"Visiting Day" (Grades 4-6)

Quality Rating: 4.5 of 5

"Grandma says all it takes is time, a little time, and while we're holding out waiting for Daddy to come home we can count our blessings and love each other up and make biscuits and cakes and pretty pictures to send Daddy..." (Woodson 27)

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Overview:

"Visiting Day" by Jacqueline Woodson provides a bittersweet look into the life of an unnamed little girl whose father is in prison. The little girl lives with her grandmother, who takes her once every month to visit her father. The story provides an intimate glimpse into the close bond between grandmother and grandchild, and the experience they share of waiting with hope for the return of the girl's father. It, likewise, sheds light on the equally close bond between daughter and father— a bond unobstructed by distance. This story provides a humanizing perspective on imprisoned persons, who are too often shunned by those whose prejudices blind them from recognizing likeness.

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Strengths:

1. Authenticity!

Too often do we encounter stereotype-laden depictions of African Americans in stories written by white authors. Jacqueline Woodson provides an authentic take on a sensitive topic— the imprisonment of black males— by infusing personal insight into the story. Not only does she share the same racial background as the characters in this story, but she also bases the story on her own experience with an uncle who was imprisoned. In the back of the book, Woodson explains, with regards to her uncle's imprisonment, "I never knew what his crime was and it really didn't matter. I knew I loved him dearly and he loved me with the same ferocity... I knew there was a sadness surrounding us. And a hope— that one day there wouldn't be prison walls. That one day my uncle would be free" (Woodson). By infusing the story with personal experience, Woodson effectively combats media stereotypes of black "criminals"— replacing the media-constructed image of the "rogue black" with the image a human who loves and is loved by his family, whose state of imprisonment by no means defines his character.

2. Represents Non-Traditional Families

Not all kids live with their happily married moms and dads, and it is important for teachers to acknowledge this by selecting literature that represents a variety of family circumstances. "Visiting Day" centers on a girl whose mom is out of the picture and whose father is in prison. But the story is by no means a pity party for her parent-less living situation; instead, the story acknowledges that she misses her father, but showcases her close connection with her grandmother and their shared gratitude for those long-awaited visiting days at the prison.

3. Models Artistry in Writing

The story is written in verse which enhances its beauty. Within the poetic writing, Woodson models a number of literary devices including:

- asyndeton (e.g. "I sit quiet, respectful")

- anastrophe (e.g. "only on visiting day/ is there chicken frying...")

- polysyndeton (e.g. "we can count our blessings/ and love each other up/ and make biscuits and cakes/ and pretty pictures to send to Daddy")

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Controversy: Could "Visiting Day" Reinforce Racial Stereotypes?

Although the main character's father is conveyed as tender-hearted and loving, the fact of the matter is that he is still a black man in prison. With the unjust criminalization of black males an ever-pressing issue in our country, could "Visiting Day" be feeding into stereotypes regarding the "criminality" of black men? How can we facilitate conversations with our students about this book that help them combat any inadvertent reinforcement of stereotypes?

For older students, perhaps this book could serve as a means to address racial profiling and the stereotyping of imprisoned persons. We could highlight how the text characterizes the father as joyful and compassionate, how it teaches us that people who are in jail are not necessarily "bad people." We can also point out the reality that black people are often given harsher punishments than white people— even when they have committed the same crimes. We can emphasize that sometimes black people are even punished for crimes they did not commit. We can close these conversations by encouraging our students to begin to combat these brutal injustices simply by searching for the good in the people they meet, regardless of class, race, or life circumstance.

Such topics could no doubt prevent the inadvertent reinforcement of racial stereotypes. But at what age can we begin these sorts of conversations? How old is old enough to talk about race?