SCET Journal 2020

Broadening Diverse Perspectives

• What do teachers (we) think is important for students to learn about Black and Latinx people and culture and why? • How does one balance the two expectations of what is important for students to learn about these groups from both a national and global perspective? This set of questions can be utilized to critically examine texts in the selection process, thus ensur- ing that teachers are considering texts as a complex piece of a true inclusive multicultural curriculum. This is the goal that should be at the forefront of text selec- tion—to provide students with a far more holistic view of these people/cultures rather than an essentialized view provided by a singular text. The next two sec-

tions will provide some examples of this framework as well as some text tables that might serve as reference for teachers looking to build an inclusive classroom curriculum for Black and Latinx cultures. Blacks (US/Diaspora/Africa): How do writers imagine Blacks? How might readers read these images? What do you want students to learn about Blacks in the US; in the Diaspora; in the continent? How do you want students to feel about this group of people? How would your selection effect social change? This will determine how you select texts. Some suggestions of possible book titles follow in Table 1. These may vary based on your purpose and curricular design.

Suggested book titles on African Americans, African Diasporans, and Africans Blacks Region Author & Title African American United States Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

James Baldwin: Giovanni’s Room Jason Reynolds: All American Boys Richard Wright: Invisible Man Ibi Zoboi: Black Enough Michelle Cliff: No Telephone to Heaven Edwidge Danticat: Krik! Krak! Piri Tomas: Down the Mean Streets

African Diaspora

The Caribbean a

Afro British

Malorie Blackman: Noughts and Crosses Miranda Kaufmann: Black Tudors: The Untold Story

Chimamanda Ngozi: Adichie Americannah Imbolo Mbue: Behold the Dreamer

African Immigrants (West Africans) b

Africa

East Africa (Uganda)

Shenaaz Nanji: Child of the Dandelion

North Africa (Morocco) Southern Africa (Zimbawe) West Africa (Cote D’Voire)

Somaiya Daud: Mirage

Nai’ma B. Robert: Far from Home

Veronique Tadjo: Queen Pokuo: Concerto for a Sacrifice

a Languages spoken in the Caribbean include English, French and Spanish. b There are 54 countries in Africa. The continent is divided into the following regions: Central, East, North, West, and South. Authors often use French, English, Portuguese, Swahili and indigenous languages.

Table 1

South Carolina English Teacher

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