Critical Race Theory

[Irreligious Atheist]

I have yet to actually read New Kid, but looking at IA's response to it, I have to ask: how certain are we that it (and other things like it) are teaching black kids to find any potential microagression worth throwing a shit fit over? From what little I understand of the black experience (and I'm not 100% convinced such a thing is possible), it seems more like many black kids have already felt the way Jerry does and, if it's teaching anything, it's that they're not alone in feeling the way they do. If it's meant to be teaching anyone anything, it seems like it's trying to teach white people to be more mindful in their interactions with black people. It sounds like it's no more teaching black kids to be resentful than Catcher in the Rye taught teenagers to be resentful back in the day.

I admit I'd have to read it to be certain, and I'll probably either find a copy the next time I go to the library or find it via some... less than legal methods. And given that you listened to an audiobook, and it's a graphic novel, it's also possible that something might be missing from the visual dimension.  But, going from what you've said about it, and the discourse on race in general, I doubt this take will be too far off base.

To be clear, I certainly don't want any books to be banned. That's not me. Sure, some black kids may feel the way the author does, but that doesn't necessarily mean those thoughts should be validated. I'm sure 99 % of us on the forum can agree that chocolate is not a racist gift, whether a black person takes it that way or not. And I'm sure we can also agree that basketballs are not quite the new Swastika, especially given that the black kid in the novel actually had a Knicks poster in his locker at school and loved basketball. If Colin Kaepernick came out with a children's book showing children trying out for a football team and compared that to slavery in the children's book like he did in his Netflix show, that would be a similarly dumb book.

I know that CRT is not taught in schools other than colleges/universities. I don't agree with the Republican talking points and I certainly want history to be taught, but microagressions over being given chocolate as a gift is a bit out there, and wow, what do you even say to something like that? That's a new one for me. I never knew some blacks were microaggressed over chocolate or saw the symbol of the basketball as the new Swastika. This knowledge is new to me, so forgive me. I have no doubt that it would be tough for a black kid going to a mostly white school, but some of the examples that this book gave are pretty yikes.