Two African-American members of the state Assembly have introduced a non-binding resolution calling on school districts in New Jersey to remove “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' from their curricula
Though filled with what many academics see as anti-racist and anti-slavery themes, “Huckleberry Finn” presents an unvarnished depiction of the antebellum South and includes use of the the n-word more than 200 times.“The novel’s use of a racial slur and its depictions of racist attitudes can cause students to feel upset, marginalized or humiliated and can create an uncomfortable atmosphere in the classroom,” reads the resolution,, by Assembly members Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Jamel Holley .
“There are other books out there that can teach about character, plot and motive — other ways besides using this particular book for that lesson,” she said. It does not appear as though the New Jersey Legislature has taken up the controversy — at least in the last 30 years. POLITICO searched for bills dating back to 1988 with “Huckleberry Finn” as a keyword, and nothing turned up.that the first couple of times she read “Huckleberry Finn“ as a child, she felt “fear and alarm” and “muffled rage.
Nora Pelizzari, communications director for the National Coalition Against Censorship, said her organization has fought attempts to ban “Huckleberry Finn“ since it was founded in 1974. She said that while the New Jersey resolution is non-binding, it “encourages individuals in communities and emboldens them to challenge the book.”
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