Country singer Dolly Parton has been branded “racist, sexist and homophobic” after recommending a children’s book that a progressive academic said promoted “white Western values”.
The artist and philanthropist offered the book, Llama Llama Red Pajama, as part of the library of free titles her club periodically mails to children up to age five in an effort to promote literacy.
But now a mistake A University of North Carolina scholar has critically analyzed the choices promoted by Parton, 78, and found Llama’s book in particular to have “racist, sexist, homophobic, classist and ableist biases.”
Jennifer K. Stone’s doctoral dissertation, ‘The Power of Reading with and Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL): A Critical Content Analysis’, claims that the program’s book selections conform to dominant white Western values.
Country singer Dolly Parton has been branded “racist, sexist and homophobic” after she recommended a children’s book that a liberal academic said promoted “white Western values”.
Progressive scholar Jennifer K. Stone’s doctoral dissertation analyzed the 60 children’s books in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and found that the program’s book selections conform to dominant white Western values.
Stone’s analysis of the children’s book claims that characters with disabilities, LGBTQ+ couples, and non-normative gender identities are erased.
He also criticizes the depiction of values such as individualism, work, single-family homes, physical fitness, and goal-oriented literacy, arguing that they privilege a narrow view of the world.
For example, Stone suggests on the topic of fitness that such a topic might not resonate with all audiences.
She criticizes the 60-book library for what she perceives as a lack of diversity and inclusion.
When Matt Fleming of the Orange County Record When she read the story to her one-year-old daughter, she said she “had no idea I supported ‘white saviorism.'”
“I thought we were just enjoying a story about an androgynous baby llama crying without its mama llama. Instead, we were ‘erasing’ characters with ‘disabilities, LGBTQ+ couples, and non-normative gender identities.’ I will never look at that poor baby llama the same way again,” Fleming noted dryly.
One reader heard the story of an androgynous baby llama crying without its mama llama, but Stone thought the depiction of values such as individualism, work, single-family homes, physical fitness, and goal-oriented literacy privileged a narrow view of the world.
Stone’s thesis has sparked controversy and many parents continue to support Parton’s initiative, which simply aims to promote literacy among young people.
“I’m curious about what messages these books convey,” says Stone, who has been granted a $4,500 stipend to continue researching the work.
‘Rather than thinking that I need to prove that giving away books works, which was my original impetus in my PhD studies, I’m curious to know what the actual impact is of giving away books in bulk to families.’
Fleming believes Stone is reading too much between the lines, which are simply children’s stories.
“It doesn’t matter that the books are free. It doesn’t matter that participation in the club is voluntary. It doesn’t matter that the purpose of the book club is to promote literacy. All Stone could see were ‘just characters who fit the dominant white Western values conveyed in the corpus,'” she wrote.
Beyond her music, Dolly Parton, 78, has also dabbled in a number of business ventures.
Fleming noted that he could understand the argument that a wider range of characters should have been included in the stories, but that was not necessarily a problem.
“Is work bad? Fitness bad? Does Stone want more books about laziness and lethargy? As if only white people and the West believe in work or fitness,” he asks.
‘There is no point in condemning “goal-oriented literacy” as Stone does. She argues that literacy for literacy’s sake is not enough.’
Stone said she became particularly interested in the Imagination Library because of its rapid growth and adoption into policy by 13 states, which are funding book donation efforts through legislation.
Stone’s dissertation draws on several critical theories, including critical race theory, critical literacy theory, and critical disability theory.
The frameworks propose that systemic oppression is embedded in every aspect of society, including children’s literature.
It is argued that Dolly Parton’s library could use more diversity in its selections.
“That’s taking the fun out of children’s books!” Fleming said in his article for the OC Record.
Stone’s work implies that even well-intentioned programs like Parton’s can inadvertently perpetuate social inequalities.
“When everyone in a community is sharing the same set of 60 books, which is what happens with the Imagination Library, it’s important to make sure we’re challenging any bias in those books and including anyone who might be missing,” Stone insists.
Despite the criticism, fans of the show believe in its positive impact and intend to continue sharing these stories with their children.
Fleming admits that Stone may have “good intentions” and that there is “a kernel of truth that DPIL curators could include more diversity in their selections,” but that the argument falls short when it says that a book featuring a child who doesn’t stutter or a nonbinary adult will affect readers’ overall perspective on the world.
