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Enlightened and Empowered Readers
The Equity, Justice and Belonging initiative in our libraries
Visiting authors, including Andrea
Wang (below), shared their perspectives with students on writing through a cultural lense
The act of reading has a deceptive appearance. It is stationary and, for the most part, silent. But underneath that serene surface, whole
worlds might be shifting. In that stillness, notions transform into convictions. In the slow turning of the pages, each author adds their voice to our consciousness. Though a reader merely repositions themself occasionally in the same chair, they are able to simultaneously traverse the globe and travel even into the mind of
another. To say that what one reads is powerful is an understatement, but it falls to all of us to consider in whom that power resides.
In 1990, the concept of books as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors was first articulated by Rudine Sims Bishop, an American Professor of Education. She posited that readers experience narratives in a few different ways: as a reflection of oneself, as a portal through which to observe another’s life or as an empathetic and full engagement in the world of another. Bishop felt these were important distinctions because for far too long, her research evidenced a lack of literary mirrors for people of color. Bishop explained that for all children to have a full understanding of the human experience they must be exposed to diverse literature. “It’s not just children who have been underrepresented and marginalized who need these books, it’s also the children who always find their mirrors in books and therefore get an exaggerated sense of their own self-worth and a false sense of what the world is like.”
For all children to have a full understanding of the human experience they must be exposed to diverse literature.
FISO Elementary School librarian Lara Ingham credits Bishop with forming an important vocabulary around the struggle to broaden representation in literature, particularly in the context of schools. Ms. Ingham explains, “We cultivate that sense of not just one story mattering but many, many stories.” And while FIS Librarians have long grappled with these issues, the 2020 adoption of the Equity, Justice and Belonging (EJB) Initiative within our community has strengthened their resolve and broadened support for their efforts. A summary of the initiative found in the strategic plan for the current school year states: “Through specific actions in diversity, equity, and inclusion, FIS will develop community understanding of the impact of real or perceived stereotypes relating to gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, and economic diversity. We will provide opportunities for students to explore their personal and cultural
10 FIS World June 2023