Activists Protest Censorship, Book Bans Outside Supreme Court | Censorship News

The Freedom to Learn collective marked National Day of Action by protesting censorship attempts outside the Supreme Court; a challenged book returns to shelves in Virginia while titles get removed from schools in Florida and South Carolina; and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver takes on book bans.

Activists Protest Book Bans, Curriculum Censorship Outside SCOTUS | NewsNation
The Freedom to Learn collective rallied outside the U.S. Supreme Court to denounce book banning, curriculum censorship, and other “politically motivated” actions in schools. Friday marked the group’s second National Day of Action, which included banned book reviews, teach-ins, rallies, and discussions.

John Oliver on Public Libraries: ‘Another Front in the Ongoing Culture War’ | The Guardian
The Last Week Tonight host looks into attacks on public libraries, from slashed funding to harassment and banning certain book titles.

Florida County School Board Removes 19 Books from Campus Libraries | WUSF
Hernando County (FL) board members reviewed 23 book challenges made by Moms for Liberty member Julia Thomas last fall. Before the special meeting, review committees consisting of school staff, community members, and parents read the challenged books and recommended keeping 13 in school libraries; but instead, 19 of the 23 books were removed.

South Carolina District Removes Books from Library | WYFF
Spartanburg (SC) District One created a policy to remove books from its library. The district's policy targets titles that have sexual content and profanity. Theresa Holliday, with Free to Read Spartanburg County, said the list of books the district removed disproportionately affects people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and victims of sexual assault.

Virginia County School Board Returns The Invisible Boy To Libraries | Daily News-Record
The Rockingham County (VA) School Board voted to return its first banned book to library shelves, bringing The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig back to Rockingham County Public Schools. 

Local Parents File Complaints for Six Books on School Shelves | The Transylvania Times
After review by a committee of educators and community stakeholders, five titles were allowed to stay on library shelves: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, Sold by Patricia McCormick, This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Maas, and Looking for Alaska by John Green. The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu has not been through the review process yet.

‘Little Free Diverse Library’ Unveiled at New Rochester Site | Sippican Week
Months after being removed from its original location outside Plumb Library, a “Little Free Diverse Library” has been reestablished at a new location in Rochester. The ceremony was momentarily met with protestors, affirming that discourse regarding access to certain books continues in the Tri-Town.

Why Laphonza Butler is Reading Banned Books Out Loud on the Senate Floor | Roll Call 
So far, the California Democrat has uttered the words of Audre Lorde and Maya Angelou.

This Week in Book Challenges | American Booksellers Association
An update on the latest book challenges for the week of May 1 to May 8.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?