Schooled

The Bluford Series comprises 23 contemporary young adult novels published between 2002 and 2021, written by eight different authors including Paul Langan, who is the primary editor of the series. The series was published by Townsend Press as part of an effort to promote literacy in underfunded schools. The novels can be read independently but are interconnected in small ways. Set in urban, predominantly Black neighborhoods, they chronicle the lives of different students over two years in fictional Bluford High School. The novels address bullying, substance use, learning differences, teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, and school violence. As the adolescent protagonists confront obstacles and challenges in and out of school, the series aspires to realistically represent urban life in underprivileged neighborhoods.

Black scholars have criticized the series for having exclusively white authors. According to them, while the novels filled a gap in the publishing industry with their portrayal of young Black characters in the 2000s, they also risk misrepresenting the Black experience. Critics note that the Bluford series characters live in “highly stereotyped urbanized environments” and are “a caricature of the Black experience” (Rosier, Cheyanne. “The Bluford Series: Black Books/White Authors.” Universal Write Publications, 24 Aug. 2023). These stereotypes include the fact that the urban black neighborhood settings feature high rates of poverty, criminality, gang violence, and underfunded schools—a narrative that lacks a nuanced depiction of Black lives. While the novels do tackle important issues, Black critics underline the importance of diverse portrayals and call for more Black voices in literature and art.