Literature Circle Presentation

“Materially privileged parents who may themselves eschew luxuries often encourage materialistic hedonism in their children. Among poor youth, lust for luxury made synonymous with personal worth and value has supported predatory drug cultures, which bring huge sums of money into their lives. The artifacts that money buys are the sign that one is important, that

“The black middle and upper class in no way protest these modern-day concentration camps. Historical amnesia sets in and they conveniently forget that the fascists who engineered the Nazi holocaust did not begin with gas chambers but rather began their genocidal agenda by hoarding people together and depriving them of the basic necessities of life—adequate food, shelter, health care, etc. Lethal drugs like crack cocaine make gas chambers unnecessary in these modern times. Without outright naming, concentration camp-like conditions now exist in this nation in all major urban communities” (Hooks, 2000, p. 93).

“Studies indicate that while an overwhelming majority of black people would prefer to live in mixed neighborhoods, most white people prefer segregated neighborhoods or accept racial integration if it means one black person or family lives in their area” (Hooks, 2000, p. 133).

Directions: •Read •Discuss •Report out

REFLECT…

Have you ever considered how your class bias affects your interactions with children?

RIP