So Dr. Seuss Was Racist? Are We Gonna Do Anything About It?

This information about Dr. Seuss was hiding in plain sight. And I, like many other educators, was not aware of this. But trust me if you Google it comes right up.
I almost couldn’t believe it. Throughout my elementary teaching career, I have read countless Dr. Suess books, the students in my class, and even to my own children.

You get a twang of guilt, feeling like you should know better. But how would you know? Dr. Seuss’s day has become a full-blown holiday in schools all around America. You could argue that it has become another marketing or sales.

NEA (National Education Association) was provided with “numerous examples of why using Seuss as the face of Read Across America was problematic.” The suggestion was made to promote more diverse authors. “NEA took the critique to heart and began implementing the recommendations, a process made easier by the expiration of its permission to use the Cat in the Hat logo on Aug. 31, 2019. Additionally, the union may no longer use Seuss character costumes to promote the event unless they are purchased from retail outlets.” -Mike Antonucci’s Union Report

They will no longer include him in their literacy calendar for Read Across America. Their new theme? “Celebrate a nation of diverse readers.”

With this being a big move for NEA and the impact it has for Read Across America, it’s a surprise that it remains a holiday celebration for many schools. March had Instagram, and Facebook flooded with Dr. Seuss celebration. But not everyone joined in the celebration. I was recently at a school that was preparing for Read Across America celebrations, and the teacher leader had mentioned that they chose to remove Dr. Seuss Day. They took purposeful action to make it a multi-cultural event. Which leads to my question is it that schools are unaware, or that schools are choosing to look away?

What Proves He Was Racist?

If it’s news to you that Dr. Seuss was racist, let me share what information has been made public. Before and during his career publishing books, Dr. Seuss published hundreds of racist political cartoons, comics, and ads. Scholars have also analyzed his books and identified racism in his illustrations and character development. Some of the themes identified were:

-black people depicted as monkeys
-incited mass incarceration and killing of Japanese
-dehumanizing other marginalized groups that include Jewish people and Muslims

On the flip side of this, many people state that Horton Hears a Who! And Sneetches ( books that promote tolerance) were Dr. Seuss’s apology for his WWII anti-Japanese propaganda. That he evolved, and his racist views and mentality changed as he got older.

What Effect Does This Have On Our Youth?

Children’s books provide impressions and messages that can last a lifetime and shape how children see and understand themselves, their homes, communities, and the world (Santora).
“By age six, White North American children have already developed a pro-White/anti-Black bias” (Baron and Banaji). “When exposed to racism and prejudice at this age, they tend to embrace and accept it, even though they might not understand the feelings.” (Burnett).
Far too many children’s books center around “Whiteness” and stereotype or dehumanize people of color or other oppressed groups. These prejudices have infected children’s literature since the age of time. Here’s what we should reflect on, are we going to do anything about it?

Opinions From The Masses

There are two camps here with polar opposite opinions on what our next steps should be.
One side promotes never buying or reading his books again. They have made a firm decision to ban all the books or exclude individual books from their libraries. This decision was made in order not to encourage systemic racism and discrimination in our education system.

The other side feels that it is extreme to ban all Dr.Seuss, and we’re igniting “cancel culture.” Cancel culture is a form of a boycott in which a person who has had behavior in their past that is perceived as offensive, are entirely boycotted. They state that book banning is us trying to rewrite history. Their other argument is that his books aren’t racist, just his political cartoons and that he grew and changed as he got older. At some point, he became anti-nazi.

They are right people do change. People do evolve. But by keeping his books, are we allowing racism and discrimination to stay embedded in our culture? We could debate this endlessly. But it at the very least should be a discussion.

So What Do We Do?

One argument I read as I was doing some research on this is that his books are classics. We keep labeling things as “classics’ ‘. I don’t know if we all realize that that’s not always a good thing. I get it it was a different time. But aren’t there a lot of things from different times that still affect us when they are passed down from generation to generation?

So here’s our chance to reflect and decide how do we want to move forward. Can this holiday move away from Dr. Seuss and instead focus on motivating children to read more culturally diverse books. Can we find some inclusive books as an alternative?

I’m not here to convince you one way or another. I want to ensure that you are asking yourself two questions.
First, are your libraries filled with books about people of color and ignored or marginalized groups of people. And second, are you being intentional and strategic when choosing a text.

If you’re unsure of how to branch out to other types of cultures and the literature, check out a list of recommended books by the National Education Association (NEA) that I have in my free resources. So I ask you do we need one cat in a hat to inspire the love of reading. Imagine using authors that depict a student’s culture.

 

Book: Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books by Philip Nel

https://zennedmath.com/why-math-read-alouds-may-be-the-game-changer-you-need/

https://www.readacrossamerica.org/recommended-books/

https://sophia.stkate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1050&context=rdyl

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2016/04/dr-seuss-racist/

 

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Math Struggles Ain’t Just About Numbers

Let’s be B.F.F.R—math can stress kids out. You’ve seen it: the frozen-in-place stare, the pencil tapping like it’s sending an SOS, or the classic “I CAN’T DO THIS!” meltdown before even trying. But here’s the thing—most of the time, their struggle isn’t about numbers. It’s about mindset.

What if we borrowed some life coaching techniques to help our students not just survive math but actually thrive in it? Let’s break it down into simple, practical ways you can empower your students without turning into a full-blown therapist.

 Reframe the Narrative (A.K.A. Flip the Script on “I’m Bad at Math”)

Ever notice how kids say “I’m bad at math” like it’s their official personality trait? That belief is holding them back more than any tricky word problem ever could.

How to Do It:

  • When a student says, “I suck at math,” respond with: “You’re still learning. Let’s find a way that makes sense to you.”
  • Introduce the Power of Yet: “You don’t get it… yet. But your brain is working on it!”
  • Share stories of people who struggled with math and overcame it (bonus points if you can find famous athletes, musicians, or influencers).

Remind them that they once thought tying their shoes was impossible, and look at them now—shoe-tying pros. Math is just another skill that takes practice.

Teach Emotional Regulation (Because Frustration Is a Math Blocker)

We can’t expect students to push through challenges if they’re spiraling into math-induced panic mode. When frustration kicks in, their brains hit the “I’m out!” button.

How to Do It:

  • Pause & Breathe: Before jumping to the “I CAN’T,” have students take a deep breath. Try “breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4.” Simple, but it works.
  • Break It Down: Instead of tackling the whole problem at once, ask, “What’s one thing we DO know?” Small wins build confidence.
  • Normalize Struggle: Post a sign in your classroom: “Mistakes Mean You’re Learning.” Say it. Live it. Believe it! As Naruto says.

Set Micro-Goals (Because Big Goals Can Feel Overwhelming)

If a kid already feels lost, telling them “just keep practicing” is like saying, “just climb this mountain real quick.” Instead, break it into steps.

How to Do It:

  • Instead of “Get better at multiplication,” set a goal like: “Practice a doubling/halving strategy.”
  • Use progress charts so students can SEE their growth. 
  • Celebrate the small wins! Even if they only got one more right than last time—that’s growth!

Remind them “If you can memorize every single lyric to that TikTok song, you can 100% remember a few math strategies.” 
Honestly research shows long term memory is activated when we leverage different modalities in our lessons. It’s how the brain learns math.

Shift from Performance to Progress (Because Speed Ain’t Everything)

Fluency is about thinking efficiently, not racing to the answer. The goal isn’t to turn kids into human calculators—it’s to help them use numbers flexibly.

How to Do It:

  • Replace timed tests with strategy-based challenges (ex: “How many ways can you solve 12 × 8?”).
  • Instead of praising fast answers, celebrate smart strategies: “Ooooh, I love how you broke that down!”
  • Remind them that even adults use tools like calculators and sticky notes—real math is about knowing how to approach problems, not just getting the answer instantly.

 Teach Self-Talk (Because Their Inner Voice Matters More Than You Know)

The way kids talk to themselves about math shapes their experience with it. If they constantly say, “I can’t do this,” their brain believes it. Time to switch up the self-talk game.

How to Do It:

  • Teach “I can” statements: Instead of “I don’t get it,” try “I don’t get it YET, but I can figure this out.”
  • Have students write down one math strength (even if it’s “I’m good at counting on my fingers” – that’s a start!).
  • Encourage students to talk to themselves like they’d talk to a friend. Would they tell a friend, “You’re dumb at math”? No? Then don’t say it to yourself either!

Emphasize- “You wouldn’t let your best friend talk trash about you, so don’t let your brain do it either!”

Coaching Math Mindsets for the Win

At the end of the day, teaching math fluency isn’t just about numbers—it’s about helping kids believe they can figure things out. When we shift from just teaching math to coaching their mindset, we create students who are not only fluent in math but confident in life.

So, here’s your challenge: What’s one small move you can try this week? Whether it’s shifting self-talk, celebrating small wins, or breaking down frustration, pick one and run with it.

Oh, and if you want more strategies like these, check out my Figuring Out Fluency series, (Book 1) (Book 2) where we make fluency engaging, empowering, and (most importantly) actually make sense.

And if you want more math mindset strategies, grab my Guide For Teachers To Help Students With Growth Mindset