Is anyone up for a book burning? Certainly not I; my wife has tried to get me to donate just some of my book collection. My collection stands at about 1,000, and I love a good bookstore.
One book not in my collection is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I have read enough of it to make the choice that it doesn’t make the grade for me or my family. In fact, I suggest that it causes more scars than its redeeming value. The scars come in the form of the hate speech that the “N” word represents.
Once there was a play that was Columbus East’s idea to put on. Fortunately, there was an uproar that caused better minds to prevail. I am fairly certain that Ms. Gwen Wiggins of the NAACP helped lead this charge.
There is no doubt that there are some that would have done great by the material. Unfortunately, it only takes one person to use the play’s material as license to fill the air with hate speech just for effect. Then students or citizens become scarred.
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It seems like the past five years, if not longer, the African American Pastors Alliance has been in meetings with the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and North and East high schools to halt the use of this book. Usually, we are informed by some mother or student hit with a racial slur. I recall setting appointments and going from school to school to share with teachers and administrators why we did not want the book read. Seems like at each concluding meeting we were assured they felt our pain and planned to make a change.
Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” was a Southern aristocratic recluse. She was the product of her times, the ‘40s and ‘50s, from Monroeville, Alabama. Her writing was based on things she saw and heard. This includes reflecting on her father’s defense of two black men. Ultimately, her second released book, “Go Set A Watchman,” was worse than the first in terms of racist sentiments. It reveals that the redeeming characters of the first book were racist, liars and deceivers.
What about the honors classes? It seems that the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” is on the suggested reading list. The pastors, namely the late Pastor Tony McClendon provided an extensive list of alternative books. Several of these were from African American authors. Nevertheless, there are those ever so passionate that the book’s redeeming value is in accurately portraying the United States during the ‘30s and must be kept. Specifically, it shows its greatest reflection on the South and the impoverished nature of all during the Depression. Of course, there are those well meaning but ignorant that hold this mindset that do not have children of color. To be clear, there are some people that when they hear the pain inflicted by the racial slurs they are convinced to look for an alternative.
It is frustrating that on topics of our children’s well being to be so misunderstood and outright unheard. Explicitly, as a member of the African American Pastors Alliance, we would prefer that the book was not a part of the curriculum at all. However, we would like to submit that BCSC not allow the book or plays in regular classroom material. Further, it is our desire that the only approved reading list that “To Kill a Mockingbird” appears on is the AP Honors class as alternative reading.
Bishop Charles Sims tells me that we have been trying to convey this fact for 40 years, that words do matter, especially when they are the most negative kinds of words. It would seem that this welcoming community would pause and acknowledge the scars of its community members and say, “Enough is enough.”
David Bosley is pastor of Dayspring Church of God Apostolic, located in Columbus, and a member of the local African American Pastors Alliance. Send comments to [email protected].
