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New class to focus on kids' books that aren't Anglo-centric By Hayley Ringle State Press Once upon a time, in a different world, there were children's books about various types of children, which depicted them as they actually looked and acted. In this imaginary world, children wouldn't strive to be a race they're not and would be proud of their own race. But according to Neal A. Lester, an ASU English professor, this imaginary world is far from reality. "From seeing 'Spot' run and watching 'Father and Mother with Dick and Jane,' we stumbled into a world of near perfection where everyone spoke a stilted and somewhat passionless 'standard' English, had nice, clean clothes, white skin, straight hair and bright, white teeth with matching wide smiles," said Lester, in a statement explaining his new course, entitled ENG 394, "African-American Children's Literature." Exploring the ways in which African Americans have been portrayed in dolls, literature and children's tunes will be the focus of the course, which will be offered next spring. "I grew up on 'Dick and Jane' books and never questioned the white-only representation," said Lester, who is also an affiliate faculty in African-American studies. "I want people to realize this." The class will include discussions about the racist depictions of African Americans in beginning books such as Little Black Sambo, Fisher Price toys of African Americans and Disney children's tunes such as "Oh Susanna," "Dixie" and "Jim Crack Corn." "This course addresses an area that has grown phenomenally over the last 10 years, African-American children's literature," Lester said in the statement. "One might argue that 'adult' African-American literature emerges from African-American childhood experiences that are now documented in texts appropriate for early ages." Lester will also be covering full-length books, including Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963. One of the things Lester said he hopes to show people is how young African Americans have been brainwashed to believe that they should look "as beautiful as Cinderella" and that they never questioned the white premise of the things that they read and saw. "You can't just undo what has happened in the past," he said. "We at least need to look at it." Lester also wants to explore African-American children's impact on the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, from 12-year-old Emmett Till's death in 1954 for supposedly bragging about having a white girlfriend, to children marching in Birmingham for their rights. He also will be looking at early dolls depicting African Americans and the new Barbie dolls that try to depict the culture. "The Barbie dolls that are out look like white Barbies dipped in chocolate," Lester said. And other "horrific" representations of African Americans will be discussed, from stereotypical postcards depicting smiling, young black children eating watermelon with wild hair and the typical Aunt Jemima figure of a woman with a bandanna looking greasy and dirty, Lester said. Creating a children's book around any idea or theme will also be explored at the end of the semester. The idea for the class occurred to him a couple years ago when he realized that there weren't any classes that were solely focused on children's literature. "There is a wonderful connection between children's literature and adult experience written about in adult literature," Lester said. He also would like to explore the language in the texts, the importance of illustrations and skin colorisms, hairstyles, textures and revisions of children's texts such as Patti Austin's Rap, Rap, Rap, Rap Rapunzel and Little Red Ride'n the Hood. The class is not just intended for people who want to teach, he said. "It's not just a course on one thing," Lester said. "It's about experiences." He said he also hopes people of all colors will take the class. "My purpose is not just to preach to the choir, but to preach to people on the street," Lester said. The class is being offered from 1:40 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays with a schedule line number of 60826.