In the Assembly of the state of new Jersey presented a draft resolution calling to remove from the curricula of the schools of the state «the adventures of Huckleberry Finn» by Mark TWAIN. Previously, school districts in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Minnesota and Mississippi have already removed the book from their curriculum.
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«Using the book racial slurs and depictions of racist views can cause students a sense of derangement, exclusion or humiliation, as well as create an uncomfortable atmosphere in the class» — said in a resolution proposed by two African-American members of the Assembly, Reynolds, Jackson and His Holly.
«Huckleberry Finn», TWAIN created, filled with the fact that many scientists believe anti-racist and anti-slavery themes. The works of mark TWAIN largely contributed to the abolition of slavery in the United States, but his book is an unvarnished picture of the South and includes the use of n-word over 200 times.
Reynolds-Jackson said in a telephone interview with Politico that he decided to submit a resolution after the student in Hopewell was charged with cyberbullying about racist messages and threats that he allegedly made African-American students because of Snapchat. Although the book was not involved in this incident, Reynolds Jackson said he wanted to use it as a «teaching moment». «There are other books that can tell about the character, the story and the motives — other ways in addition to use this particular book for this lesson,» she said. The inclusion of books in school program «actually requires Teens to read and discuss a book containing offensive, violent and extremely offensive remarks aimed at African Americans».
According to the American library Association, «the adventures of Huckleberry Finn» was 14th for the number of banned and challenged books between 2000 and 2009. Nobel laureate Toni Morrison wrote that in the first couple of times she has read «Huckleberry Finn» as a child, she felt «fear and anxiety» and «muted anger». But, later called the effort to ban books «elementary censorship designed to appease adults, not educate children.»
Defenders of freedom of speech has long been opposed to school exclude from their curricula «Huckleberry Finn» and other American classics, such as «to Kill a Mockingbird», which also has the «n»word.
Nora Pelizzari, communications Director National coalition against censorship, said that her organization fought against attempts to ban «Huckleberry Finn» since its founding in 1974. She says that although the resolution in new Jersey is not binding, it «encourages people in the community», and encourages them to challenge book»:
«Teachers should be the ones who decides whether the class is to provide sufficient context and facilitate the discussions that need to be in class when reading such books as «Huckleberry Finn». The classroom «is the place» where the book should be discussed, to be put in its proper context. You put students into a dead end, if you delete the canonical texts that are the basis of great American literature. The legislature shall not enact a General prohibition, even if it is not binding».
