Frontier Too Racist: Library Association Rejects ‘Laura Ingalls Wilder’ Award Title
The American Library Association is trying to politically-correct historical American frontier.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal was changed to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award in a unanimous decision Saturday over racist language and themes present throughout Wilder’s series. The Board of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) stated that her books have “expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC’s core values.”
Little House on the Prairie , based off of Wilder’s childhood, portrayed pioneer life on the American frontier. African Americans and Native Americans were portrayed negatively by the Ingalls family in the book series, later turned into a TV show in the 1970s. This wasn’t because Wilder hated them and intentionally used stereotypes, but because that was how she remembered her childhood life.
Cited by The Guardian , biographer Pamela Smith Hill stated that the “novels are full of phrases that are unacceptable today.” Of course they are, the books weren’t intended to be politically correct; they were intended to show what life was like in the late 1800s. That included racist remarks, which were commonplace back then. Hiding what truly happened in our history is dangerous. Children should know so they can learn from it.
Surprisingly, the ALA Office For Intellectual Freedom hosts a Banned Books Week every year that supports “freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.” This decision doesn’t seem to “support freedom,” instead it restricts it. What’s next – removing books about the Civil War because they are “too racist?”

"Hiding what truly happened in our history is dangerous."
But that's been the flavor of the last 8 years. "Take it down.....It didn't happen".
Education/ALSC/Schools these days...……."selective about the reality They'll accept as teachable".
Does not History itself warn that one is doomed to repeat what one ignores and does not learn from?
Hmmmm - then when is the Bible going to be banned??? Incest, bigotry, racism, murder, war, riots - you name it, it's all there.
If you'd read the seeded article, you'd have learned that the topic is not book banning. Please make an attempt to discuss the topic.
Alright Jasper - let's play - the thread said she lost her title because of the "inappropriate" images portrayed.
What title should the bible lose because the Bible is full of references to slavery, bigamy, murder, violence, racism, and encroachment. When will the PC police get around to sanitizing it?
They want her/all books to be sanitized and, by doing so, penalize the author for the utilization of the language.
history isn't always pretty, isn't perfect and definitely is filled with tons of things to offend people - trying to "wash" it away doesn't do anything except help to ensure we repeat it.
Well said.
Do NOT agree with this one bit.
Also, don't forget the conservative response to the Harry Potter books. This is not just a liberal thing.
I knew that we'd eventually find common ground!
I've never read that a majority of Conservatives oppose the Harry Potter books, but I've read that small fringe groups do. Those fringe groups also oppose Hallowe'en. They've never had the clout to change the name of a 60+ year award as has been done in this seeded article.
My wife and I consider ourselves independent/conservative and enjoyed the Harry Potter books and movies with our children when they were younger so please don't paint all Conservatives with the same brush.
I am a middle of the road democrat, I lean both right and left depending on the issue. I personally hate all the PC crap.
As do I. Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for putting into words my own position. I just could not find an adequate description of my own proclivities.
E.A Years ago on BPE1 Room the Author and I has a chat, She asked me what I thought of the Books, at the time I replied that with Young Minds, the books in My opinion where dangerous as they opened the word/world to the " Imaginary but controlling influence of the Unknown " On a Simple word " Demonism " for those that fear that WORD do some research as to why it was " generated " and how it was meant to be used.. She to her Honour, said it might do that, a Google Search might get that chat!
E.A Words have a LOT of power Fear them but do not imprisons them!
This has nothing to do with the topic, but I am curious about something. Why do you always put E.A. in front of your comment when we know it is you? I have always wondered about that.
E.A No Problem I am Here to answer ALL questions :-)
When you are following the " Site " from the Front page " or from " Discussions " you will have a synopsis of what is being said where, BUT what we had in the past was The Commenter and then the REPLY to that, now all is in one line, so it is hard to see where the Query was and where the reply starts, My Method makes that clear!
Thank you. It makes sense now.
E.A I make Sense ,, would YOU like to put that down in Writing?
I recently started watching 1984 again. I paused it part way through so I can start taking notes....I found it amusing and alarming the things highlighted in I were out of fear of far right policies... yet it seems to be the left using it as a playbook. Maybe Orwell knew it from the beginning?
im highlighting themes and the time stamps they appear
themes like erasing words and history
the death of the nucleus family...
ita scary seeing it happen in real the me
I was only 15 the first time I read that book and didn't understand its meaning. Since then, I've read it several times, and during each reading since then the messages (warnings?) alarm me more than the previous ones. We are now in danger of real life 1984, but in reverse (via Soros, Antifa, BAMN, etc).
Here's Melissa Francis' take on the award's name change. She starred as Cassandra Cooper in the "Little House ..." TV series and is the author of "Lessons from the Prairie". (Video in article)