Preparing Educators of Gifted and Talented Students to Decolonize Children’s Literature

Abstract

As we write this paper in late 2023, Advanced Placement (AP) Black history, psychology courses and the use of diverse literature written for children and young adults is being banned by many school districts across the United States. Educators are being threatened, sanctioned, reprimanded, and fired. Despite this, some teachers stand steadfast in their commitment to pedagogies that use authentic literature about and by diverse historians, authors, social activists, and researchers, to name a few. In this article, we discuss the importance of gifted and talented (GATE) being taught Black history and culture that centers diverse literature that recognizes, respects, and celebrates similarities and differences within and across cultures including ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic location, language, and religion, and physical, cognitive, and emotional ability. We do this within the frameworks of children’s literature as a site for decolonization and Bishop’s metaphor of “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” (Bishop, 1990). While acknowledging that many GATE students are avid readers, we maintain that all children benefit from education that includes diverse literature and share recommendations for change.

Karl and Angela are Black fifth graders who have been identified as gifted and talented. They are the only Black students; the others are White and Asian. Karl has been identified in math and language arts; Angela in language arts and creativity. They have been avid readers most of their life. Their families live in the same neighborhood and their caregivers are friends. Often their children exchange books and go to the public library together. Their parents are intentional about making sure the books they read are diverse and promote both racial and cultural pride.

In the previous school year, according to their teacher, their grades fell to average in language arts due to their lack of engagement, class participation, and doing the minimum required on assignments. When Karl and Angela’s parents/caregivers followed up with both students they shared that reading in school is not interesting, and they only read about Martin Luther King, Jr, and Rosa Parks during Black History Month. Angela wants to take her own books to school, while Karl wants to get out of GATE and enroll in general education where he thinks books will be more interesting. Their caregivers promised to speak to their teacher; however, both are giving serious consideration to homeschooling.

Around three percent of Black students were homeschooled before the pandemic; by October, the number had risen to 16%. There was an increase for White students but not as sharp—from five to 11% (Parks, 2021). The following excerpt about other Black students captures the feelings of Angela and Karl:

For Black families like James’s, the ability to improvise a curriculum is a major reason to try homeschooling. “We are not seeing ourselves in textbooks,” she said. “I love traditional American history, but I like to take my kids to the Museum of African American History and Culture and say, O.K., here’s what was going on with Black people in 1800.” (Parks, 2021)

A great deal of attention has focused on the need for high-quality multicultural literature in P-12 education, including GATE (Ford et al., 2000; Wright et al., 2022). Most noticeably, Rudine Sims Bishop, an esteemed scholar in the field of children’s literature, authored an essay entitled "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” (Bishop, 1990), which made a compelling case for including diverse reading materials in classroom instruction. The essay posited that those exposing students to multicultural literary works and the diversity of the human experience—specifically across culture and race—could facilitate greater self-awareness and racial pride, along with a deeper comprehension of the world around them ( in press Ford & Tyson, -a).

According to Bishop (1990), “mirror” books are those in which minoritized children can see themselves reflected; “windows” books offer glimpses into the lives and experiences of people from different backgrounds and cultures; and "sliding glass doors” extend the metaphor to include books that allow readers to immerse themselves in stories and experiences that might differ from their own, allowing them to imagine and explore other worlds and viewpoints. Bishop and other scholars have decades of research and theory-to-practice demonstrating that exposure to diverse literature can foster greater self-awareness, increased self-esteem, and racial pride. Further, like multicultural education, such literature can foster empathy and respect for different communities, equipping readers with the tools to engage in transformational activism and create positive change in the world (Bishop, 1993; Ford et al., 2000; Gunn & Susan, 2023; Keifer & Tyson, 2023; Park & Tyson, 2010; Tyson, 2002).

Bishop’s (1990, 1993) framework reminds us that all students benefit from exposure to multicultural literature and contributes to the conceptual framework of decolonizing the classroom bookshelf since the use of more diverse children’s literature supports challenging the status quo, elevating marginalized voices, and fostering a sense of belonging and identity for all children. It ensures that the stories we read with and to all children, and especially those that are part of the school curriculum, are reflective of the diverse realities of our global society (Ford & Tyson, in press). This is what Karl and Angela are asking of their teachers. Like many GATE students, reading is a joy; these avid readers want to make personal connections to the characters, topics, and issues. They also want classmates to read about them, to empathize; books must be authentic, positive, and asset-based. Wright et al.’s (2022) book of multicultural literature for Black boys in P-3 was written with a high regard for rigor and relevance. All of the protagonists are young Black boys with whom Karl would enjoy reading about and identifying and connecting with. We place a premium on bibliotherapy to increase interest and engagement in reading among all students, regardless of reading skills.

We have also found that even disinterested students (like Angela and Karl after a few months in GATE.) become interested and deepen their engagement with content when they are given an opportunity to carefully and intentionally center multicultural literature. It is important to remember that GATE students might exhibit an accelerated reading pace and engage with materials that typically exceed the age-appropriate norms. These students often have a deep and avid interest in reading, display a robust and enthusiastic appetite for reading, are highly motivated, particularly when confronted with challenging tasks, and often have extensive vocabulary. Considering these traits, it becomes evident that offering literature that encourages critical analysis, elevated evaluation, and transformative thought processes is paramount. Introducing literature that embodies diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice can play a pivotal role in establishing a classroom environment conducive to fostering such pedagogical goals. It is also noteworthy that all students, no matter their racial, ethnic, or cultural heritage will find the pedagogy centering diverse books engaging and can increase their academic performance as well.

Take Time to Reflect

Being aware of the scarcity of multicultural literature in schools and libraries (Jiménez & Beckert, 2020), we encourage GATE education professionals to “decolonize the bookshelves” in their classroom libraries and their selection of books that students are assigned to read, along with the book selections included in the curriculum. An examination of the literary canon, research, and readings in most classes often reflect narratives from the dominant culture that has a heritage connected to colonialism. The result is the reification of the “single story” narrative (see Adichie’s TED Talks), racism, and beliefs in White superiority, Black inferiority, and anti-Blackness (Ford & Tyson, in press).

In addition to reviewing books in the curriculum, we urge GATE professionals to reflect on their own P-12 experiences as students. What books and authors did they read? What multicultural books were assigned and in school libraries? How did they feel reading books by characters who shared their background and interests? Who are their favorite authors of color and why? Do you agree with Bishop’s (1990, 1993) mirrors and window conceptual framework? Reflect on your response and how you arrived at this decision.

An Overview of Decolonization

Decolonization is founded on a framework that values the integration of the individual’s mental (mind), physical (body), and spiritual (spirit) aspects. This approach encourages a holistic perspective that acknowledges and respects the unique qualities of each person (student). It also fosters respect for the personhood of others. Therefore, decolonizing literature would first require a commitment to the conceptualization of decolonization followed by action to select literature that reflects the dynamic representations of humanity (Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative, n.d.). The process of decolonizing literature requires: (a) a thorough exploration of dominant narratives; (b) an expansion of the scope of readings to encompass works authored by individuals who have personally experienced the effects of oppression resulting from colonialism and institutional racism; and (c) a comprehensive re-evaluation of existing literary canons. Intentional efforts to diversify literary canons will support actively challenging and dismantling colonial perspectives, power structures, and stereotypes (Mendoza & Reese, 2001; Sianturi & Hurit, 2023).

As mentioned at the beginning of this column, it has not been lost on us as educators and researchers in this area that the current climate in many school districts and state departments of education is to curate a list of books to have removed from the shelves and on a Banned Books list. Our contention here is that the books that are timely, realistic, interesting, provocative, and that introduce multiple perspectives and diverse new ideas often end up on those lists. GATE students need and depend on their teachers to decolonize their bookshelves and “level up” with diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice at the center of literary offerings, not “dumb down” instruction with exclusion and censorship.

Recommendations for Decolonizing Literature With Intentionality

We offer several recommendations that align with the spirit of and rationale for decolonization in GATE and all of P-12 education. Undergirding every book and piece of literature (article, chapter, newspaper, blog, etc.) must be authenticity—accuracy. As we maintain (Ford & Tyson, in press), the readings must accurately/authentically reflect Black (and other minoritized groups) in terms of:

Characters

Black characters in literature are often demonized, including those designated as canons. Attention must be devoted to status and role, occupation, achievement, marital status, and family structure. How are Black characters represented? What negative stereotypes exist in the reading? Also important is to compare their roles and representation to the White characters.

Characteristics

Authentic illustrations help to decrease and, preferably, eliminate negative stereotypes. How are Black males and females illustrated/drawn in terms of skin tone, hair style and texture, language and vocabulary, intelligence, and body structure/type? For example, are darker skin Blacks demonized more than lighter skin Blacks? Discussions of colorism are essential for literary decolonization. (See Norwood’s Color Matters: Skin Tone Bias and the Myth of a Post-racial America.) Are Black females stereotyped with the Jezebel trope (see Jezebel Stereotypes, Jim Crow Museum)? Is Black English treated as inferior (Kurinec & Weaver III, 2021)? Are Black boys adultified (Center for Policing Equity, 2023)?

Terminology

The words, terms, and phrases used to describe Black characters must not be deficit-oriented. Offensive terms must not be ignored or trivialized. Further, according to Gordon Allport (1954), antilocution (verbal and non-verbal messages) is a form of prejudice and discrimination. Too often, dark, and black have negative denotations and connotations (e.g., dirty, bad, evil, wrong, illegal). Per Grewal (2017), this “Bad is Black” effect may have its roots in our deep-seated human tendency to associate darkness with wickedness. Across time and cultures, villains are portrayed as more likely to be active during nighttime and to don black clothing. Similarly, heroes are often associated with daytime and lighter colors.

Visuals/Illustrations

Visuals are a form of non-verbal communication. Illustrations and artifacts such as nooses, burning crosses, and white sheets must be interrogated. This is also related to color bias, noted above.

Setting

Where the story takes place speaks volumes about the author’s views of Black people. Frequently, the setting is crime ridden, drug infested, impoverished, and single family headed by a female. Most works place Blacks in urban settings; few works situate them in rural and suburban settings. Setting biases are, thus, disregarding a significant number of Blacks and their lived experiences across environments.

Context

The situation, problems, and issues must be interrogated for realism, deficit and asset-based orientations (negative and positive stereotypes). Is the context negative? Positive? both?

Relevance

The literature must be timely and related to the course’s focus and purpose. Readings need to be personally and professionally pertinent and interesting to Black students. Recall Bishop’s (1990) windows and windows analogy. Do the readings fit into the fourth quadrant of Ford’s (2010) Bloom-Banks Matrix—which is rigorous and relevant?

Multicultural Level

High-quality multicultural literature is one component of the educational curriculum overall. Is the literature at the lowest or highest levels of multicultural education—transformation and social action—according to Banks’ (2018) multicultural infusion mode? Are empathy and compassion endorsed and promoted? Are students encouraged to be agents of change for social justice?

Rigor

To what extent do the readings promote critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving as defined in revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (In Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)? To what degree are students taught to critique what they read about minoritized individuals and groups?

Counterbalance

Excessive, polemic, and stereotypical focus on any recommendation listed herein promotes colonization, even if unintentional. There must always be readings and discussion that counterbalance and otherwise dismantle distortions.

To repeat, we urge GATE educators to reflect on the literature they read as P-12 students. Are the books the same? Are they similar to the required readings of their students (e.g., different authors but same topics, concepts, and issues)? We are aware that many teachers in mainstream classrooms would love to use more diverse books in their teaching; however, it is if they are “shackled to drill and kill” related to standardized measures of assessment. Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology who has written extensively on learning and memory stated that in educational circles, sometimes the phrase “drill and kill” is used, meaning that by drilling the student, you will kill his or her motivation to learn (Willingham, 2021). GATE students tend to spend more time critically evaluating conceptually and are very capable of engaging with literature that invites them to question personal biases and entertain alternative viewpoints. Multicultural literature supports a GATE classroom context for processing that encourages critical analysis, elevated evaluation, and transformative thought, and consideration of diverse and opposing perspectives.

With culture blind and culturally assaultive literature/readings, the covert and overt messages given to minoritized learners (like Karl and Angela) is that they and their culture, experiences, language, and history do not matter. And White students miss invaluable opportunities to have windows (Bishop, 1990) to look at the lived experiences, the cultural realities of minoritized populations, to learn compassion, empathy, and respect for people of color, especially their classmates.