Its been a while since I have posted anything in this blog and there are countless reasons for that, but the main reason I am writing now is I am fed up with and sick of the fear, suffering and violence in our society that is mostly race based evil.
The majority of the masses of our society are ruled by fear and/or ignorance. While ignorance is just ignorance, the related fear is based on biases that are founded on brutally dishonest portrayals of minorities. The portrayals of minorities in all forms of media, from film to TV to magazines, to books to music, are found in our homes, our schools, our bookstores, and even our libraries all act to pigeonhole, marginalize and alienate entire communities and normalize the fear of “other” people. To act on such ignorance and fear is understandable yet entirely unjustifiable even with the mind-numbing manipulation that media has in our 21st century lives. All of this simply discrimination and is criminally unjustified and evil and wrong.
A quick note about percentages, statistics lie and are manipulated all the time. The fact remains that white heterosexual men like me are privileged more then ever these days these privileges need to be addressed. I think the first step is to address the reasons for such privileges. As a an avid reader, I think of how we are taught and what we are taught and what is left out of our lessons especially the books we grow up with both at home and at school influence us deeply for the rest of our lives.
As a man who lives a book centered life, I have to put a lot of the ownership most ignorance and most fear in all its guises on a complete lack of adequate cultural competence, that is based on insufficiently cultural relevant books for kids of all ages from board books to Young adult books. This lack of cultural relevancy is based on the misrepresentation and a serious underrepresentation of people of color in the lives of our young people.
While the youth of today are becoming increasingly diverse, and with the fact that many experts agree that with in the next 50 years or so the United States of America will become a “minority majority” certainly adequate representation in all media but especially books, the tool we use most often to teach our children and youth about the world around them, across the board there is a lack of sufficient culturally competent material. How do we expect peace to come to our world if our kids are segregating themselves and their peer groups based on inaccurate biases found in the world all around them?
Recent studies have shown the lack of diversity in children’s publishing as well as the lack of sufficient people working in the publishing industry. Such problems are starting to be acknowledged and remedies are being applied through out the industry. Much like the actions being taken to address systematic racial discrimination are continually evolving in our society, books must stay culturally relevant as well.
Links to studies:
Closing remarks
All the violence internal and external that has been sensationalized in the media is simply a reminder of a few things. for me.
1. There is no real difference between human beings. but there is difference in human doings.
2. As they say, Do justice, love, kindness and walk humbly with each other. The golden rule is no joke.
3. If anyone knows what I and what we can do to bring more peace to our world and our neighborhoods let me know.
4. I am so thankful for every chance to be the change i want to see in the world we live in.
5. The question all this violence leave us with is How will you bring peace to your life to your sphere of influence?
