Journeys Toward Textual Relevance: Male Readers of Color and the Significance of Malcolm X and Harry Potter

Abstract

This article combines interview data from a group of boys of color at an urban single-sex school and content analysis of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to demonstrate the complexities of readers’ responses to literature. Textual relevance, or the ability to construct personal meaning from literature, emerged in two principal forms: (a) empathetic textual relevance (a mirror approach) and (b) sympathetic textual relevance (a window approach). In addition, textual relevance took shape in forms beyond mirrors or windows. In building upon theories of intersectionality and reader response, I argue that acknowledging the multi-dimensionality of readers’ identities and their meaning-making processes can pave the way for youth empowerment. As such, this work aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of students’ experiences as readers and to enhance literacy practices designed to promote equity.