'Woke Mob' Calls for Dr. Seuss to Be Canceled for ‘Racial Undertones’
Far-left group demands schools remove 'racist' children's books
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The national educator's organization warned schools that the children's books Dr. Seuss have “racial undertones."
For over two decades, March 2 has been recognized as Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday.
The National Education Association founded the reading recognition day in 1998.
But this year's theme?
"Create and Celebrate Diversity.”
Left-wing educators group, Learning for Justice, is now calling for Dr. Seuss to be canceled.
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A prominent Virginia school district caved to their liberal demands and ordered its schools to avoid “connecting Read Across America Day with Dr. Seuss.”
Loudoun County Public Schools announced it would no longer recognize Dr. Seuss on his birthday.
The school district said that Dr. Suess’s children’s books contain “racial undertones” and is not suitable for “culturally responsive” learning.
The school's announcement said:
“Realizing that many schools continue to celebrate ‘Read Across America Day’ in partial recognition of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, it is important for us to be cognizant of research that may challenge our practice in this regard."
“As we become more culturally responsive and racially conscious, all building leaders should know that in recent years there has been research revealing radical undertones in the books written and the illustrations drawn by Dr. Seuss.”
Learning for Justice, was also formerly known as “Teaching Tolerance,” which has promoted radical views on teaching “social justice” and “racial justice” to children.
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The far-left group is the education arm of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
In a magazine article titled, “It’s Time to Talk About Dr. Seuss,” Learning for Justice cites a study from St. Catherine University that claims Dr. Seuss is rife with “orientalism, anti-blackness, and white supremacy.”
The researchers surveyed 50 Dr. Seuss books and decided there was not enough diversity.
“Of the 2,240 (identified) human characters, there are 45 of color representing two percent of the total number of human characters,” the study reads. Of the 45 characters of color, 43 “exhibited behaviors and appearances that align with harmful and stereotypical Orientalist tropes.”
Learning for Justice claims that Dr. Seuss's non-white characters were“subservient” to the white characters.
“It’s also important to note that each of the non-white characters is male and that they are all ‘presented in subservient, exotified, or dehumanized roles,’ especially in relation to white characters,” the organization wrote.
But according to biographers, much of the “racist” portion of Dr. Seuss’s work was completed before his famous books.
His “problematic” cartoons came during his career as a cartoonist and ad man.
Learning for Justice says that anyone who defends Dr. Seuss’s work is a racial “apologist."
The education group also demands teachers inform children about Dr. Seuss’s “racist” past.
“You can address these arguments directly, discussing the degree to which cultural norms excuse biased language or actions, how harmful stereotypical representation can be, and whether — and how — a person can make up for hurtful mistakes.”
