Where is the Black ‘Blueberries for Sal’?

“One of the ways that birds decide where they’re going to settle is by seeing others like him in a space. It’s called a settling response. The prairie warbler that hears another prairie warbler in a scrubby, overgrown habitat says, ‘Hey, this is suitable for us,’” Lanham said. “Likewise, when you see someone like you doing what you do, in spaces that you want to be in, there’s a certain bolstering and confidence that comes from that.”

— J. Drew Lanham, outlining the importance of having a diverse set of "mirrors" in the literature available for children to see themselves in the media they consume.

From “Where is the Black Blueberries for Sal?” by Ashley Fetters. The Atlantic. May 27, 2019. Permalink