I've got nothing creative ;)

I want to start my blog out this week by addressing the ROC article.  Thinking about racism and sexism has been prominent in my education here as a undergrad at UWB, especially in the courses I took for my ed minor.  This kind of critical thinking is not new to me but it is something I still grapple with.  I want to expose my kids to fair and diverse materials that represent a multitude of people in a positive light but I am overwhelmed by the many considerations that go into such an undertaking.  Whenever I read something about the prominent racism and/or sexism in media I am familiar with and had not previously noticed I feel discouraged.  I question whether I am fit to be making the decisions on what materials to bring into the classroom or teach.  For example, I read an article a while back addressing the issue of stereotyping in Disney movies.  Now I get how the princess movies can be sexist, that much is obvious but the Lion King as a racist movie?  It makes me wonder if people are just apt to over analyze things these days or if there really is something there and I just am to blinded by my white privilege?  On the other side of the coin, does everything have to fit these guidelines?  Can we never use materials that have a white, male protagonist for fear of reinforcing stereotypes?  I know they will see an abundance of this in the media they are exposed to at home so it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to over emphasize minority groups in the classroom but there are some great classic stories out there and I would hate to  dismiss them.  I have to admit, if I have kids of my own someday they will probably watch Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty but maybe I'll balance it out with Mulan or something of that nature.  Maybe that's the answer, its just about learning to find the right balance.