Some Resources on Diversifying Your Reading

Let me repeat for those in the back: I am not an expert on diversity.  Pretty much the opposite.  I work in one of the most diverse schools possible.  I am a minority in the country that I live in.  I still come at this issue from a place of privilege.  A lot of privilege. I don't know what it is to be a POC and I especially don't know what it is like to be a POC who isn't finding their reflection in books.  But other people are.  I wanted to put together a starting point of resources together because I found them helpful.  I think that especially when I am talking about #ownvoices it is important that we listen  to people who are living that experience.  

1. "Diversity Is Not Enough: Race, Power, Publishing" by Daniel José Older: a discussion about the lack of representation in publishing.  From agents, publishers, to all white characters.
2. "The All White World of Children's Books"  by Nancy Larrick: Lest you think that this is a new discussion here is an article from 1965 pretty much saying the same damn thing that is still being said.  
3. "The Apartheid of Children’s Literature"by Chris Myers: "...characters of color are limited to the townships of occasional historical books that concern themselves with the legacies of civil rights and slavery but are never given a pass card to traverse the lands of adventure, curiosity, imagination or personal growth."
4. "An Apartheid of Imagination" by Justina Ireland: this is in some ways a response to Chris Meyers article and also a discussion about publishing.  BTW- I just bought a couple of her books.  Has anyone read them?
5. "Where are the People of Color in Children's Books?" by Walter Dean Myers: he speaks about what not being reflected in literature meant to him personally and what it means to us as a society.
6. "How to You Write About 'Diversity' When the Word has Become Hollow"by Tanwi Nandini Islam: a discussion about going beyond the surface and "making nice".
7. Things I Wish I had Ten Years Ago: a gif Essay by Sarah Hannah Gomez: who is awesome and makes all the sense.
8. Here is a link to a whole list that Sarah Hannah Gomez put together on Privilage and Diversity in Literature.  She also did an extremely brilliant challenge for agents and publishers to promote getting more works published by POC.  
9. Reading While White:for a lot more discussion about this topic by people who know a lot more than me (that is the theme of the day)
10. "A Close Look at CCBC's 2015 Data on Books By/About American Indians/First Nations" By Debbie Reese: With a depressing but very well done graphic.  If there is any question about the treatment of American Indians/First Nations in literature she pretty much has the answer.   She knows her stuff.

That is a start.  I am really interested in this topic so if you have written something or read something that you found powerful please let me know!