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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Grieving party seeks Bates' replacement ... Ashland apology expert expands on 'Sorry About That' ... West Rim Road reopens as Bybee Creek firefighting continues ... Grieving party seeks Bates' replacement ... Ashland apology expert expands on 'Sorry About That' ... West Rim Road reopens as Bybee Creek firefighting continues ... LOCAL TAKE Should racially offensive books remain on display? Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2016 at 7:30 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2016 at 7:30 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Ashland apology expert expands on 'Sorry About That' • Letters to the Editor, Aug. 5 • Shakespeare Festival v. Shakespeare Books • Guest Opinion: A letter to our community • Display of banned books turns heads » Social News A tiny Ashland bookstore is in a big spat with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival after actors and staff bashed the shop for showcasing racially offensive books in its long-standing “banned book” display, visible for years on East Main Street a stone’s throw from the theater. OSF wants the offending books removed, at least from their highly visible spot, calling it painful, especially to African-Americans working in its all-black “The Wiz” this season. Judi Honore, owner of Shakespeare Books & Antiques, is proud of her banned book display, which has a section on banned racist books. Especially offensive to the cast members was that the banned racist books were positioned close to the also-banned "Wizard of Oz," and that, after they complained and she rearranged the display to separate the books, she put them back in the original position after they expressed their displeasure to others. It has since been repositioned, again, at opposite ends of the display. Honore refuses to perform the ironic task of banning banned books from her banned book display, and OSF, which is widely noted for its diversity and inclusiveness in choice of plays and casting, has responded by banning staff from making any festival-related purchases from the store. To Honore, such a boycott amounts to book banning. Though both sides are adamantly against racism, they have stiffened in their resolve not to budge from their positions, which (to them) are an essential way of working against racism. Letters, emails and Facebook posts have been flying, both pro and con. The main offender among the banned books is a 1930s children’s tale, “Little Black Sambo,” which depicts a very offensively caricatured black boy in the jungle. We asked people, both Ashlanders and tourists, on the street in front of the bookstore, if they felt the offending book (admittedly racist, to both sides) should be on display in the banned book window. Edwin Battistella, SOU English professor and linguistics author — The two sides have more in common than not. In general, a book should be able to be sold anywhere, but it makes sense to use some sensitivity in setting up displays like this. Carol Paul (declined photo) — It’s important to highlight books that got banned for many reasons. It doesn’t mean they are good or bad. People don’t realize how many books get banned. It’s important to understand people’s concerns. That’s the whole idea behind a banned books section. I applaud her for her display. It’s a judgment call. She could remove that one book and most people would not notice, but she could still focus on why the book is banned. Mia Bella D’Augelli — The book should be allowed, for sure. In today’s world, people don’t want to read things that give them a strong reaction. Being overly PC makes it so people are never able to change. Barbara D’Angelli — No, don’t remove it. It shows how, historically, things aren’t right in this country. We should be able to read about it, so things don’t keep happening. It shows how ridiculous life has been in the past and we can read about it. Kathleen Manley — I don’t think it should be banned. It’s part of our history and should be open to discussion. It makes a teachable moment. We’re going through a teachable moment right now, with some people thinking it should be taken down. It would be another step toward dictatorship and we certainly don’t need that. I’ve read most books in this banned section and I know some are racist. It makes you more aware of it. In this country, we all need equal standing and sharing of ideas. That’s what makes it work. It’s not right to tell employees to stay away from a store. I’m not even sure that’s legal. It’s like telling them how to vote. (Editor's note: The festival only asked that festival-related purchases not be made at the store, not that employees be restricted on what they do on their own.) Chris Bender — It’s an attempt at censorship. I tried to research this as much as I can. White people are taking a pre-emptive offense for black people. It shouldn’t be removed. That’s trying to cover up our gross history. It’s what happened. We’re trying to whitewash history and make it clean, but that’s not the right thing to do. It’s a book. You can choose to be offended by something that happened a long time ago but that’s very immature. OSF is a big institution and it’s a bad move on their part. It will create more support for the store. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 5, 2016 at 7:30 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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