Racial Identification and Audience in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Abstract

Multiethnic children's literature addresses multiple audiences, providing different reading experiences and benefits for each. Using critical race theory as an interpretive tool, this article examines how two African American historical fiction novels, Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, frame anti-racist identifications for readers of all races. It argues that these identifications are key elements in the novels' rhetorical strategies for engaging readers and opposing racism. Both novels portray strong African American families with whom both black and nonblack readers can identify and present African American perspectives on race, but they differ in how directly they approach racism and how they frame the identification of white readers. The conclusion offers implications of analyzing race and audience when teaching multiethnic literature.

Ethnic Diversity in Children’s Books in the Netherlands

“…Results from the present study suggest that children of color in the Netherlands have less opportunities to be exposed to characters more similar to them in terms of ethnic appearance than White children, which might have an impact on their reading motivation and self-development (Hefflin and Barksdale-Ladd 2001;Roethler 1998). As the degree of ethnic diversity in books for young children in the Netherlands is lower than in society, they do not seem to use their full potential in terms of teaching children about society (Weitzman et al 1972;Barker 2010), and providing pathways to more positive intergroup attitudes (Cameron et al 2006(Cameron et al , 2007So 2016). To establish these effects, however, merely the representation of characters of color in books for young children might not be sufficient, but examples of friendships between in-and outgroup members (Cameron et al 2006(Cameron et al , 2007 or a multicultural theme (Frye et al 2010;Iwai 2013;So 2016) might be needed.…”

“…Exposure to ethnic diversity can also affect White children. Children learn from books by transferring knowledge, as demonstrated in these texts, to the real world (Ganea et al 2008(Ganea et al , 2011, giving books the potential to reflect cultural values and teach children about society (Weitzman et al 1972;Barker 2010). Welch (2016, p. 369) for example argues that not presenting ethnic diversity in children's books can contribute '… to the cultivation of racial biases and stereotypes' and obstruct '… the cultivation of compassion for others'.…”