Harlem Renaissance or Momentary Aberration?: An Analysis of the Newbery's Progress toward Racial Inclusivity

Abstract

Abstract:This paper analyzes the Newbery Medal's progress toward racial inclusivity by studying four African American-authored texts in two different periods: Virginia Hamilton's M.C. Higgins, the Great and Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry in the 1970s and Kwame Alexander's The Crossover and Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming in 2015. It compares the popular and academic reception of the 2015 novels with the reception of those from the '70s and examines the root causes of the lack of diversity in Newbery winners, from ALA demographics to the works children's literature scholars focus on in their academic articles.