This panel discussion,”Who Holds the Power: The Impact of Privilege on Children’s Literature,” held recently at the Children’s Librarians Institute in San Francisco, is over an hour long. You should watch it anyway. Panelists Aya de Leon, Malinda Lo (Malinda’s blog pointed me to the video), Jacqueline Woodson, Laura Atkins, and Nina Lindsay, plus at least one member of the audience, have some important things to say. They say it articulately and with humour and passion.

Money, class, access, colour, sexuality, physical ability, religion, gender—there are many different ways to look at privilege. And although this panel focuses on children’s literature, parts of the conversation could apply to film, tv, education, employment…to life in general. My guess is that you will find it useful whether you’re new to the idea or have spent time thinking about and acting from the perspective of diversity.

I would like to have seen a bit more attention focused on class privilege but nothing is perfect. Nothing. It’s pretty damn good, though. So watch it. Watch it in 10-minute chunks every day for the next six days if you have to, but watch it.