![Melania Trump with child - Shealah Craighead [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/22/660x290/b_502x220x82/melania-trump-with-child-shealah-craighead-public-domain-via-wikimedia-commons_1586047.jpg "Melania Trump with child - Shealah Craighead [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons")
As the first lady, you are positioned as being the "mother" of our country and ultimately offering services to those in need. This means making appearances and being heavily involved with elements of the country that the president cannot reach. Recently, the first lady Melania Trump decided to send packages of Dr. Seuss books to one school in each state to celebrate National Read-a-Book Day and in one case it backfired. Lizz Phipps Soeiro, a librarian at Cambridgeport Elementary School in Cambridge, Massachusettes, denied Trump's gift package.
In an open letter published on BP Blogs, Soeiro explained her reasons as to why she rejected this offer.
She started off by explaining there was no need for the books at her library and that there were plenty of other schools who could acquire more resources. Soeiro stated: "My school and my library are indeed award-winning. I work in a district that has plenty of resources, which contributes directly to “excellence.'" She went on to explain the racist stereotypes Dr. Seuss's books impose. "Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," Soeiro stated. She ended her letter reminding Trump of her duty she has to the children.
The hidden racism in Dr. Seuss's books
The controversy around whether Dr.
Seuss's work was racist or not has been a conversation for a while now. Before Dr. Seuss was famous from the 1920s through the 1940s, he created ads portraying black people as inhumane creatures. During World War II, he displayed Japanese people based off of racial stereotypes by drawing them with squinted eyes and buck teeth.
His most famous character, "The Cat in the Hat," has been questioned if it was designed based off of the perception of black people. The character's act has been argued to mimic the theme of blackface minstrel shows.
Based off of this evidence and the social climate at the time, it is logical to see the racial agenda expressed directed towards people of color.
Even though these ads were not the gifts sent to the children, there still lies a racist undertone in the message through the children's novels for example, "The Cat in the Hat."
Was this the right approach for a librarian?
Even though this was a great act of bravery, there are some who would disagree. Some believe that political issues should remain outside of the classroom. People have argued that these are elementary students who are innocent and are not able to see the deeper meaning, if there is any, behind these novels. However, others agree with Soeiro and her position that the racial undertone in these novels is not needed for highly impressionable students. Ultimately, this act has sparked a conversation that has been quiet for some time.
