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www.edweek.org www.edweek.org
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these books and others have been challenged by parents and community members under the guise that they’re promoting critical race theory
Considering that there is some form of aggression regarding critical race theory, it might be profitable from a publisher's viewpoint to not endorse a product that has gotten significant backlash. Or perhaps, the opposite could be true. I know that there is a second voice from the opposite side that is strongly for critical race theory. I think I would just consider that whichever decision I make will cause divisiveness when this topic is so controversial.
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Every year, the ALA publishes a list of the top 10 most challenged books, based on voluntary reporting and news articles. In 2019, the list was dominated by books that featured LGBTQ characters and themes. But in 2020, while some LGBTQ books still made and topped the list, there were also several books about racism
Seeing a report by the literal American Library Association's department would be a good indicator to a publisher if a work will be successful or not. This section states that books with LGBTQ or anti-racism themes were some of the top challenged books. If I were a publisher, I wouldn't want my investment to face any sort of challenge or opposition. I would want to maximize reward and minimize struggle.
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“We’re seeing a real effort to stigmatize any works dealing with race in America or the experience of Black, Indigenous, or people of color under this rubric … of critical race theory, even though these works have nothing to do with critical race theory,
Being a publisher, it could seem intimidating to endorse a novel if there was a greater chance that it would be shunned by the public. I can understand to some extent why white authors could be prioritized over those of color for fear of lack of business.
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