Reading Camden: Examining the Lives of Children in Camden
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READING CAMDEN: EXAMINING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN CAMDEN THROUGH AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE by NYEEMA C. WATSON A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-Camden Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Childhood Studies Written under the direction of Dr. Lynne Vallone And approved by ______________________________ Dr. Lynne Vallone ______________________________ Dr. Daniel Hart _______________________________ Dr. Lauren Silver Camden, New Jersey May 2015 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Reading Camden: Examining the Lives of Children in Camden through African- American Children’s Literature by Nyeema C. Watson Dissertation Director: Dr. Lynne Vallone My dissertation examines the contemporary lives of children in Camden, NJ, paying particular attention to how they view life in the city, their thoughts on their families and how they understand and make meaning of race. The perspectives of the children of the Walt Whitman School, where this research took place, were gained using African American children’s literature as a way of getting the children to talk about their lives and all that they shared was informed by growing up in one of the “most dangerous cities” in the country. Using a critical race methodological framework that situates the voices and experiences of children of color at the center of analysis, this dissertation highlights a more nuanced perspective of the city of Camden, one not quite known in scholarship or recognized by media accounts, which is where most individuals get their perspectives on life in Camden. As an emerging scholar in the field childhood studies, I subscribe to the thinking that children should be studied in their own right, with effort paid to documenting their perspectives and attending to their standpoint (Thorne, 2009, p. ii 7). However, more than that, through this dissertation I argue that greater attention needs to be paid in particular to the varied perspectives, experiences and circumstances in which children of color grow up. Using a critical race theoretical framework that asks questions such as: whose stories are privileged and whose stories are distorted and silenced? And, what are the experiences and responses of those whose stories are often distorted and silenced? I seek to add the voices of Camden’s children to conversations about the city and to research more generally about minority children. I do so to challenge misperceptions about their lives but also to provide greater context about how they are living through and making meaning of the challenges that shape their childhoods in Camden. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a journey that started well before I began my doctoral studies. It began the day I was adopted and Camden, NJ became my home. I hold dear a quote from Walt Whitman who said, “Camden was originally an accident, but I shall never be sorry I was left over in Camden. It has brought me blessed returns." My faith does not allow me to believe in accidents, but I am truly blessed for what the city of Camden has brought into my life. It brought me to my parents, Floyd and Catherine Watson, who have supported me, loved me and encouraged me all along my journey. Without the two of them, I would not be the woman I am today. To my siblings, while decades may separate us in age and time and space may keep us away from each other more often than I would like, I thank you for your love. Growing up in Camden is hard and while I did not understand all of the complexities of the city until I was well into my teenage years, what I did come to understand quickly were the limitations that were put on me and thought about me because of my zip code. I hope this dissertation serves as a message to all of those who doubted and continue to doubt what children from Camden can do. To someone who never doubted me or my abilities, Melissa Cooper, thank you for believing in me and seeing in me what I was not able to see in myself. You started me on my higher education journey and have stayed with me throughout; I see this accomplishment as much yours as it is mine. To my dearest friends, Kyra, Akeah, Tonya, Chanel, Kam, Denise and Victoria, you are my sisters. Your unconditional love, unwavering support and sisterhood have sustained me. To Rachelle, you helped me realize a power and strength I did not know I iv had, at a time when I needed it the most. In your quiet way, you helped me through the hardest part of this journey. Thank you for being my teacher and my friend, namaste. To Ian, simply saying thank you does not seem like it is enough. Through it all you never left my side, and for that I will always love you. To those who I met along my educational and professional journey who gave me the courage and the confidence to pursue my dreams--Deborah Wright, Margaret Marsh and Wendell Pritchett–thank you for your mentorship and your friendship. To the two women in my life who laughed with me, cried with me, stayed up all night with me and never let me falter during my doctoral studies, Deb Valentine and Lara Saguisag, you mean the world to me. The two of you have been my rocks, and remain as such, thank you. To my dissertation committee–Dr. Lynne Vallone, Dr. Daniel Hart and Dr. Lauren Silver--you are my academic dream team. Thank you for pushing me to think more critically, examine ideas more deeply and to find my own voice as a researcher. A special thank you to Lynne - your support and guidance, but even more importantly your friendship, have helped me step confidently into this next phase of my journey. To Alice Sengstack, I will forever be humbled for receiving the David K. Sengstack Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship and coming to know you are two highlights of my doctoral studies. And last but not least thank you to the children and staff of the Walt Whitman School. To Ms. Washington and her class, none of this would have been possible without your support. For the students especially, thank you for trusting me with your lives and your stories. I hope that you come to fully know how wonderful, beautiful and brilliant v you are. To the children of Camden, I am, because you are, and will continue to commit my life in service to you and children like you everywhere. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER 1 REFLECTIONS ON CAMDEN’S CHILDREN: FRAMING THE RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCHER 6 Why Camden and its Camden? Using a Critical Race Methodology 9 Historical and Contemporary Perspectives of African-American Children’s Literature 14 Research on Children’s Engagement with African-American Children’s Literature 20 The Process of Discovery 25 Analyzing the Data 29 What’s to Come 30 CHAPTER 2 INVINCIBLE CITY: THE CAMDEN OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY 34 The Camden of Yesterday 39 The Camden of Today 47 “The Most Dangerous City in America” 48 Constructing Meaning about Violence: Youth Exposure to Community Violence 56 CHAPTER 3 ACCEPTING, RESISTING AND THE SPACE IN BETWEEN: HOW YOUTH MAKE MEANING OF VIOLENCE IN CAMDEN 62 “Some Boy Jaheim Got Shot in the Jaw” vii 67 Challenging and Resisting the Narrative 77 “What is Life Like in the Hood” 92 Conclusion 99 CHAPTER 4 “I JUST WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT I LOVE HIM”: EXPLORING FATHERHOOD AND FAMILY USING THE WORKS OF JAVAKA STEPTOE AND JACQUELINE WOODSON 103 The History and Crisis of Black Fatherhood 107 How Fathers Matter 110 (In)visible Men: Research on Black Fathers and Fatherhood 111 Where are the Children’s Voices? 116 “I Just Miss Him So Much”: Love and Longing in Response to Javaka Steptoe In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall: African-Americans Celebrating Fathers 118 Sharing Secrets, Sharing Hurts: Talking About Fathers Incarceration in Jacqueline Woodson’s Visiting Day 128 When Dad is in Jail: Research on the Emotional Impact of Parental Incarceration 137 Mothers, Fathers, and Intimate Violence 140 Conclusion 146 CHAPTER 5 READING, WRITING AND RACE: EXPLORING RACIAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH PICTUREBOOKS 150 Putting it Together: Examining the Research on Children and Race 154 “Doing the Research”: How Children Live, Learn, and Understand Race viii Using Critical Race Methodology 157 “The White Men are Trying to Make the Black People Weaker”: Understanding Camden Through the Lens of Racial Socialization 160 “Abraham Lincoln Was a Little Bit Black”: The Politics of Race in Tar Beach 170 Why Didn’t the Blacks Fight Back?” Asking Questions, Seeking Answers, and Rethinking How to Talk to Children About Race 189 Conclusion 193 CHAPTER 6 Conclusion APPENDIX A: Reader Response Studies APPENDIX B: Books used with Walt Whitman Children APPENDIX C: Books in Ms. Washington Classroom Library TABLE 1: Student Responses to DeShawn Days BIBLIOGRAPHY CURRICULUM VITAE ix 1 CHAPTER 1 Reflections on Camden’s Children: Framing the Research and Understanding the Researcher As I sat in English class one day during my senior year of high school in 1995, our teacher handed out a copy of a Time magazine article published in 1992 by Kevin Fedarko entitled “Who Could Live Here?” The article was about Camden, NJ. Below the headline was a picture of an abandoned, garbage-filled lot with the skyline of Philadelphia off in the distance. Fedarko (1992) wrote: “The story of Camden is the story of boys who blind stray dogs after school, who come to Sunday Mass looking for cookies because they are hungry, who arm themselves with guns, knives and—this winter’s fad at $400 each—hand grenades”(p.