How to beat a book ban: students, parents and librarians fight back
The censorship of books in the US has reached crisis level.
More than 2,500 different book bans were enacted in schools across 32 US states during the 2021-2022 school year, according to a new report by Pen America. And attempts to ban books from libraries are on track to exceed 2021’s already record-setting figures, the American Library Association said on Friday.
But still, there is cause for hope.
Across the country, parents, students, teachers, librarians and community groups have successfully fought back against attempted bans, defeating well-funded, rightwing attempts to remove books that address issues of race, sexuality, and gender.
Their experiences provide a model for others who may want to stand up and defend free speech, racial equity, and the rights of gay and trans youth.
Martha Hickson: ‘Let readers be leaders’
Martha Hickson, a librarian at North Hunterdon high school in Annandale, New Jersey, was watching her district’s school board meeting from home in September 2021 when she found herself dragged into the center of a battle over book banning.
A small but vocal group of parents had attended the meeting to demand the board remove several books that address LGBTQ+ experiences, including Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison, from school libraries. Then one particularly emotional speaker called Hickson out by name.
