Charges of Racism Stun Nappy Hair Author and Teacher

Staff -- School Library Journal, 1/1/1999

Respected black writer and scholar Carolivia Herron was caught off guard when her children's book, Nappy Hair, Knopf, 1997, became the focus of national attention after parents at a Brooklyn, NY, school spoke out against its perceived racial exaggerations. "I was so shocked that anyone could fail to see the delightful story of a little girl saying I love my hair," Herron told SLJ.

Soon after Ruth Sherman, a white first-year teacher, shared Nappy Hair with her mostly black and Hispanic third-grade students at P.S. 75 in Brooklyn, NY, a group of residents and parents charged that the book, in particular its exaggerated illustrations, reinforced racial stereotypes. In order to avoid further conflict, Sherman requested that the school district transfer her to another school.

Upon learning of the teacher's plight, Herron flew to New York from California to defend both Sherman and Nappy Hair, annoucing that she and Sherman will collaborate on a teacher's manual for the book. Herron, an English professor at California State University, rejects the idea that teachers can't use books about and by different ethnicities without training. "Librarians and teachers need to reach all their students," she said. "This idea that we can't all teach each other is preposterous."