Call this inclusive? Why only 4% of kids' book heroes are BAME

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  • Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
  • More than 33% of students at UK schools are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, but only 4% of the protagonists in children's books in the UK are BAME. The publishing industry has made big claims about its push for inclusivity both on and off the page, but some believe progress is painfully slow. Grace Shutti investigates what’s taking UK publishing so long and meets some of the creators who are championing change, including the authors of hit books Amazing Grace and Look Up!, and the owners of inclusive publisher Round Table books
    ‘What’s taking so long?’: children’s books still neglect BAME readers, finds study ► www.theguardia...
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Комментарии • 114

  • @jackaljade
    @jackaljade 4 года назад +81

    J.K. Rowling will tweet and say Harry Potter was black all along after watching this.

  • @jossandman
    @jossandman 4 года назад +43

    What's stopping black People writing such literature?

    • @UKgamer87
      @UKgamer87 4 года назад +21

      White publishers.

    • @jossandman
      @jossandman 4 года назад +21

      @@UKgamer87 If that's the case, which I doubt; then what's stopping black People publishing such literature?

    • @jossandman
      @jossandman 4 года назад +11

      @@dn45678 I doubt You to be honest, and would require evidence to validate Your claim. There's no law prohibiting 'Black' publishing companies; Who in turn could employ 'Black' publishers to publish books by 'Black' authors books with 'Black' protagonists. Please substitute the term 'Black' for 'Bame' or 'People of Color' if You prefer.

    • @jossandman
      @jossandman 4 года назад +5

      @@sackmajik So it's not about 'White' People either then? After all, 'White' is an ethnicity, which would be included in 'All ethnicities', unless You're excluding 'White' from 'All ethnicities', which is discriminatory. To put it in a context that won't upset Your sensibilities, please substitute the term 'Black' for 'Bane'. Have a nice day.

    • @georgetuckley
      @georgetuckley 4 года назад +3

      Nothing.

  • @maxinejamieson1416
    @maxinejamieson1416 4 года назад +34

    This is ridiculous. So there are no African or Indian, Asian children’s authors?

    • @KemoSays
      @KemoSays 4 года назад

      @@jbagger331 I don't think it's about being a minority per se. Women are not minorities by number yet they are oppressed

    • @jason4275
      @jason4275 4 года назад +2

      @@jbagger331 Poles, and Italians identified as white even a large percentage of Arabs identify as white.

    • @maxinejamieson1416
      @maxinejamieson1416 4 года назад +3

      These people do understand that they’ve migrated to a white English speaking country right?

    • @DustySoulLtd
      @DustySoulLtd 4 года назад +2

      @Moth’s Mummy There were universities in Africa when Europeans were still in caves. The alphabet system and phonetics were invented by Africans, long before the 17th century, modern writing as we know it was invented in Mesopotamia, and printing was invented by the Chinese! Only on the internet can people get away with rampant stupidity and misinformation!

  • @SmellyWellieTeleShow
    @SmellyWellieTeleShow 4 года назад +19

    According to the 2011 Scottish Census:
    The percentage of people in Scotland from minority ethnic groups had doubled to 4%, up from 2% in 2001.
    Perhaps if you're looking for a problem, you'll find one. Similarly with solutions.

    • @denisescally7090
      @denisescally7090 4 года назад

      I think you'll find that it will have more than doubled for the 2021 census. Not sure what the 50,000 Roma that are on their way to the Scotish Highlands will be classified as BAME. Scotland can be smug about their figures at the moment but you are swiftly catching up. You don't have the statistics yet for this decade.

    • @ArranLaPaul
      @ArranLaPaul 4 года назад

      J S in London it’s majority non-white This is beyond a joke in my eyes

  • @injest1928
    @injest1928 4 года назад +30

    I don't remember caring whether a character was black, white, human, mouse, robot, yellow bear or train when I was a kid.

    • @Leogun94
      @Leogun94 4 года назад +13

      Me neither, but I guess me being white has something to do with that.

    • @thefancydancer
      @thefancydancer 4 года назад +4

      @@Leogun94 dude I'm black af and i don't remember caring either.

    • @its_fabled
      @its_fabled 4 года назад

      I think it may still have an impact on you what you read as a kid. Even if it's subconscious.

    • @robblack5339
      @robblack5339 4 года назад

      Nor me, but the lefy lot always invent problems where none existed.
      Morgan Freeman said the best way to deeat racism is to stop talking about it.
      He's right ; the more they talk about it the more racism increases.

  • @georgetuckley
    @georgetuckley 4 года назад +26

    If you don't feel attached to a character because they're not the same race as you, maybe you care too much about your race.

    • @birgittabirgersdatter8082
      @birgittabirgersdatter8082 4 года назад +3

      George Tuckley and you also have no imagination

    • @jossandman
      @jossandman 4 года назад

      How can You care too much about Your Race?

    • @georgetuckley
      @georgetuckley 4 года назад

      @@jossandmanif you can't become invested in a character who isn't the same race as you, you clearly believe that race and skin colour is much more important than it should be.

    • @georgetuckley
      @georgetuckley 4 года назад

      @Sherry Berry why does it matter that most book characters are white. If race does not matter, why is it such an issue that we have more diverse characters?

    • @jossandman
      @jossandman 4 года назад

      @@georgetuckley Nonsense. I can relate to a character regardless of their skin color, this has nothing to do with caring about My own race or skin color.

  • @eksiarvamus
    @eksiarvamus 4 года назад +8

    OK, but how much of British history (i.e. the time these heroes have emerged) has been pretty much universally white?

    • @tinaw94
      @tinaw94 3 года назад

      Read David Olusoga's book 'Black and British' -- not much of British hsitory has been universally white by any means

  • @Wanamaker1946
    @Wanamaker1946 4 года назад +4

    Aren’t Anglo’s the Minority now?
    Why can’t we just read a book without deciding it?

  • @JimmyKillem69
    @JimmyKillem69 4 года назад +16

    grace shutti says she needs characters that look like her but when she asks who has read the amazing grace books, only the white girl says she has ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

    • @keepitsweet93
      @keepitsweet93 4 года назад +1

      What's your point? Should every black child have read Amazing Grace? Is Grace's opinion/wish less valid?

    • @Avengerie
      @Avengerie 4 года назад +3

      @@keepitsweet93 it would help her argument if at least one had read it. Otherwise you have representation and diversity just for the sake of it.

    • @JimmyKillem69
      @JimmyKillem69 4 года назад +2

      @@keepitsweet93 not all the children were black or white and i'm not commenting on the validity of anything
      i'm saying that out of all the children there, a white girl read a book about a black girl and enjoyed it and that this had me in stitches because she had just said that it's important to her that characters look like her

    • @keepitsweet93
      @keepitsweet93 4 года назад

      @@JimmyKillem69 ​But she didn't say that white people couldn't also enjoy these books? Just that it's important to see yourself represented.
      Interesting though, that you found that funny.

    • @JimmyKillem69
      @JimmyKillem69 4 года назад +1

      ​@@keepitsweet93 irony tends to be funny
      don't know why you insist on putting words in my mouth

  • @Alucard9692010
    @Alucard9692010 4 года назад +19

    unsubscribed from this channel... thanks.

  • @danj.p.5341
    @danj.p.5341 4 года назад +8

    If the authors (Adeola and Bryon) of "Look Up" received "no rejections" and "double digit" publishing offers then perhaps the correspondent - seeing a deficit, with a clear market, in the landscape - should take the advice of the interviewed author, Hoffman; "If the book you want doesn't exist, then you better write it."

    • @keepitsweet93
      @keepitsweet93 4 года назад +2

      That's exactly the whole point of the film...Glad you watched.

  • @laszloiso777
    @laszloiso777 4 года назад +2

    More than 33% means 60-70 - 80% in urban areas.

  • @mrweasel
    @mrweasel 4 года назад +4

    Interesting vid, thanks for this. I am of mixed heritage and self published a childrens book in English and Gaelic (which I also speak) versions a couple of years back. While the two main characters were based around my dogs going on their first sailing trip, the supporting crew were of Indian and Scottish heritage, reflecting my own background. In that sense, it felt very natural. However, as you pointed out it is far from common in most children's story books, primarily because there are so few Bame authors. Maybe more white writers need to feel comfortable also writing about characters from a variety of ethnicities? I think it is getting better, particular the sense I get from generations younger than me, but still a ways to go! It is certainly something I intend to do in any future children's book I write, because why the hell not

    • @mrweasel
      @mrweasel 4 года назад +1

      @@shipscook3765 Haha

  • @cafcjames
    @cafcjames 4 года назад +2

    Hopefully one day things like BAME will be obsolete and taking tallies won't be a necessity because people of every race will just do things without their colour being a factor. Sure, publishers should give everyone a fair chance, it should never be a case of "they're black, we need more black people, we'll take any story" but more of a "this is a great story, we'll give you an offer". I don't know how many of each race have an interest of being kids authors or how much of a factor it plays, I only believe the only way humanity will progress is by not seeing race as the main thing and only looking at the content of character of people who come into their lives.

  • @SirAmicVarze
    @SirAmicVarze 4 года назад +11

    Lol of course the comments were going to be full of offended people.

  • @bobtudbury8505
    @bobtudbury8505 2 года назад

    what about the the over 100 schools in the uk with no white kids?

  • @sokoleoko6539
    @sokoleoko6539 4 года назад +4

    So African , Indian, Asian can not write there own books?!?

  • @bearwolfable
    @bearwolfable 4 года назад +3

    I wonder if she likes living in a white majority country.

  • @_robustus_
    @_robustus_ 4 года назад +3

    Do BAME authors have difficulty getting published?

    • @_robustus_
      @_robustus_ 4 года назад +4

      Moth’s Mummy
      Starting a publishing business just to get your own books out there is not an expectation for other authors. Why would you expect that out of these?

  • @thereissomecoolstuff
    @thereissomecoolstuff 4 года назад +2

    Why when I read my children books race and ethnicity wasn't a consideration. The books often featured animals and trains. This is very disappointing. You have to identify based on skin color? No thank you . That celebrates neither diversity or inclusion. BAME?

    • @keepitsweet93
      @keepitsweet93 4 года назад +3

      Ahh glad it wasn't an issue for you to see yourself represented. Not quite the same for others.

  • @colincarr2052
    @colincarr2052 4 года назад

    I thought this was about Bane.

  • @chrisspencer6502
    @chrisspencer6502 4 года назад +3

    So you're the writers write more black characters, or we'll just make superman bame

  • @UKgamer87
    @UKgamer87 4 года назад +10

    Triggered gammon have invaded the vid as usual.

    • @bravoalley228
      @bravoalley228 4 года назад +2

      Shh. They'll be offended. It is why they love seeing white Americans in Hollywood but don't care for much outside that.

    • @davidthompson222
      @davidthompson222 4 года назад +10

      Gammon is no different to any other racist term you bigot.

    • @birgittabirgersdatter8082
      @birgittabirgersdatter8082 4 года назад +3

      So far you're the only one who has invaded this vid with racist terminology. Well done you!

    • @UKgamer87
      @UKgamer87 4 года назад

      @@W..949 Brown. Are you white?

    • @UKgamer87
      @UKgamer87 4 года назад

      @@W..949 Wow didn't take long for the bnp gammons to arrive.

  • @Yukatoshi
    @Yukatoshi 4 года назад

    What’s the % of the country that is that though?

  • @AceHardy
    @AceHardy 4 года назад +1

    📙💯

  • @43bikeguy
    @43bikeguy 4 года назад

    Handas Surprise?

  • @sokoleoko6539
    @sokoleoko6539 4 года назад +3

    So African , Indian, Asian can not write there own books?!?