Reflecting on a #DisruptTexts exchange, I had this question: Say in 2021, every school in America decided to not teach any "white" or European literature and replaced the traditional canon with works by black and brown writers only. Would the quality of education suffer? Thread/ https://twitter.com/ijbailey/status/1344009681644232707

Before getting started, I should say I am in favor of a diverse canon, because I believe it's at its richest and finest that way. That includes works by all sorts of writers/artists from all sorts of backgrounds and races.

Having said that, if we taught only on black and brown writers in 2021, would that be lowering standards? It would in one sense, because it wouldn't be as diverse as it ought to be. But that doesn't mean the quality of the works themselves would be less than those shelved.

Shakespeare is great but not indispensable. Other works not nearly as well-known have universal themes, great writing and plot development that are just as good and in some cases better. The point is that you don't have to have Shakespeare to introduce students to such things.

The issue isn't Shakespeare or any other European writer. It's us. Most of us grew up being taught that certain works were absolutely indispensable - and most of those works happened to be by "white" or European writers. That's where the problem lies.

That's why if you even suggest substituting a different piece of work by a black or white writer for Shakespeare in the hopes that it might - might - resonate more easily with black and brown students, there is instead outrage. It's automatically considered blasphemy.

Why? Because a lot of us have conflated tradition with quality without realizing it. That's why there is almost a religious-like devotion to certain pieces of work. But that begs the question. Is it more important to teach these works? Or to ensure that kids get what they need?

When I bring up that point, some immediately jump in to proclaim I'm saying that black and brown students can't relate to Shakespeare and the like. That's simply not true. I'm suggesting that for those students who don't, why not try something that might - might - reach them?

Mark Twain has had a major influence on me. He's white. I'm black. Being introduced to his works worked for me, made me more interested in reading and writing. That's good. But what about the kids he doesn't reach? Should we force him on them anyway? Or try something new?

Let's be radically clear. The default has been "white" and European literature. No one had to go out of their way to be introduced to them. They were always there. The problem is that high-quality work by black and brown writers weren't presented to students as frequently.

And that's the rub. The goal isn't to eliminate white writers; it is to make room for many other writers who might be able to reach students - black, brown and white - better. Our purpose must be the student, not tradition or anything else.

Can we be real for a second? For a variety of reasons, too many black and brown students have been left behind, have found unnecessary difficulty in the present educational set-up. That makes it unwise to defend the status quo - if the real goal is to help them.