After reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor, many issues were.
It was an accurate, and realistic portrayal of prejudice,.
discrimination, harassment, and cultural differences that were prevalent in the 1930's. I.
believe that this book is an excellent tool to help students connect with sensitive, and.
complicated human issues that are prevalent today in our society. .
Mildred Taylor, wrote several books, such as, Mississippi Bridge, The Road to.
Memphis, and several other treasures. These works, along with Roll of Thunder, are.
excellent tools to introduce multicultural issues into the classroom. The issues of racism,.
prejudice, and stereotyping, are an important aspect of curriculum, that I feel often go.
unnoticed, or untouched. Books, such as, the ones I have mentioned, introduce cultural,.
ethnic, racial, and other social issued that delve inside our individual value system, and.
make us aware of our own personal biases that we may be carrying. As future educators,.
it is our job to get at the root of these issues, and do our personal best to remove the inner.
biases that the children have learned, whether it be from their parents, or other classmates. .
We need to get deep into these issues, and not simply touch the surface. A lot of times,.
multicultural issues are discussed, but not thoroughly, the result is that the students remain.
"untouched" by the experience. Our job, as educators, is to get the students to actually feel .
the situations, and get them to reflect on themselves, and how these issues are directly.
related to them and those around them.
Roll of Thunder, is a perfect book to use as a lead-in, to issues such as the Civil.
Rights Movement. It could also be used for a classroom discussion on the government.
policy "separate but equal", which actually offered a legal way to discriminate against.
blacks. We could also get the students involved in discussions, such as, what were the.
racial conflicts between the blacks, and whites in the south, in the 1930's, and compare.