What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Lesson Plan

Why might the way that literature is typically taught be detrimental to the legacies of peoples of color in the United States?

One possible answer is that literature classes in the United States focus excessively on the exploits of so-called "dead, white men", who it is difficult for students to empathize with. Another answer (which students from minority backgrounds may be rather inclined to make) is that students' understanding of their fellow citizens is severely circumscribed if they don't learn more about the history of peoples of color in the U.S. The teacher might find it useful to give students from minority backgrounds priority when trying to answer this...