First Lady Melania Trump gifted a school in each of the 50 states a set of Dr. Seuss books for students in honor of National Read a Book Day. However, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a librarian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, did not accept the gesture.
On a blog called The Horn Book, Soeiro shunned the White House for sending her school books instead of more underprivileged communities, while also informing them that Dr. Seuss books are racist trash.
“Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes,” Soeiro wrote, giving examples of "If I Ran a Zoo" and "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" as clear “racist mockery” in Seuss’ art.
Mrs. Trump's director of communications, Stephanie Grisham, responded to the "unfortunate" situation, noting that the First Lady is not one bit deterred.
"She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example," she said. "To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere."
As Fox News notes, former First Ladies like Michelle Obama also read Dr. Seuss classics to children - even right in the White House. Was the author a bigot then?
Soeiro said she was "honored" Mrs. Trump thought of her school, but was dismayed how little the First Lady knew about the racists roots of literature and proceeded to offer her a list of reading materials to better educate herself.
A "thank you" would have been just fine.
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