On Mar. 2,Swipe as some celebrated the birthday of late children's author Theodore Geisel, known famously as Dr. Seuss, the author's estate announced it will stop publishing six Seuss books featuring racist images.
The Associated Press reported the announcement by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the business arm of Geisel's publishing legacy, on Tuesday. “Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in an official statement posted online and to the Associated Press.
The books set to be pulled from publishing lines are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo,McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises explained it made the decision last year with the guidance of experts and educators. The books feature portrayals that are "hurtful and wrong," the statement reads, promising that the business is "committed to action."
Geisel's legacy as a beloved children's author has long been complicated by his early career as a political cartoonist, during which he published numerous cartoons featuring anti-Japanese messages and ads depicting racist caricatures of Black people.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
But, by the 1950's, Geisel was publishing books that would endure as progressive children's literature, such as The Sneetchesand Horton Hears a Who!. In 1976, Geisel issued a partial apology for his early cartoons, calling the drawings "hurriedly and embarrassingly badly drawn" and full of "snap judgements."
Still, many educators have slowly moved away from including Geisel's books in curriculum. Ahead of Geisel's birthday and this year's national Read Across America holiday — a day encouraging childhood literacy sponsored by public education advocacy nonprofit National Education Association — one Virginia school district announced it would no longer connect the holiday with Dr. Seuss's birthday. The district cited research that found "racial undertones" in his work, CNN reported.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Some users online mistook the announcements as a full ban on Seuss's work.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Others noted that recognizing the racist history of the novels was not the same as "canceling."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in its statement that it will continue to review its book catalogue in line with its "mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship."
Topics Activism Books Social Good
Ireland fines TikTok $600 million for sharing user data with China
Kim Kardashian has proof her waist in Fergie's 'M.I.L.F. $' video is (kind of) real
'Crazy Rich Asians' star Henry Golding was discovered by an accountant
Football fan wins Facebook challenge with his boss, gets to watch Wales play
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 5: The spores are here!
Infiniti unveils its latest electric concept speedster
Huawei, ZTE banned from Australia's 5G network over security concerns
Genius girl hid the lyrics to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in her tweets
Best portable power station deal: Save $179.01 on the EcoFlow River 2 Max
8 Snapchat pranks you can pull off from the comfort of your phone
Hidden Siri Commands and Unusual Responses
'The Happytime Murders' review roundup: Critics think it's a mess
6 problems with the foster care system
Someone just attempted to hack the DNC's voter database
Shop Owala's Memorial Day Sale for 30% off tumblers
'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' inspires Twitter to share love letters
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump makes a tasty doughnut
'Chewing Gum' star Michaela Coel speaks out about sexual assault
AMD Radeon RX 550 + Intel Pentium G4560
False alarm: DNC backtracks on voter database hacking attempt claim
Maisie Williams makes Twitter request, gets more than she bargained forFacebook reminds private groups: We're watchingNewspaper bills Donald Trump's inauguration as an episode of 'The Twilight Zone'American fencer kneels to protest Trump, racism, and gun violenceDomino's Pizza stays cutting edge with eFour Loko teased an incredibly hard seltzer and nobody is copingKaspersky Lab exposed users' browsers to website trackingHere's what we imagine the schedule for Donald Trump's inauguration will look likeApple might launch new iPhones on September 10Maisie Williams makes Twitter request, gets more than she bargained forHuawei's foldable Mate X reportedly faces another delayOppo to launch Reno2 flagship with 20x zoom this monthTwitter tests filter to bury unwanted DMs even furtherWatch Michelle Obama transform from spunky toddler to fabulous FLOTUS in one GIFA sonic cyberattack could cause speakers to play dangerous soundsAmerican fencer kneels to protest Trump, racism, and gun violenceWe regret to inform you that pumpkin spice Spam existsDomino's Pizza stays cutting edge with eArsonist pet tortoise starts fire that burns neighbor's home and causes $150,000 in damageYoung Thug didn't show up to a music video shoot but that didn't stop the director Bigots used Cameo app to trick celebs into making anti YouTube prankster Roman Atwood is skydiving on live Apple reveals the most popular iPhone apps of 2018 Beyoncé turned 35, so she can officially run for president Duterte called Obama a 'son of a whore' and the internet did a collective facepalm Beyoncé displayed her rap skills at Global Citizen: Mandela 100 FBI dumps results of Clinton's email investigation online Waymo One, Google's new self The 5G iPhone probably isn't coming until 2020 UK lawmakers just released a trove of Facebook emails NASA spacecraft OSIRIS Kevin Hart is your 2019 Oscars host People really don't want bootcut jeans to make a comeback Police union: Officers may boycott 49ers over Kaepernick anthem stance 'Just Cause 4' review: Play 'Just Cause 2' instead Trump campaign gets in Twitter trouble again with Photoshopped poll image Photos of collapsed, cracked roads show the power of Alaska's earthquake Videos of tech being destroyed will set you free, if only for a few minutes 'Pokémon Go' reveals trainer battles coming this month Google’s Santa Tracker is back with more holiday fun for 2018