DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Two classic American novels will no longer be required reading in eastern Minnesota schools because they contain racial slurs.
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" will be dropped from the Duluth school district's English classes next year. School officials say the move is part of an effort to be considerate to all students.
District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Michael Cary tells the Star Tribune that the decision follows years of concerns shared by parents, students and community groups.
Cary says the district wants to ensure conversations about race are discussed in a way that works for all students.
The books are still available for optional reading.
Stephan Witherspoon is president of the NAACP's Duluth chapter. Witherspoon says the move is "long overdue" because the literature has "oppressive language."
———
Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
Post a comment as
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Daily Journal Online Comment Policy
The goal of the story comments at dailyjournalonline.com is to have a community forum for the thoughts of our readers.
We strive to make sure this is an open, thought-provoking yet polite debate on the issues.
Report Abuse
If you feel a comment has violated our guidelines, please use the "Report Abuse" link under the comment.
Comments not edited
We do not edit comments. They are approved or denied.
Comments will be screened
All comments will be screened and may take several hours to be posted.
No Personal Attacks
Refrain from personal attacks or degrading comments.
Do not feed the trolls
Keep comments clear, concise and focused on the topic.
No Emails or Links
No advertising allowed. Do not post e-mails or links except for pages on dailyjournalonline.com or Government websites.
Be Courteous
Do not type with CAP LOCKS ON. Forgive spelling errors. No racism, sexism or any other sort of -ism that degrades another person.
Do not imply guilt
Do not convict a suspect of a crime before he or she has been proven so in a court of law.
Comment Length
Comments are limited to 1000 Characters. Characters remaining are posted on top left of comment box.
Assertions of questionable or unrelated information will decrease the likelihood of approval.
However we welcome such information in the form of news tips sent via our contact us page.