White privilege is the idea that White people have an advantage in society over non-whites. It is the idea that because a person is White they are entitled to certain privileges such as job advancement, a college education, or even special treatment by the police (“Teaching Tolerance,” 2016). Many members of the White dominant society are not even aware of, or are in denial of, these privileges and their entitlement, and have very little understanding of the fact that white privilege exists (DiAngelo, 2011, p. 60). Unfortunately, due to the established White culture’s inability to recognize the concept of white privilege, publishers have allowed the many perceptions of this privilege to be transferred to our children through storybooks.
White privilege in children’s literature occurs when publishers promote works written by authors through the lens of their own culture, usually White, which may ultimately contain unintended bias and/or racial stereotyping hurtful to non-white audiences. This one-sided perspective keeps alive the idea that the White population is the superior and dominant population. As a result, non-white ethnicities, such as Latin Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians, become non-existent, invisible, and/or stereotyped in the literature. For example, in many older storybooks, only White children are pictured even though the American population as a whole is a diverse one. When people of other ethnicities are pictured, they may be of lesser status or may be misrepresented and stereotyped, such as the American Indian was in the Little Golden Books (Reese, 2012). It is also unhealthy for White children to see the world in this perspective. The perpetuation of White privilege leads to White fragility and the continuation of this cycle. White privilege in children’s literature overlooks diversity and the inclusion of the others.
For a clear example, look no further than Kurz’s (2012) examination of the South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominees, put forward by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians. In the award’s history, only 18% of nominees have featured a person of color as a main character (p. 133). However, 40% of the state’s youth population is non-White, meaning the award lacks serious representation. The reasons for this could be varied, stemming from anything such as a lack of published works by and about people of color to an out-of-touch award committee. Even so, it all points back to another example of White privilege.
This can be personally evident in most libraries or bookstores. Glance at the shelves. Glance at the displays. Look to the characters and authors who are intended to represent a diverse world. More often than not, materials representing White characters make up the bulk of shelf space. White privilege is being able to walk into these libraries or bookstores and never worrying about locating a book which serves as a mirror, reflecting self and life experiences. Often, the question does not even come up for most White individuals, which solidifies that privilege further.
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