#1000BlackGirlBooks

Yesterday I had the opportunity to discuss diverse books with Lee & Low publisher Jason Low on The Brian Lehrer Show. I was invited to talk about Marley Dias’ remarkable book drive to gather 1000 books that feature Black girls. Friends on Facebook have been posting this story on my page for weeks, and a few days ago I finally packed up some of my books and mailed them off (if you’d like to donate, too, here’s the address: GrassROOTS Community Foundation, 59 Main Street, Suite 323, West Orange, NJ 07052). Jason was invited to share the results of Lee & Low’s Diversity Baseline Survey, which were released last week (see below). I had SO much to say about the need for “mirror books” and the problem with white women dominating the publishing industry, but we only had time to make a couple of remarks each before the host invited listeners to call in with their book recommendations. I’ve written elsewhere about my experiences with white women (see “sister/outsider” and “unmanageable me“), and this survey didn’t reveal anything I didn’t already know. But it’s important to have this graphic because it makes their dominance VISIBLE. When I say, “White women should be held accountable for the disparities in children’s literature,” some people (mostly white) think I’m being unfair. But the data prove that white women run this industry—and they make up the majority of teachers, librarians, booksellers, and nonprofit literacy advocates. So if the books Marley needs don’t exist or aren’t showing up in her classroom, who’s to blame?