A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN MISSISSIPPI HAS DECIDED TO
BAND TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD FROM THE READING LIST FOR ITS
EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME TO KILL MOCKINGBIRD HAS
RECEIVED SOME CRITICISM, BACKLASH, OR THREATS OF A
BAND, HOWEVER, THE REASON THAT SCHOOL OFFICIALS HAVE GIVEN
IS FASCINATING TO SAY THE LEAST.
A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT'S USED
AND ALSO A THEME THAT'S USED IN THE BOOK WHICH IS OF COURSE,
IF YOU READ IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BLACK MAN WHO HAS BEEN
FALSELY ACCUSED OF RAPE SO THERE IS SEXUAL CONTENT
AND AS WELL.
THAT WAS WRITTEN BY THE WASHINGTON POST.
GO-AHEAD.
JUMP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
THE REAL REASON THAT THE BOOK IS BANNED IN A LOT OF PLACES
IS BECAUSE IT MAKES PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH UNCOMFORTABLE.
IT IS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1930S IN ALABAMA.
THAT IS WHERE IT IS SET AND IT WAS RELEASED IN 1960.
LET ME READ YOU A PART OF WHAT THEY EXPLAIN IN THE BOOK THAT
IF YOU READ THE FULL CONTEXT OF THE BOOK YOU WILL UNDERSTAND
THAT IT IS NOT LIKE THE INWARD IS USED IN A POSITIVE WAY.
IN UNDERSTATED LANES WHY IT IS SO WRONG AND THAT IS PART
OF WHAT GETS UNDER SOME PEOPLE SKIN.
IN ONE PART OF THE BOOK THE GIRL ASKS HER FATHER WHAT
EXACTLY IS AN IN LOVER.
HE SAYS IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN AND THEN HE GOES ON TO SAY IT IS
IGNORANT TRASHY PEOPLE USE IT WHEN THEY THINK SOMEONE IS
FAVORING NEGROES OVER AND ABOVE THEMSELVES.
IT SLIPPED INTO USAGE LIKE SOME PEOPLE LIKE OURSELVES WHEN
THEY WANT TO HAVE AN UGLY TERM TO LABEL SOMEBODY.
THE BOOK IS INCREDIBLY CLEAR ON WHAT A TERRIBLE WORD IT IS
IN THE PEOPLE THAT USE IT ARE TRASH DOTS SO THAT GETS
UNDER SOME PEOPLE SKIN AND SO THEY ARE LIKE WHAT ARE YOU
SAYING ABOUT ALABAMA.
1ST OF ALL, IT IS ALABAMA FROM THE 1930S.
IF YOU ARE TAKING IT PERSONALLY, THERE'S SOME CHANCE OR
SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING YOU ARE SAYING THANK GOD
THEY WERE THAT BOOK AND SHOWED HOW UGLY RACISM WAS AND NOW
WE IN ALABAMA AND OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY ARE BEYOND
IT BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL
TRYING TO BAN THE BOOK IN SONY DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.
EXACTLY.
THE RECENT EXAMPLE WAS IN BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI.
THAT IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS CALLING FOR A BAN ON TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD THAT WHEN I SAY BAN IT MEANS IT IS
BEING TAKEN OFF OF THE READING LIST FOR THE EIGHT GRADE
CLASS AND LOOK, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THESE
TYPES OF BOOKS BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THEY CLASSICS BUT IT
REMINDS YOU OF WHAT THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY WAS.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S A FICTIONAL BOOK, IT STILL TOUCHES ON
HISTORICAL THEMES IN THE US AND IT SHOWS THAT HEY, WE HAVE
PROGRESSED SOMEWHAT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE A DARK PAST
AND WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT DARK PAST THAT THE ONLY WAY
YOU PREVENT THE CRUEL TREATMENT THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN HISTORY
IS TO LEARN HISTORY AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THIS
WHITEWASHING OF AMERICAN HISTORY THAT I THINK IS DAMAGING.
GO-AHEAD.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IT REALLY QUICK I IMAGINE SOME
AFRICAN-AMERICANS COULD GET UPSET AT SEEING THE WORD 50
DIFFERENT TIMES BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE IN FAVOR THE BOOK AND WANT THE BOOK TOTS.
PART OF WHY THE BOOK DID SO WELL AND WHY DO SUCH A CLASSIC AS IT
TOOK THE RACIST TROPES OF THE PAST, THINGS LIKE YOU WOULD SEE
IN THE BIRTH OF A NATION WHERE THEY HAVE A MAN IN BLACK FACE
GOING AROUND RAPING WHITE WOMEN AND TURNED IT ON ITS HEAD AND
SHOWED THAT IT WAS WRONG, THAT THERE THESE ASSUMPTIONS MADE
ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND ISN'T TRUE AND SO THAT IS WHY
THE HUGE PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE OF COURSE
IN FAVOR NOT ONLY JUST IN FAVOR OF TEACHING THE BOOK, BUT QUITE
UPSET, AS THE UNCLE WAS RECENTLY, HE'S ONE OF THE STARS
OF BLACKISH AND HE WAS SO MAD THAT THEY ARE TAKING THE BOOK
AWAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH.
SO WE HAVE A VIDEO OF HIM KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THIS A
LITTLE BIT.
HE WAS AT LAX, THE AIRPORT AND HE WAS APPROACHED BY TMC
AND HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THIS WHOLE DEBACLE.
WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TRYING TO CHANGE HISTORY.
THEY ARE TRYING TO GET IT TO THE POINT WHERE NOTHING ILL HAS EVER
HAPPENED TO BLACK PEOPLE EVER IN LIFE.
THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT THAT WAY THEY ARE LIVING IN A FANTASY
RIGHT NOW ARE THEY ARE LIKE YELLOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO
TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY.
THAT'S BS MAN.
THAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN THERE.
WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THAT AWAY BECAUSE THEN THAT SHOWS
BLACK PEOPLE WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND IT GIVES THEM MORE
PURPOSE TO BE PROUD OF WHO THEY ARE AND HOW WE OVERCOME.
JUST LIKE MARK TWAIN.
THEY WERE TRYING TO GET RID OF MARK TWAIN.
NO, KEEP ALL NIGGERS IN THE BOOK JUST TO SHOW KIDS COMING UP
HOW MANY THEY THAT WE WERE DARK
AT THE END THERE HE IS OBVIOUSLY, HE DOES, AND HE
AND HE IS BEING FUNNY BUT THEY FOLLOWED HIM FOR QUITE SOME
TIME.
HE HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS WHICH I LIKE.
BUT HE REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING AMID A GREAT POINT IN THE
BEGINNING THERE WHICH IS THAT IT IS FUNNY THAT WHEN YOU TRY
TO TAKE CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS DOWN THEY SAY WE HAVE TO
PRESERVE HISTORY.
HISTORY HAPPENED.
YOU CAN'T DENY IT.
BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW BLACKS WERE MISTREATED IN
THE SOUTH LIKENED TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AS IT SHOWS, I
DON'T KNOW.
DO WE REALLY HAVE TO SHOW THAT SET OF HISTORY?
YOU PROGRESSIVES LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH.