Joe Biden has broken with presidential tradition by removing Dr. Seuss from Read Across America Day after a report claimed to have found racial undertones in the books.
The annual event is held on March 2, Seuss's birthday, however, when Biden made a proclamation about the event on Monday (March 1), the president left out any mention of the author.
As per the Daily Mail, Biden's predecessors, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, recognized the author's contributions to literature in many of their speeches.
While the White House did not explain why the author was left out of the proclamation, it is thought this is the result of calls to cancel the author amid claims of racism in the books.
For more than two decades, Seuss, whose real name is Theodor Geisel, was the face of the annual Read Across America Day.
Virginia's largest school district, Loudoun County Public Schools, reportedly removed Dr. Seuss from its Read Across America Day celebration, on Sunday (February 28), citing the racial "undertones" in the children's books.
A spokesman said that Loudon County schools in Virginia are going to shift the "emphasis" of the annual day from Seuss and toward books more "inclusive and diverse and reflective of our student community".
A report concluded that his stories featured "orientalism, anti-blackness and white supremacy."
The Washington Post reports that Loudoun schools spokesman Wayde B. Byard said it revealed "strong racial undertones in many books written/illustrated by Dr. Seuss".
"Given this research, and LCPS' focus on equity and culturally responsive instruction, LCPS has provided guidance to schools in the past couple of years to not connect Read Across America Day with Dr. Seuss' birthday exclusively," Byard said.
However, Byard made a point of adding that Seuss's books had not been outright banned and they are still available to access in the district's libraries and classrooms.
"The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books" is the name of 2019 report examining racism claims in Dr Seuss's book series.
That report states: "White supremacy is seen through the centering of Whiteness and White characters, who comprise 98% (2,195 characters) of all characters.
"Notably, every character of color is male. Males of color are only presented in subservient, exotified, or dehumanized roles. This also remains true in their relation to White characters.
"Most startling is the complete invisibility and absence of women and girls of color across Seuss' entire children's book collection.
"In addition, some of Dr. Seuss' most iconic books feature animal or non-human characters that transmit Orientalist, anti-Black, and White supremacist messaging through allegories and symbolism."