On the whole, NCTE has consistently been on the progessive side on issues of race. In his book, A Long Way Together: A Personal View of NCTE's First Sixty-Seven Years, J.N. Hook explains the Council's record:
"Throughout its life, [NCTE] had attempted to treat all groups — all students, all teachers, all its members — alike. It had, for instance, been one of the first professional organizations to insist that its conventions be housed only in places where there would be no racial discrimination. It had gone beyond that [in 1964 when] the Board of Directors...mandated that all associations affiliated with the Council be completely open with regard to race and ethnicity; within two years all affiliates — some in the face of considerable difficulty — had satisfied that requirement." (1979, p. 232)
Until the 1940s, however, concerns regarding minority groups were largely non-existent in the Council's official business. Hook describes that the Council's Executive Committee minutes did not mention any minority issues, nor were any committees commissioned that specifically dealt with race. Awareness of race-related issues rose slightly during the early 40s with the publication of We Build Together: A Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature, by Charlemae Rollins, in 1941. This book was the first NCTE publication to wholly focus on African American literature. Concerned that white students who did not receive any exposure to other races in their daily lives were more prone to racism, Rollins provided a list of books that counter the stereotypes being perpetuated at that time.
The 1960s mark when the NCTE took a much more active role in racial matters. As previously mentioned, in 1964, the Board of Directors mandated that the Council and its affiliates be open to all races and ethnicities (Hook, 1979, p. 232). In 1969, the NCTE formed the Task Force on Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English (p. 233). This Task Force primarily focused on encouraging teachers to use more works authored by minorities, as well as to discourage discrimination in textbooks. The Task Force would prove successful, releasing several publications and garnering media attention.
As the decades passed, NCTE still maintained its interest in minority affairs, advocating for fair representation and diversity. To learn more about how NCTE became an advocate for minority groups, take a look at the featured records below.
Contents:(To enlarge an image, click on it and it will open in a new window)
We Build Together: A Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1945
Formation of the Task Force on Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English
Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature
Non-White Minorities in English and Language Arts Materials
The first NCTE publication to focus on race, We Build Together: A Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature by Charlemae Rollins, listed books by and about African Americans and their lives. Troubled by the racism in schools, the author theorized that stereotypes, combined with the lack of personal ties to any African Americans, were fueling the students' harmful attitudes. Rollins wrote: "Some white youth will never have the opportunity to know intimately Negroes who live as they do...If such young people are introduced to a few books which portray Negro life not only as it is lived by Richard Wright's Bigger Thomas...but as it is lived by Florence Means's Harriet in Shuttered Windows...they will lose some of their feelings of condescension and they will gain in understanding" (p. 3). Rollins then provided a bibliography she thought gave a realistic, accurate portrait of African American life.
Item: First edition of We Build Together: A Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature (1941)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/71/809
The cover, table of contents, and pages from We Build Together. The first two pages shared an anecdote about the problem of racism in schools that inspired the author to write the book.
In 1945, the NCTE Board of Directors took direct action against racism. During the Board's annual meeting, the Committee on Intercultural Relations presented a resolution proposing that NCTE "hold annual meetings of the Council only in those cities in which hotels, particularly the headquarters hotel, accord members of the Council rooms and dining room service regardless of race or religion." The Board of Directors passed and adopted this resolution.
Item: Board of Directors Meeting Minutes (1945)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/70/001
The minutes of NCTE's annual meeting recorded the Board accepting the resolution.
One of the most significant actions the Council took regarding race-related matters was the establishment of the Task Force on Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English in 1969. This task force helped to continually bring attention to issues concerning minorities and their representation. Ernece B. Kelly was the first chair of this committee. Her first responsibility was to recruit members. In her invitations to potential members, she described the goals of the task force. The first objective of the three she listed read: "The task force will assess the nature and breadth of the phenomenon of the continuing development of texts and tests which discriminate against cultural and racial groups."
Item: Correspondence inviting potential members (1970)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/73/008
Letters from Ernece B. Kelly to recruit potential members to the new Task Force on Racism and Bias.
One of the first major achievements of the task force was its publication of Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature in 1970. This document defined the problems with current teaching materials and offered a list of criteria to select appropriate classroom texts. Its rationale read in part: "The school experience is not the sole force that shapes self-images and attitudes toward other persons, races, and cultures. But in the measure that school does exert this influence, it is essential that the materials it provides foster in the student not only a self-image deeply rooted in a sense of personal dignity, but also the development of attitudes grounded in respect for and understanding the diversity of American society." NCTE's Board of Directors officially adopted this statement of criteria.
Item: Copy of Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature (1970)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/73/803
The cover and page from Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature. The first page introduced and defined the problems of biased teaching materials and the effect they could potentially have on students.
The Task Force was able to attract press attention soon after its inception. On December 12, 1970, the Capital-Journal in Salem, OR., featured a story on Native American literature and the decision of a group of Native American scholars to more openly share their literary traditions. Task force member, Montana Rickards commented on the importance of this event: "Now at last a group of Native Indian scholars is emerging which, with the trust of their people, may unlock at last this long-neglected element of American culture." The promotion of Native American literature was an important cause of the task force. The Chicago South Suburban News ran a story on the task force itself a couple of weeks later on December 26, 1970. It highlighted the task force's recent publication of Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature. The article began: "A nationwide effort to notify school textbook publishers and educators of new criteria for purging the materials they publish amd the lessons they teach of possible racism and bias is the major project of a special task force of the National Council of Teachers of English." Ernece Kelly was quoted throughout the article, explaining the new criteria her task force developed.
Item: Newspaper clippings about the Task Force (1970)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/73/008
The newspaper clippings from Capital-Journal and Chicago South Suburban News in 1970 discussed issues directly relevant to the concerns of the Task Force on Racism and Bias.
In 1972, NCTE published the anthology, Searching for America, edited by Ernece B. Kelly. The book, written together by fellow members of the task force, provided evaluations and essays on American literature taught in college and whether they fit the criteria put forth by the task force. In the introduction, Kelly wrote, "It is our hope that in the hands of teachers and administrators this publication will be a catalyst for change, both in individuals and in groups, as they go about the business of selecting and criticizing literary texts."
Item: Copy of Searching for America (1972)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/73/803
The cover, table of contents, and introduction of Searching for America. The introduction explained the rationale behind the authors' assessment of American literature and poetry and the book's ultimate purpose.
In 1978, the task force revised its Criteria for Teaching Materials in Reading and Literature and renamed its statement, Non-White Minorities in English and Language Arts Materials. The task force acknowledged that many publishers moved in a positive direction and have included more "multi-ethnic materials in their products" since 1970. However, the task force believed there were still problems with the representation of non-white minorities. The statement in this brochure sought to identify and provide a remedy to those issues.
Item: Copy of Non-White Minorities in English and Language Arts Materials (1978)
To learn about related material, see the following record series: 15/73/803
The brochure, Non-White Minorities in English and Language Arts Materials, was an updated statement from the Task Force on Racism and Bias, highlighting new problems in language arts materials and possible solutions.
