington Post for comment.

Read the rest here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ejects-melania-trumps-gift-of-dr-seuss-books/

 

[hey_monkey]

Man, this is the clickbaity-est approach to this story. Yeah, she criticized the choice of the Dr. Seuss books, but that there are so many other books that could be sent out to help engage more children is a good point.

But this was all the second part of her objections. The process of choosing the best schools and sending resources there is in fact deeply flawed. I fully agree with that and it should be called out. I read this the other day on (her?) site and the original framing was less controversial. Here, that detail is buried.

 

[skullmuffins]

Man, this is the clickbaity-est approach to this story. Yeah, she criticized the choice of the Dr. Seuss books, but that there are so many other books that could be sent out to help engage more children is a good point.

But this was all the second part of her objections. The process of choosing the best schools and sending resources there is in fact deeply flawed. I fully agree with that and it should be called out. I read this the other day on (her?) site and the original framing was less controversial. Here, that detail is buried.

Yeah, I have to agree. I saw some people commenting on this story on twitter like 'wow how ridiculous she's rejecting books because she doesn't like trump' but reading the story, her reasons seem pretty legit. They're sending free books to well-performing, well-funded schools in well-off districts and the Secretary of Education has made it her life's work to dismantle the public education system.

The librarian wrote that rather than sending books to a well-funded elementary school in Cambridge, Trump should instead be devoting resources to schools in “underfunded and underprivileged communities” that are “marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.” Critics view DeVos, a billionaire who has worked for decades to promote school choice, or alternatives to traditional public schools, as one of the most anti-public-education secretaries in the department’s history.

...

She noted that in Cambridge, where yearly per-pupil spending is more than $20,000, her students have access to “a school library with over nine thousand volumes and a librarian with a graduate degree in library science.”

“So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books,” wrote Phipps Soeiro, who could not immediately be reached for comment.

Other school libraries in cities including Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit are being closed because of expansion, privatization and school choice, she wrote.

“Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control?” she asked.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

The Seuss criticisms are ridiculous, but it's a pretty dumb gesture.

 

[ThLunarian]

I never considered that Dr Seuss could be racist. That makes me kind of sad. I like his stories

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

I never considered that Dr Seuss could be racist. That makes me kind of sad. I like his stories

He did a lot of racist propaganda cartoons, but apparently reformed later in life

 

[Ishan]

Yeah, I have to agree. I saw some people commenting on this story on twitter like 'wow how ridiculous she's rejecting books because she doesn't like trump' but reading the story, her reasons seem pretty legit. They're sending free books to well-performing, well-funded schools in well-off districts and the Secretary of Education has made it her life's work to dismantle the public education system.

Agree but this is still a bad look . At some point even we on the left have to understand impressions matter . How will this be portrayed ? Anti trump person rejects free books by Melanie etc . Pick your battles wisely . No one won a war by winning every battle in any real competed war

 

[Arttemis]

Yeah, I have to agree. I saw some people commenting on this story on twitter like 'wow how ridiculous she's rejecting books because she doesn't like trump' but reading the story, her reasons seem pretty legit. They're sending free books to well-performing, well-funded schools in well-off districts and the Secretary of Education has made it her life's work to dismantle the public education system.

These quotes should be in the OP

Agree but this is still a bad look . At some point even we on the left have to understand impressions matter . How will this be portrayed ? Anti trump person rejects free books by Melanie etc . Pick your battles wisely . No one won a war by winning every battle in any real competed war

A bad look? A librarian at an incredibly privileged school rejects gift of racist books from the first lady of an administration that is advocating stripping away public funds to push private schools, and demands the lowest income schools get gifts instead.

Sounds pretty level headed to me.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

I never considered that Dr Seuss could be racist. That makes me kind of sad. I like his stories

He reformed in later life and apologised for his previous work in the '30s and '40s, and went on to be a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, with a catalog of political cartoons released lampooning racist politicians and supporting reform. As long as you remember the context, I don't think you have to feel too terrible about that one - genuine repentance is a rare thing and ought to be cherished.

 

[Conor_Fool]

These quotes should be in the OP

A bad look? A librarian at an incredibly privileged school rejects gift of racist books from the first lady of an administration that is advocating stripping away public funds to push private schools, and demands the lowest income schools get gifts instead.

Sounds pretty level headed to me.

You have got to be kidding me...

 

[Xe4]

I think she should've donated the books to a poorer school publicly, and her criticisms of Seuss children stories is a bit dumb. He certainly did a lot of racial propaganda in his earlier days but did a lot to atone for it later, and I don't think it ever crept into his children's book. Some guy says Cat in the Hat was based on blackface, but I really don't see it. Seuss was an asshole definitely, but a literary genius at the same time.

Either way her other points are, well, on point.

 

[LeroyPantwether]

TIL . Horton Hears a Who's true meaning . As someone who has read this book a million times to my son , pretty neat .

 

[Hex]

People are skipping the main part of her letter, trying to make it more dramatic.
The main point she was making was that her school has funding, has money and there are other schools who could use the help and the attention and that it would be preferred if there was a focus on less fortunate schools

 

[siddx]

Racist books? fucking christ on a cracker people give it a rest.

 

[DarknessTear]

Racist books? fucking christ on a cracker people give it a rest.

Did you say cracker?!

Anyway I grew up on Dr Seuss books and thought they were pretty rad when I was a child.

 

[Ishan]

These quotes should be in the OP

A bad look? A librarian at an incredibly privileged school rejects gift of racist books from the first lady of an administration that is advocating stripping away public funds to push private schools, and demands the lowest income schools get gifts instead.

Sounds pretty level headed to me.

Demand that first the racial aspect just feeds into the right wing agenda . Just say thank you we would like to donate these to this school instead as we are previledged enough . You can indicate the bias In more subtle terms instead of providing ammo

You literally has charlotsville etc dr sues is not the point to die on right now

 

[Slime]

I thought she was calling the mere gesture racist propaganda, since a Trump is performing a charitable act and pretending to not be a piece of human garbage.

Didn't know that about Dr. Seuss!

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Racist books? fucking christ on a cracker people give it a rest.

Racist books do exist, but this selection was certainly not any such thing.

The librarian saw a chance to spurn the First Lady, and by extension the administration, and the school board's non-statement on the subject, particularly the lack of any disciplinary measures whatsoever indicate that they were delighted to have her wield the axe for them.

Ms. Soeiro's main motivation appears to be sticking it to Betsy DeVos, who most certainly deserves it stuck to her.

Melania is probably slightly miffed at the kerfuffle, but I'm sure she'll find something to console herself somewhere between the White House and Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.

And Dr. Seuss is great.

 

[RulkezX]

These quotes should be in the OP

A bad look? A librarian at an incredibly privileged school rejects gift of racist books from the first lady of an administration that is advocating stripping away public funds to push private schools, and demands the lowest income schools get gifts instead.

Sounds pretty level headed to me.

If you genuinely can't see how there is amy way this plays out that's not -

"oh those looney lefties are at it again *rolleyesemoji*

I dunno what to say. Stuff like this is easy to spin , easy to dismiss as lefties being lefties and shows just how niave we are when it comes to the propaganda stuff.

 

[Ishan]

If you genuinely can't see how there is amy way this plays out that's not -

"oh those looney lefties are at it again *rolleyesemoji*

I dunno what to say. Stuff like this is easy to spin , easy to dismiss as lefties being lefties and shows just how niave we are when it comes to the propaganda stuff.

Exactly this plays straight into their hands

 

[devilhawk]

I can't help but see the irony in a librarian "losing the plot" by muddling her justified point of which school the first lady chose with going off message with the racist books part. Not to mention the whole banned books incidents schools and librarians have dealt with over the years.

 

[siddx]

Racist books do exist, but this selection was certainly not any such thing.

The librarian saw a chance to spurn the First Lady, and by extension the administration, and the school board's non-statement on the subject, particularly the lack of any disciplinary measures whatsoever indicate that they were delighted to have her wield the axe for them.

Ms. Soeiro's main motivation appears to be sticking it to Betsy DeVos, who most certainly deserves it stuck to her.

Melania is probably slightly miffed at the kerfuffle, but I'm sure she'll find something to console herself somewhere between the White House and Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.

And Dr. Seuss is great.

Lol Did you really think I was saying books can't be racist? I mean I know we tend to assume the worst with gaffers when interpreting their comments on... well anything. But obviously I wasn't being incredulous towards the idea that a book in general can be racist. My reaction was towards the idea that a Dr Seuss book could be interpreted as racist.

 

[Xisiqomelir]

My reaction was towards the idea that a Dr Seuss book could be interpreted as racist.

Well umm

as mentioned up-thread, he did move beyond this by the time he wrote all the books Melania's staffers picked out.

 

[siddx]

Well umm

as mentioned up-thread, he did move beyond this by the time he wrote all the books Melania's staffers picked out.

Not a Dr Seuss book. Irrelevant.

 

[Piichan]

Well umm

as mentioned up-thread, he did move beyond this by the time he wrote all the books Melania's staffers picked out.

Might be inappropriate to ask, but what is supposed to be the joke in that cartoon? They wanna burn black people or something???

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Might be inappropriate to ask, but what is supposed to be the joke in that cartoon? They wanna burn black people or something???

Slaves being smuggled out of the South to the Free States were often hidden under the cover of straw or timber on freight carriages. If you found a black person under the timber, it was an unpleasant surprise - since it meant the person you just dealt with was actually trying to 'steal' your 'property'.

It was part of a series of comic Dr. Seuss cartoons picturing people buying things from departments stores that made their lives more difficult - others included someone trying to buy a fly for their ointment and a matching needle for their haystack.

Lots of Seuss' work prior to his trip to Japan in uh... 1948, 49? was pretty offensive. He had a Damascene conversion after seeing the war damages and went on to write Horton Hears a Who, which was explicitly aimed at instilling an anti-racist sentiment in young children, as is The Sneetches. As far as I'm aware, this covers the entire period in which he was producing children's literature, so if those works retain racist connotations, that's by accident/ignorance and certainly not by intent - if anything, the intent was quite the opposite.

 

[skullmuffins]

It was part of a series of comic Dr. Seuss cartoons picturing people buying things from departments stores that made their lives more difficult - others included someone trying to buy a fly for their ointment and a matching needle for their haystack.

adding to this, like "fly in the ointment" and "needle in a haystack", "n***** in the woodpile" was (and occasionally still is...) used as a figure of speech

 

[Palette Swap]

In her letter to children receiving the books, Trump called getting an education “perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives.”

There’s an irony to this coming from Melania “fake degree” Trump.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Melania Trump is a dumbass. I wish people would make fun of her more.

 

[PJV3]

Exactly this plays straight into their hands

They can spin black lives matter into fuck everyone else, it hardly matters anymore.

 

[llien]

How would librarian know which other schools would receive a gift from the First Lady?

PS
Can't comment on "racist books" part, never seen them.

 

[elrechazado]

I can't help but see the irony in a librarian "losing the plot" by muddling her justified point of which school the first lady chose with going off message with the racist books part. Not to mention the whole banned books incidents schools and librarians have dealt with over the years.

But the racist book thing was part of her message. How is literally her message going off message?

 

[CyclopsRock]

He reformed in later life and apologised for his previous work in the '30s and '40s, and went on to be a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, with a catalog of political cartoons released lampooning racist politicians and supporting reform. As long as you remember the context, I don't think you have to feel too terrible about that one - genuine repentance is a rare thing and ought to be cherished.

He was a product of his time who was then able to change with the times. It takes a fairly incredible person to pre-empt change. If the worse that can be said of a person is that he believed what he was taught growing up and was then able to change his mind, that's pretty good IMO.

 

[ModBot]

Maybe find a source that actually includes the letter and isn't such complete clickbait garbage if you ant a thread on this.