Redefining Societal Norms via Literature by Estephanie Mosquera-Ortiz
As an educator in the seventh-largest school district in the United States, I’ve never had the opportunity nor the option to share stories centered around Black and Brown girls. Literature in which female characters of color are depicted as leaders, innovators, and/or creators is simply not a part of the core curriculum. For so long, girls, in general, have been raised with the ideology that their life role is to become domesticated.
We see it in the toy section, where there are baby dolls, play kitchens, and dress-up and cosmetics kits. It is apparent in social settings, when they are encouraged to keep quiet, “act like a lady,” and smile. At what point do we challenge those societal norms and encourage our girls to be more? Rising Voices: Books Empowering Girls in STEAM offers a curated collection of wonderfully written books that help us introduce new norms into the classroom and challenge the old ones. The books in this collection highlight girls and women, including many Black and Brown main characters, placing them center stage in settings where they are often marginalized in the real world. It gives them a voice where they have been grossly underrepresented. I grew up in similar circumstances to the students I serve, in which overcoming adversity was a part of everyday life. Often, books were my only means of escape. Reading about the possibilities and learning that there was more than my current environment was a beacon of hope for me as a child. We have a social responsibility as educators to provide that same hope and relevance to the children in our classrooms. This Rising Voices Library offers children the crossroads between aspirations and endless possibilities. As educators, we know firsthand how impactful lessons we teach can be to our students. When students can identify with the main character, envision themselves in similar roles, etc., the lessons we teach become so much more. They become relatable and, most importantly, attainable. “I can…” becomes a part of our students’ vocabulary, and they begin to believe that they can achieve the same successes they have seen via literature.
20 • Rising Voices Library
12 Rising Voices | Books Empowering Girls in STEAM
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