http://www.ohio.com/news/102043983.html
I came across an article on Ohio.com about how the very popular chain-store, Walmart, has added a new section to their book department. Now, when searching for books in the store you will find sections for cook books, novels and such, and then there is the black section. Any book written by, or about African American individuals are in this section. Should one look at that as segregation? Personally I think it is morally wrong, and it gives Americans the racial stereotype we are trying to get rid of. By separating books into the "black section," we are dividing them essentially in black and white. Walmarts goal is "...designed to meet customer demand and feedback at the local level..." which I interpret as giving African Americans their own special section. How gratifying can that really be? What issue is there in browsing for books written by an African American or a Caucasian? There is no significant difference to me. I think it was a bad on Walmarts behalf. I find it somewhat degrading.
What do you think?
About Me
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- Lindsey
- Kent, Ohio, United States
- My name is Lindsey Haynam, I am 18 and a Freshman at Kent State University. I grew up in Minerva, OH.
This is a really tough issue. While I agree on one hand that it can seem like segregation, maybe without a special section, Walmart might not even order that many African-American books. It is a way to encourage the purchase of African-American literature. If you were looking specifically for African-American literature, it could be difficult to find if it were mixed in with all the books.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wonder if they will separate out all the books written by African-American authors. If you're looking for a particular kind of book, like a Western or Science Fiction, for instance, would you think to check in the African-American section?
Our society has been raised to believe in color-blindness, but too often that can lead to a blindness where it concerns equal access.