Update, October 15, 2021:
Houston Chronicle shares the books have been reinstated, and that Craft’s virtual visit has been rescheduled. A statement from the school district reads, “Earlier this week, the review committee met and determined the appropriateness of the book, ‘New Kid.’ The reading material is already back on district library shelves, and the virtual author visit is scheduled to take place on October 25 as part of the instructional day.”
Original story is as follows:
The Houston Chronicle reports that award-winning cartoonist Jerry Craft’s books, including “New Kid,” have been pulled from libraries in the Katy Independent School District (East Texas), after roughly 444 parents claimed his work promoted “critical race theory.” A virtual talk with the cartoonist intended for elementary school students on Monday was also canceled. Laura Davis, media relations for Katy ISD, said his books are under review, meaning they have been pulled from the curriculum, but not officially banned.
One parent was quoted as saying, “A whopping 444 parents signed the petition… for a district of over 88,000… Seriously?,” while another told the paper, “We are new to the district, and I am so ashamed to be associated with this racist mentality. We will all be judged by their ignorance.” A third said, “It’s sending a message that there are people in the community that don’t matter. Kids should be able to pick up a book and learn about another person’s perspective, and they’ve taken that off the shelves.”
Craft, 58, is one of the few syndicated African American cartoonists in the United States. His 2019 book, “New Kid,” was the first graphic novel to win the John Newbery Medal for outstanding children’s literature, and also earned him the Coretta Scott King Book Award, and the 2019 Kirkus Prize. The book, and its follow-up “Class Act,” were inspired by the experiences of his sons at school, exploring what it’s like to be Black boys at prestigious schools, including the microaggressions they face.
“Critical race theory” has become a bogeyman for Republicans and conservatives opposed to anti-racism, after the term was adopted by former President Donald Trump last year. 2021 in Texas has seen the state senate vote to remove required elements of the curriculum like the written works of Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, and the suspension of Black school principal James Whitfield, supposedly for sharing photos of his white wife on social media. The threats of violence over “critical race theory” and vaccines across the country have escalated to the point that the National School Boards Association has asked for federal protection.
The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas spoke out against the targeting of Craft, and noted the same district once banned her book after a complaint from a single parent. “Hey Kiddo” creator Jarrett Krosoczka commented, “Stay engaged with local elections, friends. The individual making a play to block Jerry Craft’s virtual visit to their district recently ran for school board. They didn’t win, but they could have.” The Chronicle have also published an editorial criticizing the school board’s decision.
