Member-only story
Dr. Seuss in the 21st Century
A fresh look at lessons learned from Sneetches
In light of the controversy surrounding one of the most influential children’s authors of the last century — Dr. Seuss — I thought it important to take a second look at the new “poster child of cancel culture” in literary circles.
As with many of my generation, I grew up in the 1960s reading Dr. Seuss, Beverly Cleary, and many other authors. It is certainly true that what you read impacts your worldview as much as your family, friends, community, and other experiences. These authors and their stories were important beyond learning to read.
In the early 1960s, civil unrest took form in the fight for racial equality, culminating in passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and an ongoing end to racial segregation. Beliefs die hard on both sides of the fight, and, having been a more or less disinterested witness (I was a kid so this sort of thing played a backseat to playing outside, fighting with my siblings, trying to keep up in school, and other important matters), I did see and understand that time is the great leveler.
All of that said, I do know the impact Dr. Seuss made on my beliefs about those who are different. I saw, for example, in The Sneetches, the takeaway lesson was acceptance of those who look different than I looked. In addition, I also understood that as…
