ThoughtGallery.org > Banned in Brooklyn: The Judaic Journey of Nappy Hair from Washington, DC to NYC

Banned in Brooklyn: The Judaic Journey of Nappy Hair from Washington, DC to NYC

Carolivia Herron’s children’s book, Nappy Hair, which caused a major national controversy on diversity education in 1998, was published while Carolivia was rediscovering and affirming her Jewish identity. As she prepared the book for publication, she purposely coded it to attract Jewish audiences in addition to the African American and cultural diversity audience that is obvious from its description of kinky hair and its use of African American call and response. For example, she replaced the name Richard with the name Mordecai, included a reference to the Hebrews leaving Egypt and slavery, and refused to let Random House include a picture of God (no graven image). In fact, there is an embedded Judaic journey in the book itself as well as in the impetus Jewish readers gave to the book and to the author’s life journey after the controversy erupted in a Brooklyn, NY school in 1998. The book was banned in Brooklyn and elsewhere because community members didn’t want a white teacher teaching about black hair. The banning catapulted the book onto the best seller list, and sent Carolivia to Jewish communities nationwide – – sparking a conversation that expanded the Judaic journey of Nappy Hair from a backyard picnic in Washington, DC, to the media extravaganza that is New York City.











When: Thu., Dec. 15, 2016 at 6:30 pm
Where: New York Public Library—Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library
476 Fifth Ave. (42nd St. Entrance)
212-340-0863
Price: Free
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Carolivia Herron’s children’s book, Nappy Hair, which caused a major national controversy on diversity education in 1998, was published while Carolivia was rediscovering and affirming her Jewish identity. As she prepared the book for publication, she purposely coded it to attract Jewish audiences in addition to the African American and cultural diversity audience that is obvious from its description of kinky hair and its use of African American call and response. For example, she replaced the name Richard with the name Mordecai, included a reference to the Hebrews leaving Egypt and slavery, and refused to let Random House include a picture of God (no graven image). In fact, there is an embedded Judaic journey in the book itself as well as in the impetus Jewish readers gave to the book and to the author’s life journey after the controversy erupted in a Brooklyn, NY school in 1998. The book was banned in Brooklyn and elsewhere because community members didn’t want a white teacher teaching about black hair. The banning catapulted the book onto the best seller list, and sent Carolivia to Jewish communities nationwide – – sparking a conversation that expanded the Judaic journey of Nappy Hair from a backyard picnic in Washington, DC, to the media extravaganza that is New York City.

Buy tickets/get more info now