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The white-clapboard farm where Laura Ingalls Wilder has written many books in her Little house in the meadow the novels are still held at Mansfield, Mo.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
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Mark Schiefelbein / AP
The white-clapboard farm where Laura Ingalls Wilder has written many books in her Little house in the meadow the novels are still held at Mansfield, Mo.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
A division of the American Library Association voted unanimously on Saturday to remove the name of Laura Ingalls Wilder from a grand prize of children's literature on concerns about how the film will be presented. author references the Amerindians and Blacks.
The Association for Children's Library Service says the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award will now be known as the Literary Heritage Award for Children.
Wilder, who wrote the children's book series Little house in the meadow, was the first recipient of the award, which was established in 1954 to honor books published in the United States that have had a great impact on children 's literature.
The Little House series was based on Wilder's own life and told the story of the Ingalls family who was moving in the Great Plains in the nineteenth century. While many Little house The books have been widely read, critics said his work included many stereotypical and reductive representations of Native Americans and people of color.
In 1935 Little house in the meadow, for example, Wilder described a place as "a place where there were no people, only the Indians lived there". This description has been modified in subsequent editions of the book. And several characters in the Little house intone series that "the only good Indian is a dead Indian".
The ALSC has considered whether it should remove Wilder's name from the award since February, and announced at the time that the author's legacy "may no longer be matched to the price." intention of the reward named for her ".
"The decision was taken into account that Wilder's legacy, represented by his corpus, includes stereotypical expressions of attitudes that are inconsistent with ALSC's core values: inclusiveness, integrity and respect. , and responsiveness, "said ALSC in a statement. after the vote. Previously, the organization had noted the "anti-indigenous and anti-black sentiments" in Wilder's writing.
However, some Wilder researchers say that the work of the author should not be minimized. Instead, they say, it should be examined – and taken as an opportunity to inform children of the context that surrounds it.
The Laura Ingalls Association Wilder Legacy and Research issued a statement defending Wilder's work, saying that although her writings included "the perspectives of racism representative of her time and place," she also made "positive contributions." to children's literature ":
"We believe that it is not advantageous for the literary body to sweep its name as if the prospects of its books had never existed. These prospects are teaching moments to show. to future generations how the past has been and how we, as a society, must move forward with a more inclusive and diverse perspective. "
Debbie Reese, Researcher and Founder of American Indians in Children's Literature, tweeted that the vote to change the name of the award was a "significant and historic moment" but still only a step. "There are many more in front of us, the repercussions of change are already obvious."
Author Jacqueline Woodson, known for her award-winning books Brunette girl dreaming and Another Brooklyn will be the first winner of the new Children's Literary Award.
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