Teaching and Learning Tolerance Through Comics and Graphic Novels

With a lively backdrop of superheroes, comic books, and animated comics, DRAWN TOGETHER brings together three talented artists--a Sikh, a woman, and an African American--who are challenging the racist stereotyping currently endemic in America through their work.

The documentary provides the rare opportunity to explore the subjects of race, gender, and religion stereotyping through the universally popular medium of comic books and cartoons. DRAWN TOGETHER boldly encourages viewers to unlearn stereotyping, look beyond the obvious, and confront media prejudices--all through an uncommon and inherently engaging everyday source.

Official Selection at over two dozen festivals, including the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival and CAAMFest.

An interview with Harleen Singh, the filmmaker behind Drawn Together, Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes

July 25, 2015 article from Wired magazine

In light of the recent focus on diversity in books for youth as exemplified by movements such as “We Need Diverse Books” and “Reading Without Walls,” the authors sought to understand how race is depicted in graphic novels for teens.

This study presents a qualitative analysis on the representation of black women in comic books using a sociocultural approach to their production-release background.

Comics scholarship has a problem with representation that could be addressed if it paid greater attention to whose voices are amplified and when.

Ever since the first appearances of Superman and Batman in comic books of the late 1930s, superheroes have been a staple of the popular culture landscape. Though initially created for younger audiences, superhero characters have evolved over the years, becoming complex figures that appeal to more sophisticated readers.

Despite the current growth of graphic novel popularity with teens and the increasing representation of the LGBTQ community in those graphic novels, there has been little work done to evaluate these works in terms of how the LGBTQ characters are presented. Using Jenkins's adaptations of Lerner's, Bishop's, and Chauncey's frameworks-as well as Jenkins's own framework that combined these three for use with LGBTQ adolescent literature-the authors tested whether these frameworks were suitable for evaluating LGBTQ graphic novels for teens. Graphic novels deemed exemplary through their inclusion on the Rainbow List, Stonewall Awards, and Lambda Literary Awards were examined.

When many think of comic books the first thing that comes to mind are caped crusaders and spandex-wearing super-heroes. Perhaps, inevitably, these images are of white men (and more rarely, women). It was not until the 1970s that African American superheroes such as Luke Cage, Blade, and others emerged. But as this exciting new collection reveals, these superhero comics are only one small component in a wealth of representations of black characters within comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels over the past century. The Blacker the Ink is the first book to explore not only the diverse range of black characters in comics, but also the multitude of ways that black artists, writers, and publishers have made a mark on the industry.

This study presents the findings of 13 case studies and interviews with university faculty demonstrating how Teaching Tolerance resources can be constructively incorporated into existing coursework across the teacher education curriculum. Taken as a whole, the studies and interviews in this report can serve as models or road maps for faculty interested in using Teaching Tolerance in their work with pre-service educators.

Video from the Moraine Valley Community College Library's Graphic Novel Symposium. Despite common assumptions, graphic novels have been utilized as tools for social commentary and instruments of change. They can be used to defuse anger, to expose the reader to diverse cultures and experiences, to teach tolerance, and to address diversity in our schools and in our worlds. Educators Eric Kallenborn, Ronell Whitaker, and Claire Overton discuss the intertwining history of comics, social justice, feminism, and censorship, and how these things shape our view of the medium.

Using Graphic Novels in Education is an ongoing feature from Comic Book Legal Defense Fund that is designed to allay confusion around the content of graphic novels and to help parents and teachers raise readers. In this column, CBLDF examine graphic novels, including those that have been targeted by censors, and provide teaching and discussion suggestions for the use of such books in classrooms.

The format and content of LGBTQ graphic novels make them effective pedagogical tools for engaging students in critical discussions about gender and sexuality. By using two exemplar texts, the authors offer teachers a vocabulary and method for engaging in these conversations.