In Racial Innocence; Robin Bernstein argues that the concept of "childhood innocence" has been central to U.S. racial formation since the mid-nineteenth century. Children--white ones imbued with innocence; black ones excluded from it; and others of color erased by it--figured pivotally in sharply divergent racial agendas from slavery and abolition to antiblack violence and the early civil rights movement. Bernstein takes up a rich archive including books; toys; theatrical props; and domestic knickknacks which she analyzes as "scriptive things" that invite or prompt historically-located practices while allowing for resistance and social improvisation. Integrating performance studies with literary and visual analysis; Bernstein offers singular readings of theatrical productions from blackface minstrelsy to Uncle Tom's Cabin to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; literary works by Joel Chandler Harris; Harriet Wilson; and Frances Hodgson Burnett; material culture including Topsy pincushions; Uncle Tom and Little Eva handkerchiefs; and Raggedy Ann dolls; and visual texts ranging from fine portraiture to advertisements for lard substitute. Throughout; Bernstein shows how "innocence" gradually became the exclusive province of white children--until the Civil Rights Movement succeeded not only in legally desegregating public spaces; but in culturally desegregating the concept of childhood itself.
#13521 in Books imusti 2008-04-15 2008-04-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x 1.08 x 7.00l; 1.95 #File Name: 0814740480640 pagesNew York University Press
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. GoodBy AlisonSeems like it will be a good book to use. Some of the history is really early and definitely explores less taught sections of the world. I haven't used it yet this year; it seems as though it would be more appropriate for a higher level class (collaborative would be challenge and college prep would probably work!) has some questions in it and I'm looking forward to using it next year!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy DDTPractice as the high school AP curriculum intended.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great Primary SourcesBy Saul S.This compendium of documents edited by Peter Stearns offers more the the usual materials one finds in most primary source compilations. They are long enough to allow students to really dive into the text but not so long as to be tedious.
