Can I touch your hair? by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illus. by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Latham, I., Waters, C., Qualls, S., & Alko, S. (2018). Can I touch your hair?: Poems of race, mistakes, and friendship. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 978-1-5124-0442-5

SUMMARY: Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners.

ANALYSIS: Two classmates serving as stand-ins for poets Latham and Waters, reluctantly pair up on a poetry-writing project and reflect on their identities, relationships, and the role race plays in their lives, in more than 30 candid, thought-provoking poems. The students aren’t initially close (“She hardly says anything. Plus, she’s white,” thinks talkative Charles after being assigned to work with Irene), but that soon changes. The children’s passions and preoccupations are revealed in poems that explore topics in parallel such as new shoes, dinnertime, parental punishments, and police violence, among them and the racial divisions of the children’s churches, communities, and school becomes clear, too. “I smile when Shonda comes over, but she doesn’t smile back,” writes Irene. “You’ve got the whole rest of the playground, she says. Can’t we at least have this corner?” Qualls and Alko play into the moody, reflective atmosphere in mixed-media collages whose teardrop/budding leaf motif underscores the way that conversation can lead to growth. The poems delicately demonstrate the complexity of identity and the power of communication to build friendships. this remarkable collaboration invites readers of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.   

USE: One of the poems that show a highlight of the analysis is the N-BOMB. "Did he just drop the N-bomb?" Both authors decided to include this poem to shine the light on racism. You can not talk about race without bringing up the N-word. Students hear is, use it, see it, and they can not be hidden from it; some are even curious about it. In the poem, the author compares the difference in the use of the word. Spelling it with the -ER or -A. "But it had an A at the end of it, not an E-R, so it's okay." "No, it's not," she says, "No matter how you spell it, it's still a spit in the face of our ancestors, who for far too long fought against the infection of that word."

For class activity, I will have the kids to compare and contrast both sets of poems from Charles and Irene. Showing how they are both the same.