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Councilman Wants Huckleberry Finn Banned
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 23, 2010
Modified Dec 23, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 23, 2010
Modified Dec 23, 2010
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Tylibah Washington, a hip-hop artist and self-published author of the book Streets in Poem Form: A Compilation of My Thoughts, has outraged the principal at a public school in Canarsie who thinks her book was inappropriate for fifth graders. Washington had conducted a four-week writing workshop at PS 279, and on the last day she handed out copies of her book, which includes poems such as "Supa-Dupa!" (which contains a reference to a crackhead performing oral sex) and "Who's The Evil Axis?" (which says George W. Bush "loves war so much he gets an erection!").
When Principal Lorenzo Chambers was sent a sample of the controversial verse, he asked that the students return the 60 copies that Washington had distributed. One teacher tells the Daily News, "I'd be appalled if my child came home with that book." But Washington says she has given out about 5,000 copies of her book at 50 city schools with no complaints. "My message is positive and I'm encouraging kids to read," she tells the News. She's registered with the DOE and she was reportedly paid $37,915 for her work in city schools this year.
Washington also happens to be the goddaughter of City Councilman Charles Barron, who rose to her defense yesterday, telling the tabloid, "I find it interesting that 'Huckleberry Finn' is a classic when it says [the N-word] 200 times. Tylibah's book is the opposite. It's very inspiring. I'd like to see 'Huckleberry Finn' banned." Obviously this Mark Twain guy must be stopped before he exposes NYC kids to the n-word!
Tagged
Charles Barron
huckleberry finn
Streets in Poem Form
Tylibah Washington
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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