Story at a glance
- The National Coalition Against Censorship released a statement Wednesday that included 600 signatories of authors, publishing houses and groups.
- The joint statement condemned recent book bans occurring at libraries and schools across the United States.
- Across the U.S., faculty and community members are banning books, many about LGBTQ+ people and race, from schools and libraries.
More than 600 authors, publishers and activist groups came together Wednesday to release a signed joint statement condemning the recent book bans occurring across the country.
“In communities across the country, an organized political attack on books in schools threatens the education of America’s children. These ongoing attempts to purge schools of books represent a partisan political battle fought in school board meetings and state legislatures,” the statement reads. “The undersigned organizations and individuals are deeply concerned about this sudden rise in censorship and its impact on education, the rights of students, and freedom of expression.”
Across the United States, faculty and community members are banning books, many about LGBTQ+ people and race, from schools and libraries, including in states such as Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
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In September, students, teachers, and community members protested against a book ban at Central York High School in Pennsylvania. The ban initially occurred last October, when the all-white school board banned materials, such as books on Rosa Parks, “Sesame Street” and the biography of activist Malala Yousafzai, as well as numerous more that are about race, social justice and history.
Wednesday’s statement condemning such acts of censorship was released by the National Coalition Against Censorship but included notable signatories, such as author Judy Bloom, publishing houses Penguin Random House and Scholastic, and the American Library Association, among others.
“The First Amendment guarantees that no individual, group of individuals, legislator, community member, or even school board member can dictate what public school students are allowed to read based on their own personal beliefs or political viewpoint,” the statement reads. “It is freedom of expression that ensures that we can meet the challenges of a changing world. That freedom is critical for the students who will lead America in the years ahead. We must fight to defend it.”
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