#Liz Phipps Soeiro

[samueldelany]

Nnedi Okorafor, (born April 8, 1974, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.), Nigerian American author whose science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics for both children and adults express her concepts of Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism. Okorafor often promotes young Black girls as superheroes in her work, and her writing investigates racial inequality, sexual violence, and other social issues.

[horrorhouse]

Well, I wonder what the ugly librarian has to say now?

[elisesole]

Melania Trump calls school librarian who declined 'racist' Dr. Seuss books 'divisive'

First lady Melania Trump called a librarian who rejected her gift of Dr. Seuss books “divisive.” (Photo: Getty Images)

A school librarian who rejected a shipment of books from Melania Trump for their “racist undertones” was brandished “divisive” by the first lady.

Liz Phipps Soeiro is a librarian at Cambridgeport School in Massachusetts and the recipient of an honor bestowed to one high-achieving school library in each state. To coincide with National Read a Book Day on Sept. 6, each library received a package of 10 Dr. Seuss books: Seuss-isms!; Because a Little Bug Went KaChoo; What Pet Should I Get?; The Cat in the Hat; I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; The Foot Book; Wacky Wednesday; Green Eggs and Ham; and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Melania has called Oh, the Places You’ll Go! a favorite book, reading it aloud to children at a New York City hospital in March for Read Across America Day (also Dr. Seuss’s birthday), much like Michelle Obama in past years.

However, Phipps Serio declined the shipment, explaining her reasoning on the Horn Blog Tuesday. “Dear Mrs. Trump, my students were interested in reading your enclosed letter and impressed with the beautiful bookplates with your name and the indelible White House stamp,” she wrote. “However, we will not be keeping the titles for our collection. I’d like to respectfully offer my explanation.”

Phipps Serio highlighted her “amazing” school district adding, “School libraries around the country are being shuttered. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school ‘choice’ with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools. Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Why not reflect on those “high standards of excellence” beyond only what the numbers suggest? Secretary DeVos would do well to scaffold and lift schools instead of punishing them with closures and slashed budgets.”

Then, Phipps Serio turned her attention to the subject matter of the books. “So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books. And then there’s the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature.”

She continued by name-checking specific books. “Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes. Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, for example), and you’ll see the racist mockery in his art. … Scholar Philip Nel’s new book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books, further explores and shines a spotlight on the systemic racism and oppression in education and literature.”

“You and your husband have a direct impact on these children’s lives,” wrote Phipps Serio. “Please make time to learn about and value them. I hope you share these books with your family and with kids around the country. And I encourage you to reach out to your local librarian for more recommendations.”

Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach Phipps Serio, and her social media channels appear to have been removed. But that didn’t stop people from tweeting their disapproval of the librarian’s gesture.

2. Here's a picture Liz Phipps Soeiro posted actually celebrating Dr Seuss's books, so apparently she likes "racist" reading materials also! pic.twitter.com/F1CY0XJx5f

— Deplorable Tigerfan (@Auburngirlx) September 29, 2017

I'll just leave this here #DrSeuss pic.twitter.com/GPAindqzxn

— Tanya Tay (@realTanyaTay) September 29, 2017

If you believe Dr. Seuss books are racist, you might be a moron.

— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) September 29, 2017

Stephanie Grisham, White House director of communications, released the following statement to various media outlets. “[The first lady] has demonstrated [her commitment to children] in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example. To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere.”

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

[thelibertybeaconproject-blog]

BUSTED: Librarian Who Rejected Melania’s ‘Blackface’ Dr. Seuss Gift Outed As Total Hypocrite

BUSTED: Librarian Who Rejected Melania’s ‘Blackface’ Dr. Seuss Gift Outed As Total Hypocrite

BUSTED: Librarian Who Rejected Melania’s ‘Blackface’ Dr. Seuss Gift Outed As Total Hypocrite

via zeropointnow

A snarky elitist librarian from Cambridge, Mass. responded to First Lady Melania Trump’s gift of Dr. Seuss books with a condescending screed about how Dr. Seuss is racist – recommending Mrs. Trump should instead gift the (racist) books to underprivileged children.

Liz Phipps Soeiro…

[trollymcpatriarchy]

Trolly's Shitpost Saturday - 9/30/2017

Trolly’s Shitpost Saturday – 9/30/2017

The crazies have been out in force this week, that is for sure. From athletes who stand during the American National Anthem are racist, to Dr Seuss is racist, video games are racist, and white emojis are racist as well. The last one makes me laugh if it is racist for white people to use black emoji’s because that is digital blackface, but it’s racist to use white emojis, what the fuck can white…

[dagwolf]

My school and my library are indeed award-winning. I work in a district that has plenty of resources, which contributes directly to “excellence.” Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an amazing city with robust social programming, a responsive city government, free all-day kindergarten, and well-paid teachers (relatively speaking — many of us can’t afford to live in the city in which we teach). My students have access to a school library with over nine thousand volumes and a librarian with a graduate degree in library science. Multiple studies show that schools with professionally staffed libraries improve student performance. The American Association of School Librarians has a great infographic on these findings. Many schools around the state and country can’t compete.The library after school is a place for families. Photo: Liz Phipps Soeiro.

Yearly per-pupil spending in Cambridge is well over $20,000; our city’s values are such that given a HUGE range in the socioeconomic status of our residents, we believe that each and every child deserves the best free education possible and are working hard to make that a reality (most classrooms maintain a 60/40 split between free/reduced lunch and paid lunch). This offers our Title I school and the district a lot of privilege and room for programming and pedagogy to foster “high standards of excellence.” Even so, we still struggle to close the achievement gap, retain teachers of color, and dismantle the systemic white supremacy in our institution. But hell, we test well! And in the end, it appears that data — and not children — are what matters.

Meanwhile, school libraries around the country are being shuttered. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school “choice” with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools. Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Why not reflect on those “high standards of excellence” beyond only what the numbers suggest? Secretary DeVos would do well to scaffold and lift schools instead of punishing them with closures and slashed budgets.

So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books. And then there’s the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature. As First Lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips. Just down the street you have access to a phenomenal children’s librarian: Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress. I have no doubt Dr. Hayden would have given you some stellar recommendations.

Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes. Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, for example), and you’ll see the racist mockery in his art. Grace Hwang Lynch’s School Library Journal article, “Is the Cat in the Hat Racist? Read Across America Shifts Away from Dr. Seuss and Toward Diverse Books,” reports on Katie Ishizuka’s work analyzing the minstrel characteristics and trope nature of Seuss’s characters. Scholar Philip Nel’s new book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books, further explores and shines a spotlight on the systemic racism and oppression in education and literature.

I am honored that you recognized my students and our school. I can think of no better gift for children than books; it was a wonderful gesture, if one that could have been better thought out. Books can be a powerful way to learn about and experience the world around us; they help build empathy and understanding. In return, I’m attaching a list of ten books (it’s the librarian in me) that I hope will offer you a window into the lives of the many children affected by the policies of your husband’s administration. You and your husband have a direct impact on these children’s lives. Please make time to learn about and value them. I hope you share these books with your family and with kids around the country. And I encourage you to reach out to your local librarian for more recommendations.

Warmly,

Liz Phipps Soeiro School Librarian Cambridge, MA

[fajar78]

Dr Seuss Kids Room

Dr Seuss Kids Room

Parents and educators at an elementary academy in Cambridge, Massachusetts are breach over a alienated issue: Should kids be acquirements how to hop on pop?

On Sept. 1, to conductor in back-to-school season, US aboriginal adult Melania Trump beatific a alternative of 10 Dr. Seuss books to one academy in anniversary state. This week, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a librarian at Cambridgeport School, a…

[rebeleden]

???????

[deadlightsun-blog]

Remember Liz Phipps Soeiro? She’s the elementary school librarian from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who refused the gift of Dr. Seuss books from First Lady Melania Trump because she considered them “racist propaganda.” But photos have surfaced of Soeiro wearing the famous hat from The Cat in the Hat and holding one of those “racist” tomes.

[ccshowme]

A snarky elitist librarian from Cambridge, Mass. responded to First Lady Melania Trump’s gift of Dr. Seuss books with a condescending screed about how Dr. Seuss is racist – recommending Mrs. Trump should instead gift the (racist) books to underprivileged children.

Liz Phipps Soeiro turned down the collection of nearly a dozen books, telling the First Lady that her elementary school was ‘award-winning’ and ‘well-funded,’ before adding ‘You may not be aware of this, but Dr Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature.

[warlax]

Elementary school librarian rejects books given by First Lady

A librarian at a Massachusetts elementary school has declined nearly a dozen books donated by the First Lady on Thursday, calling them 'tired' and 'cliche.'

School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro (pictured) rejected books donated by First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday

A librarian at a Massachusetts elementary school has declined nearly a dozen books donated by Melania Trump ,  calling them ‘tired’ and ‘cliche.’

The White House earlier this month announced that one school from each state would receive a shipment of Dr. Seuss books as part of…

[brandsmagazinepakistan-blog]

Brands Magazine

http://monthlybrands.com.pk/melania-trump-donated-books-to-a-school-library-heres-why-the-librarian-sent-them-back/

Melania Trump donated books to a School Library. Here's why the Librarian sent them back

To celebrate National Read-a-Book Day, Melania Trump Dr. Seuss children’s books to one deserving school in each state across the country. But she didn’t know that it will be rejected.

Liz Phipps Soeiro, a librarian at Cambridge port Elementary School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, rejected the books sent by Melania Trump.

“My students were interested in reading your enclosed letter and impressed with the beautiful bookplates with your name and the indelible White House stamp, however, we will not be keeping the titles for our collection,” wrote Soeiro in an open letter on a book blog, saying her reasons for rejecting the Seuss titles, 10 in total, was due to her school being in a district that already had plenty of resources.

“You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature,” Soeiro wrote to Trump. “As first lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips. Just down the street you have access to a phenomenal children’s librarian: Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress. I have no doubt Dr. Hayden would have given you some stellar recommendations.”

According to the White House, before sending the books, the first lady worked with the Education Department to select schools around the nation that had high standards of excellence, special programs and that been recognized for achievement.

“Getting an education is perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives,” Trump said in a letter to the students receiving the books. “I encourage each of you to take advantage of these special years while you are in school. Your education will be a lifelong pursuit that will sustain and carry you far beyond your wildest imagination, if you will let it.”

[thisismoscatolife]

Librarian Rejects Melania Trump’s Dr. Seuss Books, Slams It As “Racist Propaganda”

Librarian Rejects Melania Trump’s Dr. Seuss Books, Slams It As “Racist Propaganda”

(TIML TEA)  Melania Trump’s gift of Dr. Suess’s classic children’s book Oh, The Places You’ll Go! was rejected by a librarian who deemed the book is filled with “racist propaganda.”

“[Oh, The Places You’ll Go!] is steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes,” wrote Liz Phipps Soeiro in a letter to Trump, who sent over several books to the Massachusetts elementary school…

[biginf184]

Librarian Rejects Melania Trump’s Dr. Seuss Books, Slams It As “Racist Propaganda”

Librarian Rejects Melania Trump’s Dr. Seuss Books, Slams It As “Racist Propaganda”

(TIML TEA)  Melania Trump’s gift of Dr. Suess’s classic children’s book Oh, The Places You’ll Go! was rejected by a librarian who deemed the book is filled with “racist propaganda.” “[Oh, The Places You’ll Go!] is steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes,” wrote Liz Phipps Soeiro in a letter to Trump, who sent over several books to the Massachusetts elementary school…

[austindailyglobe-blog]

Librarian Who Rejected Melania's Gift Of Dr. Seuss Books Dressed Up As Cat In The Hat Months Earlier

The Massachusetts school librarian who rejected Melania Trump’s book donation, saying Dr. Seuss books are ‘steeped in racist propaganda’, dressed up as The Cat in the Hat two years ago.

A photo of Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wearing the famous cat costume resurfaced Friday.

The caption from the Cambridgeport School Specialists Twitter account revealed she was celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ breakfast.

But in her denouncement of Melania’s book donation on the Horn Book blog website, she linked and cited the book ‘Is the Cat in the Hat Racist? Read Across America Shifts Away from Dr. Seuss and Toward Diverse Books’ by Philip Nel.

Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro dressed up as the Cat in the Hat at a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, but said Melania Trump’s book donation containing Dr. Seuss books was ‘cliché’

According to the school website, she was also a librarian for Watertown Public Schools and at MIT.

In her Facebook profile picture, she is sitting in front of a bulletin board featuring influential African Americans and civil rights leaders. She is reading the book ‘Rad American Women A-Z.’

The First Lady criticized Soeiro for rejecting her donation of nearly a dozen books.

‘She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example,’ the first lady’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told The Hill in a statement.

‘To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate.’

The mayor of Dr. Seuss’ hometown of Springfield Massachusetts also bashed Soeiro, saying her comments were ‘political correctness at its worst.’ Mayor Domenic Sarno said in a statement: ‘One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish, I think her comments stink and are ridiculous towards our beloved Dr. Seuss.’

The White House earlier this month announced that one school from each state would receive a shipment of Dr. Seuss books as part of National Read a Book Day.

But Soeiro said her school did not need the books in an open letter. She described the Dr. Seuss books donated to the school as ‘steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.’

The First Lady’s gesture was part of White House initiative dubbed ‘National Read a Book Day’ (Pictured: May 25, 2017) Her spokeswoman said it was unfortunate that Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro turned the donation into ‘something divisive’

School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro (pictured) rejected books donated by First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday

Along with the donation came a letter from the First Lady, which emphasized to students that receiving ‘an education is perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives’.

‘Remember,’ the letter says, ‘the key to achieving you dreams begins with learning to read. Find what you enjoy, anything that interests you, and read about it.’

‘Never stop learning and challenging yourself, and never give up on your dreams,’ the letter concludes.

Soeiro, whose school represents Massachusetts in the initiative, said on Thursday that her award-winning library wasn’t in need of the literature.

Soeiro, whose school represents Massachusetts in the initiative, said she didn’t ‘NEED’ Melania Trump’s book donation

The Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian claimed in an open letter that the school did not need the books

‘My students have access to a school library with over nine thousand volumes and a librarian with a graduate degree in library science,’ Phipps Soeiro wrote.

‘Multiple studies show that schools with professionally staffed libraries improve student performance,’ she added.

Phipps Soeiro also criticized the First Lady’s choice in books, which included ‘The Cat in the Hat,’ ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,’ ‘The Foot Book,’ ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!,’ CBS Boston reported.

‘You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature. As First Lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips,’ she wrote.

The elementary school employee also took a jab at the Trump administration’s education policy, specifically striking out against Betsy DaVos.

‘Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?’ she wrote.

She called Dr. Seuss cliché, tired and a worn ambassador for children’s literature and said children in less fortunate schools were more deserving

Phipps Soeiro continues by claiming that ‘cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion privatization, and school ‘choice’ with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers and their schools.’

She then asks: ‘Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control?’

The school district later said that Phipps Soeiro ‘was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district,’ adding that her opinions do not reflect that of the school system.

  Librarian Who Rejected Melania’s Gift Of Dr. Seuss Books Dressed Up As Cat In The Hat Months Earlier was originally published on Austin Daily Globe