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A review by izadorarose
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
2.0
I had to read this book as part of a summer school program with incoming 3rd graders. I ultimately opted out of reading the book because I struggled a lot with some issues with the book.
First, the book is written by a white woman from the perspective of a white boy about his understanding of desegregation and racism. The only thing I can be thankful for is that she didn't write from the perspective of the black boy. As it is, I felt uncomfortable reading a book that revolved around segregation and racism...and wasn't told from the point of view (or written!) by someone who was primarily impacted by it. Secondly, I struggled with the fact that the boys were friends because John Henry's (the black boy) mother was a servant for the white boy's family. When the white boy finds out the pool is being desegregated, he asks to be excused to go to the kitchen to tell John Henry because, of course, John Henry isn't allowed to eat dinner with the family because his mother is working (and serving them their dinner). As a BIPOC activist said: "If it's not [made/by] with us, it's not for us."
First, the book is written by a white woman from the perspective of a white boy about his understanding of desegregation and racism. The only thing I can be thankful for is that she didn't write from the perspective of the black boy. As it is, I felt uncomfortable reading a book that revolved around segregation and racism...and wasn't told from the point of view (or written!) by someone who was primarily impacted by it. Secondly, I struggled with the fact that the boys were friends because John Henry's (the black boy) mother was a servant for the white boy's family. When the white boy finds out the pool is being desegregated, he asks to be excused to go to the kitchen to tell John Henry because, of course, John Henry isn't allowed to eat dinner with the family because his mother is working (and serving them their dinner). As a BIPOC activist said: "If it's not [made/by] with us, it's not for us."