LeBron James' Vogue Cover

I knew when I heard about this cover there was going to be some controversy involved.
Someone interviewed on the Today Show (I wish I could remember who...) compared his posture and expressions to that of King Kong. They feared that it was going to fuel the debate about the status of African-Americans and how they are portrayed still as animals, especially when Gisele looks dainty and honest.

While I understand where people offended by the cover are coming from I just don't think that was the intended message vogue was trying to send. I don't look at LBJ and think "My God...what a monster he would be." I think more along the lines of "That's not someone I'd want to be matched up against on a basketball court..." To me his expression is just that of an in focus person trying to show the emotion he finds in playing his game. He's intense. He's bent on winning. It's an expression I've seen many times when he's pumped up on the court so I have a hard time making this image about his race.

How does this relate to literature? Well it directly relates to Race and Race Relations and Racism which all relate to the use of diverse literature in the classroom.

Becoming Naomi Leon

I really enjoyed this novel. I thought it gave a wonderful portrayal of Naomi's experiences and provided an imaginative world for readers to step into.

My only frustration was the portrayal of the parents. While I felt that their lack of a role in their children's lives was very realistic and authentic I worried that readers may perhaps then be left with the impression that that was a typical situation for Latino/a children. I would just want to be sure to include some supplemental examples of Latino/a life where parents did take an active role in their children's lives.

Personal Philosophy

Why did I decide to take TE 448? Well, the short answer is that I thought it would help to make me a better teacher. Why? Well it's giving me a greater awareness and appreciation for how I can incorporate multicultural literature into my classroom. I knew before taking the class that I would need to find diverse literature to use but taking this course, along with the topics covered in 348, is providing me with tools to help ensure that I choose quality works to include in my classroom.

Literature is one of the greatest ways to explore different cultures with students, but it will only be truly beneficial to them if the works used are quality pieces of fiction and help to steer them from forming stereotypes and opinions without justification.