https://www.foxnews.com/us/loudoun-county-public-schools-dr-seuss-racial-undertones
Virginia school system cancels Dr. Seuss, citing racial ‘undertones’ in writings: report
Loudoun County Public Schools claims Dr. Seuss’ books contain racial ‘undertones’
Celebrated American children’s author Dr. Seuss is now considered too controversial for one of Virginia’s largest school districts, a new report reveals.
For over two decades, Dr. Seuss’s birthday has been celebrated in schools as Read Across America Day — a day dedicated to the importance of reading and literacy. The day falls on Dr. Seuss’s birthday in honor of the impactful author, whose books have helped countless children learn to read across the globe.
But folllowing pressure from activists, Loudon County Public Schools is reportedly dropping the annual Dr. Seuss celebration.
“Realizing that many schools continue to celebrate ‘Read Across America Day’ in partial recognition of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, it is important for us to be cognizant of research that may challenge our practice in this regard,” Loudoun County Schools said in an announcement reported by the Daily Wire.
“As we become more culturally responsive and racially conscious, all building leaders should know that in recent years there has been research revealing radical undertones in the books written and the illustrations drawn by Dr. Seuss,” the school district continued.
Learning for Justice, a liberal education advocacy group, was reportedly behind the pressure campaign against the celebrated children’s author. The organization pegs itself as a group that seeks “to uphold the mission” of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center, according to their website.
Learning for Justice cited a study by St. Catherine University that claimed Dr. Seuss’s books are covered with “orientalism, anti-Blackness and White supremacy” in a magazine article they released.
The group also claimed that the characters who were not White in the books were “subservient” to White characters.
Former first lady Melania Trump fired back at a Massachusetts elementary school librarian in 2017 who claimed the illustrations in Dr. Seuss’s books — usually cartoon animals or fantastical creatures — were examples of “racist propaganda.”
Loudoun County Public Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment for this article.