Passion and Racism

Forwarded idea--passion in a topic brings out strong writing.

Often in classes students must write about topics assigned to them; they may not find the topics interesting or personable. Marianna Torgovnick said in regards to writing, "I begin with material that I really care about or with material that I think I should care about" (27). For this reason, professors should allow their students to choose topics within a structure that fits their assignments whenever possible.
It is challenging for students to apply personal experiences or interests to a topic they dislike, so in this respect, students must work outside of their element to succeed. Perhaps even a student's strong resistance to a topic will lend an emotional drive necessary to finish the piece. Anger or disgust could lend a hand to covering a topic.
bell hooks's piece "Memories of my Girlhood" contains a clear, yet unnamed topic the author finds important: racism. Hook explains that she wanted a brown doll as a child not a white doll. From a minority standpoint, this is crucial for children to understand that one race is not supposed to be dominant or superior. Nowadays, Toys R Us and many other toy companies provide more options for diversity in dolls and characters. Still, white characters dominate in cartoon and animated film franchises as well as toys. For a film example, consider the extremely popular Disney film Frozen. 
It's hard for children to watch television shows where they don't see characters of their color. And it's confusing when all these dolls and toys have white characters with all the same physical traits and body shapes. Children of non white races feel foreign or inadequate when faced with these limited choices. Both racially diverse authors and characters promote a melting pot society, which seems to be the closest culture to harmony humans can reach.