Children are My Business: A Proper
Disagreement
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Story: On Thursday, October 23, 2014, the wonderful
children and young adult author, Jacqueline Woodson received the above video
posted to her FB wall. Because I value
her work, I became intrigued with her response to endorse this video with a purchase
of a tee shirt or a sweatshirt.
Immediately I was offended by the title, “F-Bombs for
Feminism” and before I passed judgment, I viewed the video in its entirety and was
terribly bothered.
It is not my intent to be at war with Ms. Woodson
who has given children of color a unique voice in literature but, I strongly
advocate against any form of child abuse, no matter how subtle, and I encourage
adults who are in position to be role models to be careful as to what they
endorse for children as activists.
Below I have posted the thread of posts that ignited
a disagreeable discourse between a children’s librarian and a children’s
author.
By the way, I am very fond of Ms. Woodson’s work
(Locomotion is a favorite) and I will continue to place her works on the list
of books for children and young adults to read.
Robin Muldor to Jacqueline Woodson...Am I missing something here? Really
Miss? Since when do we use children to fight adult battles or issues... particularly
if it doesn't benefit their current state in childhood? I find this to be
appalling and abusive. “The devil is a liar.” You are a children's and young
adult author, and a mother, and you mean to tell me that you condone children
using street vernacular or profane language (Miss. Author who has supposedly
mastered the King’s English) so that you can order a tee shirt. Wow, disturbing
and unbelievable. Please don't use our children, they are going through enough.
Karen Clark to Robin Muldor Initially, I
found this a disturbing video - it is startling to see these "adorable
little girls" shouting out these words, indeed. But I think that's the
point. Every single one of them is going to grow up and - far too soon - have
to deal with the issues they are raising, namely, rape, financial inequality,
and a culture of violence and disrespect towards women" that "keeps
them in their place" by telling them to be sweet, pliable and decorative,
and never under any circumstances to raise their voices in protest in the same
language employed by males, because then they're not "nice." There is
a lot of food for thought in this video, and it runs far deeper than the
surface shock value of having a bunch of pretty little girls in princess
outfits shouting out four-letter words. When they point out that "One out
of five women will be raped in her lifetime," count off from one to five
and demand, "Which one of us will it be?" - the fact that they are
speaking a statistical truth is far more of an obscenity than merely uttering a
word that used to get Lenny Bruce, the groundbreaking comic and social critic
who also employed shock-value words to get his point across, put in jail.
What's the real despoiler of innocence here - the fact that they were given a
script with this language, or the fact that they are living in a society in
which they are, in fact, going to feel afraid to walk to their own car at night
after leaving a job for which they are nt being paid according to their merits
and deserts
Robin Muldor to Karen Clark, it is not so much the f... word that is bothersome ( as
a child I know I used some choice of words that would make some cringe, and if
my grandmother had found out she would
have punished me for it ) it's the overall message of allowing children to
fight adult battles. We are a doubled jointed society. We want the children to
"stay in a child's place" only when we see fit. It is the adult’s responsibility
to make sure all children's futures are secured, not the other way around. Yes,
we should bring them into the fold of awareness but we shouldn't put them on
the battle field at such tender ages...they lose a sense of innocence. If
adults use prudence and wisdom that comes with living and maturing, then we
wouldn't have to have children help fight our battles. I advocate on behalf of
the wellbeing (the holistic approach) of all children.
Jacqueline Woodson to Robin Muldor And
it's true, children are fighting these battles. I know I was before I could
even talk - and always was grateful for any way to be empowered these battles.
We have to have the 'talk' with our Black Boys. We have to have yet another
talk with our daughters. They are not immune as much as we want them to be. As
children, we live in two worlds, the world of both adult and child, sadly. They
are not 'protected' no matter how much we want to protect them. But if they are
lucky, they are loved and safe and well-fed and getting prepared to have the
tools to walk out as strong people into the adult world. Our work as adults is
to guide them as best we can. That said, this facebook page is for my friends
who are not judging what I post and by the way, I don't speak any "King's
English", thank you. If you're looking for Jacqueline Woodson, Author --
that's my Fan Page which young people ARE allowed to view. Please don't use
this page as a space to judge what I post. Thanks.
Robin Muldor to Jacqueline Woodson, I always say, I stand to be corrected and
can learn from another's point of view. What is judgment? If by me not seeing
"eye - to - eye with you on this issue and not being afraid to say so, and
if I can only agree with everything thing you say to consider myself friendly,
then out of respect for your feelings of being bothered or offended with my
point of view, then I must bow out of your fold... The judgment is in the
passion I hold as a child’s advocate and I don't compromise.
I was asked by my Livingstone College Sister and Friend Robin Muldor to comment on the video F Bombs for Feminism. I was not shocked by the commentary from these adorable little girls and teenagers being that I hear these types of words daily from the ELEMENTARY students who unfortunately hear this type of language at home. I understand that FCKH8.com wanted to put out a strong message to those who continue to treat woman as if we don't count, but what they don't understand is that most of our children or better yet the parents of our little girls especially in the urban areas won't even see this message. So who are you catering too, because the little girls and boys that I teach in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade hear and see this type of language, and know of this type of abuse (rape) on a daily basis, and it has nothing to do with women not getting what they deserve. Truth is from a teacher who teaches her children that they are powerful and nothing can stop them from being the very best they can be. I begin preparing my 3rd graders for college in the field of technology, engineering, medicine and the arts because they need positive adults who are willing to do what it takes to get them there. I also tell them that everything is not always going to go your way, but that if you remain positive and keep striving for what you want you will get it. Yes, women deserve more than what has been handed to them, but to use our children to get across an adult message is absolutely WRONG! Our children deal daily with enough of the negative behavior and language, and to those who think this was cool and alright, that is your right, but don't get your panties bunched up when your pretty little princes or prince comes home thinking it's cool and alright to drop that F BOMB because they don’t agree with what you say or your disciplinary actions, and they want to stand up for their rights in your household. Cause they definitely can't come in my house with it!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Priscilla.
DeleteYour point regarding allowing children to step over boundaries ( profane and flippant language, or adult gestures) at an early age will at some point come back to haunt their parents, is so on point.
I appreciate your point of view :-)
I just could not get over these little girls with such dirty mouths in this video; it made me cringe. it is not acceptable to use these children in this fashion to get attention on issues they're not even facing right now and yes I know they will grow up one day to be young ladies but you can fight with a more
ReplyDeleteintelligent vocabulary than this. This society has become too liberal with some of the things that they have allowed children to get
away with not to mention the parents who gave permission for them to do this...Robin, I applaud you for the work you're doing with children; we need more like you out there fighting intelligently for them!
Deb,
ReplyDeleteThe United States is losing its moral standards to " politically correct" hypocrisy.
Its decision to be too liberal will unfortunately cause many to self destruct physically and spiritually.
"suffer not little children"
Your point of view is appreciated.
Kelly Taylor experienced difficulties posting his comment to this blog. Instead he posted on FB and because I am excited to have a male's point of view concerning this topic, I decided to cut and paste his comment here.
ReplyDeleteKelly- Bear ( KB Taylor) response to Robin M blog (via., FB 11/13/14)
Wow where do I begin as a life long educator I am speechless at what these young girls have been taught by the trusting adults in their lives which can never be untaught.
I am referring to the profanity not the attempt to demonstrate against the wrongs of society that are acted against women. (I seriously doubt if these young girls can grasp these horrific acts)
As a father of an eleven year old I can tell you from personal experience of trying to teach young people life lessons too soon in hopes that when the time comes for their turn they will respond in the right way or as the person teaching them would hope for.
I personally have been on the receiving end of a life lesson taught too early to my son coming back and bitting me.
It took me twice as long to Un-teach what I thought I was not teaching him and then to try to teach him the wisdom to handle the life lesson that I so eagerly wanted to teach him in the first place.
There you have it the problem with trying to teach life lessons to young people too soon is that you cannot teach them the wisdom that is required for them to comprehend the life lesson that you want them to stand up for.
So you can bet that these young girls will have to go and get the wisdom to be able to handle this life lesson which means they will be taking it back home and they will be embarrassing the adults that allowed them to get involved in a much needed call to action that they cannot comprehend and cannot possibly understand the totality of their action at this point in their life.