The recognition of the profound impact literature can have on shaping the perspectives, values, and understanding of young minds is, therefore, central to our proposed panel. Through an exploration of diverse narratives, characters, and experiences, we seek to shed light on the importance of representation in children’s and young adult literature. By ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities are authentically portrayed within these literary works, we not only validate the experiences of marginalized groups but also provide invaluable mirrors and windows through which readers can see themselves and learn about others.
Wesley Jacques’ paper introduces an excerpt from an ongoing project exploring 19th-century US children’s literature, highlighting pervasive racial and ideological themes, particularly regarding Black and Indigenous children. It challenges the perception of this literature as a cohesive space for shaping American identity, revealing underlying threads of patriarchy and white supremacy. Jacques argues that examining this historical context parallels contemporary discussions on racial and cultural representation in children’s literature. By delving into archival evidence, this presentation sheds light on overlooked spaces for children of colour, offering visual readings of their historical and present-day experiences within American cultural imagination.
Adopting a more explicitly pedagogical standpoint, Sarah Minslow’s paper will advocate for an active antiracist pedagogy, asserting the need for educators to empower students to recognize and combat racism in both personal and societal realms. Drawing on Ibram X. Kendi’s notion that consistent identification and dismantling of racism is essential (2019), the paper proposes utilizing children’s literature to instil antiracist principles in future educators. Kyoko Kishimoto’s concept of integrating antiracist teaching methods across all subjects (2018) also underscores the approach to demonstrate how texts may be utilized to foster self-awareness and critical engagement with racial issues, promoting systemic change.
The final two papers will delve into contemporary children’s and YA literature. Meg Dobbins will present a reading of Lauren Blackwood’s 2021 YA gothic fantasy rewriting of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre as a metafiction of Black literary adaptation as survival. This paper will examine how Lauren Blackwood draws on pan-African diasporic discourse and American Gothic storytelling to explore racialized trauma. It will also explore how the novel engages with Fred Moten, Saidiya Hartman, and Christina Sharpe's writings on “optimism”, “wake work” and “fugitivity” to highlight its contribution to the Black radical tradition, and how it advocates for more Critical Race Theory in women’s writing studies and exemplifies diversity discourse in YA literature.
Sean Golden’s paper will examine the marginalized portrayal of Black characters in children’s and YA literature, often relegated to background roles. Drawing from Ebony Elizabeth Thomas’ analysis in The Dark Fantastic, it explores how these characters have historically been trapped in cycles of violence, rendering them broken. The paper highlights a recent trend where Black characters assert agency, embracing their ancestries of fugitivity in narratives. It argues that their stories transcend mere visibility, depicting methods of refusal and subversive tactics to create liberatory spaces. Through examples like Strange World and Craig of the Creek, the paper illustrates how Black protagonists navigate their identities and save their worlds.
After a brief introduction (2 minutes), each participant will have 12-14 minutes for their presentation. This will ensure sufficient time for questions and for an open discussion remains at the end of the session (15-20 minutes).
Aligned with the session’s theme, we prioritize diverse perspectives, including scholars from different genders and ethno-cultural backgrounds. The speakers also represent institutions across the USA and are at various career stages, including one doctoral candidate. All four papers examine diverse aspects of children’s and YA literature through different historical contexts, approaches and narratives, supporting our goal to enrich the discourse on representation and inclusion in literature for young readers, and readers of all ages.