White Supremacy in Children's Literature: Characterizations of African Americans, 1830-1900

by MacCann,Donnarae

• ISBN13: 9780415928908
• ISBN10: 0415928907
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-11-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

White Supremacy in Children's Literatureis a compelling and penetrating study of the white supremacy myth in books for the young. Donnarae MacCann explores the intersection of child and adult culture and reveals how the political, literary and social contexts of many children's stories have paralleled the way adult books, schools, churches and government maligned black identity, culture and intelligence. The volume examines how links between the socialization of children and conservative trends in the 19th century foretold 20th century disregard for social justice in American social policy. MacCann further demonstrates that cultural pluralism, an ongoing corrective to white supremacist fabrications, is informed by the insights and historical assessments offered in this essential study.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
A Note on Usage	xi
Introduction	xiii
Part I: The Antebellum Years
Ambivalent Abolitionism	3	(22)
A Sampling of Narratives
Sociopolitical and Artistic Dimensions of Abolitionist Tales	25	(22)
Personal and Institutional Dimensions	47	(36)
Part II: The Postbellum Years
Children's Fiction	83	(40)
A Sampling
The Social/Political Context	123	(32)
Literary Lives	155	(30)
Postwar Institutions	185	(26)
Literary Methods and Conventions	211	(50)
Conclusion
The ``Lost Cause'' Wins	233	(10)
Bibliography
Works for the Young	243	(3)
Other Sources	246	(15)
Index	261