A little while ago, the New York Times published an article about the Brooklyn Library’s decision to lock the book, Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in the Congo, in their vault. Since the article was published, there has been a lot of reaction. As one might imagine, much of the response has been from Tintin fan blogs, and the occasional opinion piece. The reactions have been numerous, but generally not that well articulated – with some notable exceptions. A fan of the Facebook.com/ShopTintin shared a link to an interesting article in the New York Daily News. I have included a quote from the article below. To read the entire article, visit the site. Oh, and even though the author did not spell Tintin’s name right, it still remains a good article.
I should also add that as someone who runs one of the largest retail websites in the world devoted exclusively to Tintin, I recognize that many of the images and stories written 50-80 years ago may offend many people, and rightly so. That’s why, in our stores at least, we have a recommended Tintin reading list for younger readers. We love the Tintin stories, but we also realize that some of the books need to be contextualized.
By placing a racist illustrated book, “Tin Tin Au Congo,” behind locked doors, and making it available only upon request and appointment, the Brooklyn Public Library is sending the wrong message about how to deal with controversial works.
We blacks, of course, know racially offensive images when we see them, but we also don’t need librarians protecting us or our children’s wonderment and discovery from “bad” images and messages in books. Where would such paternalism in the forms of censorship and banishment begin and end? Will the librarians also banish “Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain’s classic work, on account that Twain’s book uses the “n” word too many times? Would some parents’ or scanners’ objections to “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” also hold sway and place that book under lock and key, too? Our children, black and white, deserve better.
For more info: on Tintin in the Congo, please check out one of our earlier posts on the Congolese perspectives on Tintin. For more information on everything else Tintin, please visit ShopTintin.com, and Facebook.com/ShopTintin.
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