Brooklyn Library Vault Questioned

So about that locked vault that holds controversial books at the Brooklyn Library... the Daily News published a piece by the New York Civil Rights Coalition's executive director, Michael Meyers, chastising the practice of locking up our nation's history—no matter how ugly it can be. The book at the centerpiece is Tintin au Congo, and Meyers says, "we don't need librarians protecting us or our children's wonderment and discovery from 'bad' images and messages in books. Where would such paternalism in the forms of censorship and banishment begin and end? We shouldn't try to hide unpleasant truths from our children. It is historical fact that white racialists colonized Africa, and that explorers and even missionaries thought of black Africans as primitive savages in need of civilizing." Indeed, this history happened and it's not an "Out, out damned spot" sort of scenario where a lock and key will make it disappear.

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By Jen Carlson in News on August 24, 2009 5:35 PM

Comments [rss]

Matt Joyce

Hiding things that expose others as the idiots that they are is not going to make them any less idiotic. I think that might be the moral of the story here.

tsol

How is Belgium's colonization of Congo "our nation's history"?

dr zippy

This is such a non-issue. Libraries have all sorts of "controversial" stuff that they don't keep on the shelf, largely so that material doesn't get damaged by patrons.

I think it would be safe to say that Mr. Meyers is not at all familiar with how libraries operate, and hadn't bothered talking to a librarian at the BPE before making his silly statement.

al oof

yeah, it happened. but talking about that it happened and showing racist art from the time period is not the same thing. and the people who are hurt by these images are the same people who were hurt by them then, whether or not it's historical. the problem isn't that white kids might see these images and suddenly turn racist (a goodly portion of them will turn out that way anyway). the problem is having a book like that just out in a kids section means non-white children will see and be hurt by those images. they at least need it in the adult section.

and the books that don't make it into the brooklyn library are many and varied and for reasons as simple as being not well known. why is taking an actual well known book out of circulation because it's hurtful such a big fucking deal? they aren't burning the thing or saying you can't own it.

Tricksta

That's a really good point, but speaking from experience as a minority myself, a lot of those children will see that book, get very hurt and pissed off, and resolve to become a great artist (or author, or illustrator, or media mogul) in their own right. (Sorta how like Spike Lee decided to become a filmaker when he saw "Birth of a Nation.") They might be motivated to become successful and shatter the stupid racist stereotypes of books like "Tintin", and hopefully create something even more wonderful and inventive that all children can enjoy.

(I'm not saying racist images are a good thing to motivate children, BTW. But unfortunately kids are gonna find out about some ugly truths in life regardless -- like racism and prejudice -- so there might as well be something positive to come out of it.)

Mr. Shankly

They're protecting the books from the patrons, not v.v.

Mordicai

Wow if that were actually what was happening, I'd be appalled!

suepart

for tintin completists, this "controversial" tintin in the congo can be purchased in hardcover format in europe (as the ever PC american publishers decided at the last moment not to publish it). for those who have never seen this book, it is definitely not a typical tintin book- he even blows up an animal (a rhino, i believe it was) with a bomb.

NannyState

Fan alert: TinTin Au Brownsville is still on the shelves.

Clarice City

True, he blows up the rhino with a stick of dynamite. Then he does the same to Snowy (kidding). Invite Felixthecat2 screed here:

Mordicai

I'm always happy when American publishers come out looking better than the European ones-- how dare they not publish racist caricatures. They should be ashamed for...being...so...not...racist.

Clarice City

My grandfather had a copy of this book from his boyhood. When I was a kid I wanted to look at it. It was as simple as him explaining to me that the images were not an accurate representation of black people. He explained the history and that was that. From then on I was able to appoach similiarly uncomfortable situations and imagry with some perspective and education, not naivete.