Carole Boston Weatherford
Encyclopedia
Carole Boston Weatherford is an African American
author and critic
, now living in North Carolina
, United States
. She writes children's literature
and some historical books, as well as poetry and commentaries.
Weatherford began writing in first grade by dictating poems to her mom. Her father taught printing at a local high school and published his daughter's early works. As a child, she enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss
and Langston Hughes
. Continuing to pursue creative writing as a hobby through high school and college, she later earned her M.F.A from the University of South Carolina
and an M.A. in publication design from the University of Baltimore. Although a Baltimore native, she currently resides in North Carolina and teaches composition and children's literature at Fayetteville State University
. Initially, Weatherford was invited to FSU as a writer-in-residence, but in 2007, she received the position of associate professor.
As an author, she acknowledges her calling "to mine the past for family stories, fading traditions and forgotten struggles." The books she writes, in poetry and prose, explore African-American history from a children's perspective and relate the past to new generations. Her works are often inspired by true events, many of which took place in the areas where Weatherford has lived. In her Author's Notes for each book, she includes a portion of her historical research, from which her fiction or poetry emerged. In describing her purpose for writing to the School Library Journal, she says, "I want the books that I write that are set during the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights era to nudge today's kids toward justice. We've gone a long way, but we still have a long way to go."
In 1995, Lee & Low Books
published her first picture book, Juneteenth Jamboree, about a summer celebration in memory of the Texas Emancipation. She then wrote a series of board books for preschoolers. In 1998, she co-authored Somebody's Knocking at Your Door: AIDS and the African American Church, and then published a collection of poetry, The Tar Baby on the Soapbox. After establishing herself as a versatile writer for both children and adults, she published two nonfiction chapter books before penning her first award-winning children's book, The Sound That Jazz Makes, a poem that traces the history of African-American music.
Since then, she has continued to write poetry, historical fiction, and nonfiction biographical works for children. She said in an interview with The Brown Bookshelf that one of the most important poems she has written was Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom: "Those inspired words came together with Kadir Nelson
’s soulful paintings and Ellice Lee’s brilliant art direction in a perfect publishing storm. Moses propelled my career to another level." Moses has won a Caldecott Award for Illustration as well as an NAACP Image Award
as an Outstanding Literary Work for Children and became a New York Times bestseller.
In 2008, Weatherford published her first poetic novel for young adults, Becoming Billie Holiday, about the development of the artist who she refers to as her muse.
#124, Jynx
, was a negative stereotype of African American
s:
In response to the controversy, Jynx's in-game sprites were given a purple skin color in the American versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver
, which was released in late 2000. By 2002, Nintendo
officially redesigned Jynx, changing her skin color from black to purple; this change was not reflected in the animated series until Shogakukan
(the company that produces the Pokémon anime
) changed the color of Jynx's face to purple in 2005.
Weatherford was, however, mistaken as Jynx is intended to be a parody of a Japanese fashion trend known as Ganguro
In which women darken their skin, signifigantly lighten their hair and apply bright makeup to themselves. Ganguro itself is a part of the fashion based counter culture of Japan and is practiced as a statement about feminism and conventionally percived beauty.
, up for critique:
The Dragon Ball manga later released by Viz
in 2003 had reduced the size of Mr. Popo's lips.
In year 2010, Mr. Popo was re-coloured blue in Dragonball Z Kai by 4kids Entertainment in response to the controversy. http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Popo
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
author and critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, now living in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She writes children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
and some historical books, as well as poetry and commentaries.
Biography
The music of poetry has fascinated Weatherford and motivated her literary career. In an interview with The Brown Bookshelf she said, "The Creator called me to be a poet. I hear words strung together in my head just as a composer hears notes and chords. Scenes unfold in my mind just as they do on a filmmaker’s storyboard. Like poetry, quality children’s literature compresses language, distills feeling, evokes scenes, and can be experienced on multiple levels. The best poetry makes music with words."Weatherford began writing in first grade by dictating poems to her mom. Her father taught printing at a local high school and published his daughter's early works. As a child, she enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
and Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
. Continuing to pursue creative writing as a hobby through high school and college, she later earned her M.F.A from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
and an M.A. in publication design from the University of Baltimore. Although a Baltimore native, she currently resides in North Carolina and teaches composition and children's literature at Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University is a historically black, regional university located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. FSU is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.-Academics:The primary...
. Initially, Weatherford was invited to FSU as a writer-in-residence, but in 2007, she received the position of associate professor.
As an author, she acknowledges her calling "to mine the past for family stories, fading traditions and forgotten struggles." The books she writes, in poetry and prose, explore African-American history from a children's perspective and relate the past to new generations. Her works are often inspired by true events, many of which took place in the areas where Weatherford has lived. In her Author's Notes for each book, she includes a portion of her historical research, from which her fiction or poetry emerged. In describing her purpose for writing to the School Library Journal, she says, "I want the books that I write that are set during the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights era to nudge today's kids toward justice. We've gone a long way, but we still have a long way to go."
In 1995, Lee & Low Books
Lee & Low Books
-History:Lee & Low was founded in 1991 by Chinese Americans Tom Low and Philip Lee as a children's book publisher specializing in books featuring people of color and one of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the United States. Low says, "There was a void in children's books. Most of the...
published her first picture book, Juneteenth Jamboree, about a summer celebration in memory of the Texas Emancipation. She then wrote a series of board books for preschoolers. In 1998, she co-authored Somebody's Knocking at Your Door: AIDS and the African American Church, and then published a collection of poetry, The Tar Baby on the Soapbox. After establishing herself as a versatile writer for both children and adults, she published two nonfiction chapter books before penning her first award-winning children's book, The Sound That Jazz Makes, a poem that traces the history of African-American music.
Since then, she has continued to write poetry, historical fiction, and nonfiction biographical works for children. She said in an interview with The Brown Bookshelf that one of the most important poems she has written was Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom: "Those inspired words came together with Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson is an award-winning African American artist, illustrator and author. His work is focused on African American culture and history.-Early life:...
’s soulful paintings and Ellice Lee’s brilliant art direction in a perfect publishing storm. Moses propelled my career to another level." Moses has won a Caldecott Award for Illustration as well as an NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
as an Outstanding Literary Work for Children and became a New York Times bestseller.
In 2008, Weatherford published her first poetic novel for young adults, Becoming Billie Holiday, about the development of the artist who she refers to as her muse.
Critique of Asian culture
Mrs. Weatherford has written multiple articles about Asian culture, with two of the more prominent ones being geared toward children's cartoons, and another aimed at the name of a toothpaste brand.Pokémon
In January 2000, Weatherford wrote an op-ed piece that ran in newspapers across Alabama. "Politically Incorrect Pokémon" explained how PokémonPokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
#124, Jynx
Jynx
Jynx, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jynx first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of...
, was a negative stereotype of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s:
In response to the controversy, Jynx's in-game sprites were given a purple skin color in the American versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
, which was released in late 2000. By 2002, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
officially redesigned Jynx, changing her skin color from black to purple; this change was not reflected in the animated series until Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
(the company that produces the Pokémon anime
Pokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
) changed the color of Jynx's face to purple in 2005.
Weatherford was, however, mistaken as Jynx is intended to be a parody of a Japanese fashion trend known as Ganguro
Ganguro
Ganguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion...
In which women darken their skin, signifigantly lighten their hair and apply bright makeup to themselves. Ganguro itself is a part of the fashion based counter culture of Japan and is practiced as a statement about feminism and conventionally percived beauty.
Dragon Ball
In an article published in the Christian Science Monitor in May 2000, Weatherford reiterated and expanded on her argument. Jynx 124 had looked like "an obese drag queen," and she also offered Mr. Popo, a character from the Dragon Ball franchiseDragon Ball
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
, up for critique:
The Dragon Ball manga later released by Viz
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
in 2003 had reduced the size of Mr. Popo's lips.
In year 2010, Mr. Popo was re-coloured blue in Dragonball Z Kai by 4kids Entertainment in response to the controversy. http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Popo
Cantonese name of Darlie Toothpaste
In the same article which she criticized Jynx and Mr. Popo, Carole Boston Weatherford implied that the Cantonese name of Darlie Toothpaste remains racist, as it is still being called "Blackman toothpaste".2005
- North Carolina AAUW Award for Juvenille Literature, Freedom on the Menu
- Capitol Choices: Notable Books for Children, Moses
- Bank Street College Best Children's Books, Freedom on the Menu
2006
- Capitol Choices: Notable Books for Children, Freedom on the Menu
- Notable Books for a Global Society, A Negro League Scrapbook
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Freedom on the Menu
- Golden Kite Honor AwardGolden Kite AwardThe Golden Kite Awards are given annually by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators to recognize excellence in children’s literature. Instituted in 1972, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers...
for Picture Book Text, Dear Mr. Rosenwald
2007
- NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Literary Work for Children, Moses
- Caldecott Honor Book, Moses
- Teachers' Choice (International Reading AssociationInternational Reading AssociationThe International Reading Association is an international professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dialogue about research on reading, and encourage the habit of reading....
), Moses
2008
- Jane Addams Children Book Honor Award, Birmingham, 1963
- Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, Birmingham, 1963
- Jefferson Cup Award, Birmingham, 1963
External links
- The official website
- All articles about racist Pokémon by Carole Boston Weatherford — See "Articles/ Information" section
- Argument, points of view, feelings, and discussion from Jynx aficionados
- 2007 Audio Interview of Carole Boston Weatherford
- Weatherford reads from Dear Mr. Rosenwald and answers questions from her 3rd grade readers
- Weatherford performs her works at Vanderbilt University