Co-Workers Who Think AG is Racist..... Need Help!

[J9S]

Growing up with American Girl really helped widen my knowledge of US history. I remember when I read Addy's books, falling in love with the little black girl who was so brave and being shocked when I read the first book--namely the confrontation with the overseer.

Addy's books bring to light for younger girls a dark period of history in our country. It really made me understand as a third grader how horrible and awful slavery could be. While it's not a pretty time, it is history, and we should do our best not to just ignore all the dirty parts of it. Instead, we need to educate and learn from it so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

As a little girl it was wonderful reading about Addy's escape and new life and made me smile for her, for getting away from it all.

To me, depicting what is factual history is not racist. It would be far worse if Addy had come out in that time period and the books pretended slavery did not exist. Children at the target age for these books are old enough to learn about the bad things that have happened, although not in so much detail as to frighten them or horribly affect them.

Personally, I feel AG did a great job of depicting the horrors of slavery to the age group they are aiming for. Because of this, AG is not racist. They are merely educating children and doing so in a manner that will help them understand hard things.

-Janine

(I didn't read the whole thread, but if you possibly include some of our opinions in your portfolio, I think it could help. Good luck!)

Edit: If it helps make my opinion count more...(I'm white so I don't know how they'd accept it...) My uncle is black and I love him dearly. He's an amazing man and he never had any problems with my AGs...bleh. I also don't see my myself as a racist in any way. Just...and ignorist. I don't like dealing with ignorant people. [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 22, 2006 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Janine_Nicole ]</font>

[dolllover]

Originally posted by MissCurlyCat:
OMG, the people you work with sound horrible! (Tell them I said that too!)

What makes them think these books/ dolls are all about female empowerment? Females had to work very hard to have all of the rights they have today (I think you should dedicate a page or two in your portfolio to womens history)

Addy was running away from slavery and did a very bold and courageous thing for slaves back then. Do you know what would have happened if Addy and her mother would have been caught? Well, it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure!!!! In addition to that, Addy left her baby brother behind with her other relatives, and most likely would never ever see them again.

Addy had a hard life too. All slaves had a hard life. Can you imagine what it would be like to have your father and brother sold to some other cruel slave master? Your family wouldn't ever see each other again. After the war ended though, many broken up salve families were reunited.

But even after the war ended racism was still in the air. Sure, slavery was gone, but that didn't mean people had to give African Americans jobs, or treat them as good as a white person.

I think this could get a little controversial, so I would be cautious of what I say on this board.

ETA: IF I HAVE SAID SOMETHING WRONG PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DELETE MY POST!

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">[ March 22, 2006 07:27 AM: Message edited by: MissCurlyCat ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You haven't said anything wrong, I just wanted to say that Addy left her baby sister, and the whole thing about female empowerment was posted by the person who got the job at AGPLA, NOT her co-workers.

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 22, 2006 05:10 PM: Message edited by: AGfanatic ]</font>

[dolllover]

Originally posted by JenniferRobin:
As for your second question, about another significant event in American history involving a young African-American girl, the only one that even comes to mind right now is Rosa Parks, and I don't remember exactly how old she was, but I think it was a little younger than 9.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Do you mean Ruby Bridges, who was a little seven year old girl who went to her school in Arkansas (I think) when it was recently integrated, and some people didn't want her there?

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 22, 2006 05:19 PM: Message edited by: AGfanatic ]</font>

[Kaileyfan1]

Originally posted by AGfanatic:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by JenniferRobin:
As for your second question, about another significant event in American history involving a young African-American girl, the only one that even comes to mind right now is Rosa Parks, and I don't remember exactly how old she was, but I think it was a little younger than 9.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Do you mean Ruby Bridges, who was a little seven year old girl who went to her school in Arkansas (I think) when it was recently integrated, and some people didn't want her there?

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">[ March 22, 2006 05:19 PM: Message edited by: AGfanatic ]</font></font></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is Ruby Bridges. We read a book about her in school last year(I can't remember the name of it). I think that that is very cruel of your co-workers. American Girl makes alot of AA dolls. They are all beautiful.

[NYkiddler]

SIMPLY.....
having a doll like Addy does NOT glorify slavery but rather glorifies everything that girls like Addy did to blast slavery and pave the way for the African American women of today.

Addy is a doll about strength, not weakness.

Don't these people have anything better to do that protest a doll store?

[Nethilia]

What a mess! How could anyone disparage my pretty Addy! *grr* As many others have said, Addy was a slave but only for the first book. After that the series is about her acheivements as a newly freed girl. Yes, she starts off badly and has her family broken up, but by the end of the 6th book everyone in her immediate family has been reunited and even though she's had some loss, she is stronger for it. She was a slave, but that was the truth--most black people in the South at the time of the civil war were slaves, and to ignore that or try to hide it away is sickening.

The idea that someone would talk so nastily about Addy--thinking she's a slave in ratty clothes or a dirty backwards girl--shows that they didn't even try to read the books to learn from them. Some "PCness" goes way too far into ignorance--as in, "ignore it and it will go away, don't talk about it because it makes me uncomfortable, be quiet because I don't like hearing that." I think these are the kind of people who think that if you plug your ears and eyes that everything will be better--that if we never pay attention to the atrocities and injustices that happened inthe past and still happen today that everything will be better. Which is untrue.

I'd try to teach them. Let them see the books, show them pictures of Addy, and explain to them that Addy isn't a ratty slave but a strong and courageous girl in a very dark period of American History. Ignorance doesn't go away on its own--it has to be combatted and broken up, like a pasta stain.

[Starearedkid]

Now, I am definately going to get Addy. She has been on my want list for a few months, but until this topic came around, I am dead set on getting her. She is SO beautiful!

-Jordyn

[AG Mommy]

Hello. I'm sorry you had such a hard time. My daughter has Addy, which she bought with her own money. She loves her. DD was also very excited when she started learning about slaves during school. Mainly because she knew a LOT about the time period from reading the Addy books. Not just about slaves, but how they were treated, the trials they went through after being freed, plantations, President Lincoln, Emancipation Proclomation, ect. Even her teacher commented to me on what DD was able to add to the classes discussion on this time period. I am proud of the fact that my daughter has learned so much, and cares so deeply for her dolls, regardless of the color. I have been impressed with not only the Addy series, but all of the historical aspects of the AG books. I believe they are a great way to introduce girls to learning in a fun way. I hope it goes well for you! Good Luck

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 22, 2006 10:16 PM: Message edited by: AG Mommy ]</font>

[3castles]

Well, let me just say this. We had read most of the AG books except the Addy ones. The reason for this is that we always pick them up at thrift stores or used bookstores and so far haven't run across any of Addy's. So.....we were really interested in her and so we checked out her books at the library. It took a while because they were checked out every time we went but, finally we got them.

Well, we read the first book aloud together and both of us cried. That's right, we both cried. It was to me the most touching of all the AG stories!
Then about a week later, DD came to me with a new declaration. She no longer wanted AGT 23 or Nellie next...Now she wanted Addy. When questioned why she said that Addy's story was the most interesting and she was lying in bed the night before thinking about it and thought that of all the American Girls she thought that Addy had to be the most brave of all.
Well of course, we live in the south. In fact, we live in North Carolina, the very place that Addy was running from because of slavery. If there is one place on earth that you would come in contact with racist people, it is the south, and you know what??? My 9 year old daughter finally realizes how devastating a thing slavery was and how awful a life it was to be 'owned' by someone. We have gotten into many discussions about slavery and racism all because of the Addy books. She has even shared her views of the inhumanity of slavery with other people recently.

Is Addy a positive roll model?????
I'd say most definitely so!!!!

Isn't this what we want our daughters to learn from the AG's? How to be strong roll models and to learn from past mistakes in history and how the things we face can make us stronger?
If not for the Addy books I don't think my DD would get it. She wouldn't understand how slavery truly affected the lives of slaves until she was much older, if then. It is unfortunate that Addy was a slave, it is unfortunate that Kirsten's best friend died and that her house burned to the ground because of something she did. The point is...these girls are supposed to actually represent girls from American History and it wasn't all roses and sunshine. Bad things happened but, a lot of good also. Personally, I think it would be ashame if there wasn't a girl that was a slave because to me, that was one of the darkest points in US history and in order for us not to repeat past mistakes, we need to learn from them. Not have an Addy doll?
How sad THAT would be! Addy is now one of our favorite girls all because she was a slave that
made a better life for herself and was able to push on no matter what bad things she faced!

Just my two cents worth!

[Perstephanie]

The point of the American Girls Collection was to encourage girls to read and learn history. If you look at all the time periods chosen for each historical character, you will see a common thread--these are all times of upheaval and uncertainty in the nation's history. The age the girls are in the stories is a time when girls are trying to figure out who they are with many questions in their own lives, much like the nation's questions about what kind of country it wants to be.
Addy's stories do not glorify slavery, but make young students aware of it. For many readers, this is their first introduction to the Civil War. The Civil War period is an important part of America's history, for more than the abolition of slavery.
Are there other times in history that would serve the teaching purposes? Perhaps. Yes, the Civil War happened long time ago, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't teach it. So why make the choice of Addy starting out as a slave? Because it gives her perspective. She knows both worlds, she's experienced both, allowing her to make intelligent decisions about what she believes.