. Reading in the Dark: Whiteness and Racial Representation in Caldecott Books Inclusion Terry Husband Illinois State University Alice Lee Illinois State University Abstract Teachers often choose books for their classroom libraries on the basis of an award or special recognition a particular book has received. In this vein, the Caldecott Medal is one of the most highly esteemed recognitions bestowed on children's picture books each year in the United States. Relatively few studies have examined how race is represented among main characters in Caldecott books. Using a Critical Content Analysis (CCA), we examine how race is represented among atrix Center of the and Social Equity Advancement for atrix Center main characters in 80 Caldecott books from 1938 to 2017. Findings indicate that an overwhelmingly disproportionate percentage of the he M he characters are White. In addition, the non-White main characters are portrayed in very narrow roles. Implications for teachers to consider and T when using these books are discussed. Keywords: race, privilege, white supremacy, education Privilege Conference Privilege Terry Husband is an associate professor of early childhood literacy in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. He has written several articles, book chapters, and books related to literacy development in African American boys in P–5 he White White he classrooms, critical literacies in early childhood classrooms, and analyzing and implementing multicultural children's literature in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Alice Lee is an assistant professor of elementary literacy education in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. She Understanding & Dismantling Privilege taught for close to a decade with students in grades K through 7th grade. Her research interest focuses on teacher knowledge about African American Language and its pedagogical implications. The Official JournalThe Official of T Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Husband & Lee: Reading in the Dark As former early childhood and these areas served as an impetus behind this elementary educators, Alice and I both have study. always had a deep passion for children’s literature. Currently, in our roles as teacher Faced with a seemingly endless educators, we believe it is our civic and number of books to select for use in the moral responsibility to prepare teachers to classroom, early childhood and elementary teach in ways that affirm, support, and teachers and librarians often choose books sustain culturally diverse perspectives in for their libraries on the basis of an award or their classrooms. To accomplish this goal, special recognition. In this vein, the we believe it is important to teach teachers Caldecott Medal is one of the most how to carefully and critically examine the significant and highly esteemed recognitions texts they use in the classroom for hidden bestowed on children’s picture books each and implicit racist messages and ideologies. year in the United States (Martinez, Stier, & Unfortunately, many of the books that are Falcon, 2016). There are many long-range made available for students to read financial and political effects associated independently, and to be read by teachers in with books that receive this award. For elementary and early childhood classrooms, instance, books that have been awarded this tend to disproportionately represent and honor are purchased more often and read foreground the experiences of Whites and more frequently by teachers in early Whiteness in the world (Gangi, 2008). In an childhood and elementary classrooms. In effort to better evaluate the relevance and addition, because this award carries such a appropriateness of specific children’s texts high repute and distinction among picture for specific classroom contexts, we believe books in the broader field of children’s that it is necessary for teachers to literature, many teachers and librarians intentionally “read in the dark” or through a (consciously or unconsciously) select and racialized lens. This project grew out of use these books without giving them any ongoing conversations and a mutual desire serious or close examination for to reinterpret Caldecott Medal books appropriateness (Smith, 2013). through a lens that centers race, particularly as it relates to identity, oppression, and The criteria used to determine if a social justice. Caldecott Medal books are picture book is eligible for this award center often lauded by teachers and librarians as largely on characteristics related to the picture books with the highest quality illustrations (www.ala.org). Notably, illustrations and photographs, and thereby as nothing in the criteria necessitates that being books worth reading to and with committee members consider the ways in children. However, we often wondered what which race is or is not represented among messages related to race and racism were the protagonists and secondary characters in being communicated directly and indirectly these picture books during the final in these books, particularly the ways racial decision-making processes. As a result of groups were represented and portrayed. these color-blind selection processes, the After searching the existing scholarship main characters in most of these books have related to this topic, we soon realized that and continue to be overwhelmingly and few have examined the role of racial disproportionately White. People from non- representation in Caldecott Medal books. White racial backgrounds represent a very Hence, the combined desire to find answers miniscule percentage of the main characters to our questions and a lack of research in in picture books that have won this award ISSN 2152-1875 Volume VIII, Issue 2, December 2018 51 Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Husband & Lee: Reading in the Dark (Koss, Johnson, & Martinez, 2018; Koss, It is important to note here that we Martinez, & Johnson, 2016). completely recognize that race is a socially, culturally, historically, biologically, and As demographics in U.S. classrooms politically constructed concept that is deeply continue to become increasingly diverse nuanced and highly problematic at times (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015), it is imperative (Milner, 2015). Consequently, most for teachers to incorporate texts in their substantive and critical analyses of race tend classrooms that reflect the experiences of to consider broader conceptualizations of students from diverse racial backgrounds as race that move beyond skin color or a means of increasing reading motivation phenotype. Nonetheless, because the focus and engagement in all student populations of our study is aimed at analyzing racial (Koss, Martinez, & Johnson, 2016). To date, representation in Caldecott Medal books, we the majority of extant studies on Caldecott have purposely chosen to limit the notion of Medal books and character representation race to phenotype or identifiable skin color. center on issues of gender roles and In instances where the race of a main stereotypes (Nilsson, 2005). A few studies character could not be clearly identified via (e.g., Koss, Johnson, & Martinez, 2018; observation or textual content in the book, Koss, Martinez, & Johnson, 2016) examine we identified the character as being the degree to which non-White racial groups “unidentifiable.” Furthermore, this was done in society are represented in and across to avoid misidentifying a main character’s Caldecott Medal books specifically. Given race. the lack of research concerning racial representation among main characters in Why Caldecott books? The Caldecott books, the purpose of this study is American Library Association (ALA) to examine how race is represented in (www.ala.org) awards the Caldecott Medal Caldecott Medal books from 1938 to 2017. to the most distinguished picture book The overarching research question that annually (ALA, n.d.). A 15-person drives this study is: How is race represented committee determines the winner of the among the main characters in the Caldecott Caldecott medal each year. Eight of the Medal books from 1938 to 2017? individuals on the committee are elected, Specifically, we ask the following: while the remaining seven are appointed members of the Association for Library 1. What percentage of the main Service to Children (ALSC), which is a characters in Caldecott books are division of the ALA. These books are worth White, Black, Latinx, Asian, or examining because of what Smith (2013) American Indian? calls the “Caldecott Effect.” That is, many teachers and librarians blindly and hastily 2. Which non-White racial group is use these books with children with little or represented most/least often among no additional consideration of the quality, the main characters in Caldecott appropriateness, and relevance of each book. books? Moreover, Smith argues that many teachers and librarians naively assume that if a book 3. What roles do the non-White main has received a particular award or characters portray in Caldecott distinction, it is automatically fit for use in Medal books? their classrooms. By examining the ways in which race is or is not being represented in ISSN 2152-1875 Volume VIII, Issue 2, December 2018 52 Understanding and Dismantling Privilege Husband & Lee: Reading in the Dark these particular books, one can better the primary lens for exploring legislation determine if and how teachers should and other political processes (Chapman, engage children with these books in 2007). CRT