(News Analysis)
A few weeks back, liberals across the country were enraged by an Alabama high school government class’ reading list that included mostly conservative books. Parents and activists argued that the list was too one-sided, and children should have some form of choice and balance in their education. Fair enough.
However, when it comes to National Public Radio’s latest summer reading list, those on the left appear to be oddly silent.
Last Thursday, NPR released its so-called “Summer Reading For Your Woke Kid” list that includes titles aimed at promoting left-wing causes. “Give kids credit,” Stan Yogi, one of the authors on our list, said. “They have an innate sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. Being able to draw on that innate sense of justice through relatable stories is so important.”
Yogi is not referring to justice in the traditional sense, but rather the left’s new form of “social justice.” Books on this list tackle the topics of transgenderism, feminism, and the refugee crisis. Deborah Menkart, Executive Director for Teaching for Change, told NPR it is important to expose children to these ideas early so they can hold a specific perspective. “Parents and teachers are realizing that what students read and learn affects how they see the world,” she said.
Here are some of the promoted SJW books along with NPR’s descriptions:
“A heartwarming story of a young boy, Danny, who fights gender stereotypes by dressing up as a princess for the school parade.”
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs and Nizar Ali Badr
“A bilingual tale, in Arabic and English, about a Syrian family’s flee from home. The book explains the refugee experience through beautiful illustrations.”
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
“This coming of age story follows a young Muslim girl named Amina as she deals with the ups and downs of growing up, friends moving away, and preparing to read from the Quran in public for the first time.”
While not as reliant upon taxpayer dollars as it used to be, NPR receives a significant portion of its revenue from various government bodies. According to its own 2015 Fiscal Year data, 5 percent of NPR’s revenue comes directly from federal, state, and local governments, but that number fails to tell the whole public financing story. The statistics also show that 12 percent of funding comes from colleges of universities — many of which are public — and another 9 percent comes from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
So just remember, Alabama, that taxpayer-supported organizations can apparently promote political agendas, as long as they line up with the left’s “uniform code of social justice”.
