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I heard this is common, but I thought I would share my experience... because I thought it was strange.
I had a lit teacher at college level that was assigned to teach English and taught according to her bio, "Western Literature."
On the first day she said she preferred that we "not look up any of the authors." Question marks rose above my head. You know, being a writer and all... I kinda am invested in writers. (She wouldn't release the author list either...)
So I steadily looked up each and every author/poet she chose. Not a single of them was of color (Despite the book having PoCs in it--seriously). So I dared to question her on this, so my grade sunk as I asked her why... why were none of the authors/poets of color? Wasn't there great authors she could include out of "classics" that were of color? At least throw me some african americans in the books. (There were none) And the majority of the class was not white either. A few of the authors were lesbian, though none were gay. And I believe there were no non-Christians. ;; This was a diverse city too...
I am proud to have read people like Amy Tan, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou (This ironically was the year that Maya Angelou read her poem for the inauguration...), Virginia Hamilton and so on and that my High School was smart enough to give me at least a few PoCs for authors. (There were quite a few hispanic people in the class, so I thought there would be at least ONE hispanic author... I know I'm weak on that so I was looking forward to it.) And not all of them write about racism either, so it's not that hard.
I ended up with a C, because if it was a D, I'm sure I could have fought her with the Dean. How did she get away with that crap?
Still don't get it. How did she survive through college without admiring at least one PoC author by accident? At a previous almost all white college I went to, they *still* covered Virginia Hamilton. At least teach a few PoC authors to cover your butt. PoCs also contributed to Western Lit.
Anyone else?
I had a lit teacher at college level that was assigned to teach English and taught according to her bio, "Western Literature."
On the first day she said she preferred that we "not look up any of the authors." Question marks rose above my head. You know, being a writer and all... I kinda am invested in writers. (She wouldn't release the author list either...)
So I steadily looked up each and every author/poet she chose. Not a single of them was of color (Despite the book having PoCs in it--seriously). So I dared to question her on this, so my grade sunk as I asked her why... why were none of the authors/poets of color? Wasn't there great authors she could include out of "classics" that were of color? At least throw me some african americans in the books. (There were none) And the majority of the class was not white either. A few of the authors were lesbian, though none were gay. And I believe there were no non-Christians. ;; This was a diverse city too...
I am proud to have read people like Amy Tan, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou (This ironically was the year that Maya Angelou read her poem for the inauguration...), Virginia Hamilton and so on and that my High School was smart enough to give me at least a few PoCs for authors. (There were quite a few hispanic people in the class, so I thought there would be at least ONE hispanic author... I know I'm weak on that so I was looking forward to it.) And not all of them write about racism either, so it's not that hard.
I ended up with a C, because if it was a D, I'm sure I could have fought her with the Dean. How did she get away with that crap?
Still don't get it. How did she survive through college without admiring at least one PoC author by accident? At a previous almost all white college I went to, they *still* covered Virginia Hamilton. At least teach a few PoC authors to cover your butt. PoCs also contributed to Western Lit.
Anyone else?