A librarian at an elementary school Cambridge, Mass. has rejected a shipment of Dr. Seuss books from First Lady Melania Trump because Dr. Seuss is reportedly a “cliché” whose books espouse racism. The librarian also claimed her school “doesn’t have a NEED for these books” and that they should go towards schools allegedly affected by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
In a blog post on The Horn Book’s Family Reading blog, librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote that her school, Cambridgeport Elementary School, would not be accepting the books Melania sent to their school for National Read a Book Day.
While Soeiro notes the students were impressed with the letter from the White House that came along with the books, she was less than enthused by Melania’s choice in giving the books to her school and Melania’s choice in literature.
After explaining how Cambridgeport Elementary School is “award-winning” and how the town offers social services such as “free all-day kindergarten,” Soeiro pointed out that Melania should have sent the books to schools in “underfunded and underprivileged communities” that she claims “continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.”
Soeiro also asserted her school “doesn’t have a NEED for these books,” claiming Dr. Seuss promotes “racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes”:
So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books. And then there’s the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature. As First Lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips. Just down the street you have access to a phenomenal children’s librarian: Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress. I have no doubt Dr. Hayden would have given you some stellar recommendations.
Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes. Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, for example), and you’ll see the racist mockery in his art. Grace Hwang Lynch’s School Library Journal article, “Is the Cat in the Hat Racist? Read Across America Shifts Away from Dr. Seuss and Toward Diverse Books,” reports on Katie Ishizuka’s work analyzing the minstrel characteristics and trope nature of Seuss’s characters. Scholar Philip Nel’s new book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books, further explores and shines a spotlight on the systemic racism and oppression in education and literature.
At the end of her letter, Soeiro claims she is “honored that you recognized my students and our school. I can think of no better gift for children than books,” however, the “wonderful gesture” could have been “better thought out.” Instead, she listed 10 other books that Melania could suggest that would “offer you a window into the lives of the many children affected by the policies of your husband’s administration.”
WBZ-TV spoke to parents at Cambridgeport Elementary School who largely agreed with the librarian’s decision.
“That’s the librarian’s prerogative and I support her decision,” parent Eric Munson said.
Parent Alex Vanpraagh agreed, saying, “I think the letter is really articulate, constructive in its suggestions.”
Kimberly Sansoucy said, “I think it was a very well-crafted message back to the White House.
Despite support by parents, the Cambridge School system said Soeiro’s opinions do not reflect their view and that she was counseled on the school system policy against “public resources being used for political purposes”:
In this instance, the employee was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district. We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes.
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