ERIC Number: EJ1319294
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-5684
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Fugitivity, Fantasy, Futurity, and Freedom: The Letter "F" for Critically Analyzing Children's Literature
Garad, Brooke Harris
Equity & Excellence in Education, v54 n2 p182-195 2021
Scholars, educators, writers, and librarians have been calling for richer literary depictions of Black culture since the 1930s. Using a critical content analysis framework with the books "Ada Twist, "Scientist" and "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut," I discuss how the concepts of fugitivity, fantasy, futurity, and freedom relate to contemporary depictions of Blackness in children's literature. Nearly a century after the movement for more diversity in children's literature began, we exist in an era when Black stories are imbued with dreams about an equitable future. In "Ada Twist, Scientist," a little Black girl with boundless scientific curiosity defies limitations placed on her ability to inquire and discover. In "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut," a barbershop serves as the backdrop for a little Black boy's loving poem to his people. Using the aforementioned scholarly and literary works as a point of departure, I take the following questions to task: Why is children's literature with rich depictions of Black culture beneficial for Black children, their teachers, and their classmates? How can educators of Black children look for themes of fugitivity, fantasy, futurity, and freedom to critically analyze children's literature, and why is it important to do so?
Descriptors: Childrens Literature, Culturally Relevant Education, Diversity, African American Culture, Educational Benefits, Literary Genres, Content Analysis, Multicultural Education, Racial Bias, Freedom, Cultural Awareness, Fantasy, African American Literature
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A