The White House is distancing itself from Dr. Seuss after President Biden snubbed the author in his first “Read Across America Day” proclamation.
Biden’s omission, a departure from former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, coincides with Dr. Seuss Enterprises announcing Tuesday it would stop publishing and licensing six of Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel’s books because of racist undertones.
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Biden’s “Read Across America Day” proclamation was drafted by the Education Department, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. She directed further questions to that department but described the day as being aimed at promoting “a love of reading among our nation’s youngest leaders.” Read Across America Day falls on what would have been Seuss’s birthday.
“The day is also a chance to celebrate diverse authors whose work and lived experience reflect the diversity of our country,” Psaki said Tuesday. “It is especially important that we ensure all children can see themselves represented and celebrated in the books that they read.”
In his proclamation, Biden hailed reading as a way to broaden perspectives, introduce audiences “to new worlds, cultures, and languages,” and cultivate a “sense of empathy and understanding.”
“Reading informs us, empowers us, and teaches us the lessons of history. It helps us make sense of the world as it is — and inspires us to dream of what it could be,” he wrote.
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And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer are among the titles Dr. Seuss Enterprises has decided to scrap. That decision was reached after the company, responsible for managing Seuss’s legacy, conducted a panel review last year after the author’s work was criticized over his depictions of black and Asian individuals, as well as other minorities.
“Ceasing of sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprise’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” the company said in a statement.
