Figure 1
The Hot Topic of Banning Books
Banning Books is a hot and controversial topic in K-12 educational systems. Books are banned in school libraries, classrooms, and public libraries. Book banning has implications for students and teachers. Thus, many different perspectives on the issue should be considered. Some feel that books should be banned. According to Hemingway (2014), "far too often the explicit nature of the work is the selling point," which is why books should be banned. Some are against banning books. Keels (2022) posits that Book bans are "attempts to maintain our nation's dominant narrative that excludes diverse perspectives." However, others have more neutral perspectives on the topic and provide simple facts or data such as "It is a trend you have no doubt read about the growing list of Books banned in our nation's classrooms and libraries "(CBS et al., 2023). Banning books in America is a historical and modern educational issue with opposing perspectives fueled by political, economic, and social contexts. The purpose of this blog is to share three perspectives regarding the banning of books.
Figure 2
Beware of the Books!
Books Should be Banned
Many people, especially parents and politicians in America, believe that certain books should be banned or hidden from children. They feel books are inappropriate, schools need to be transparent about content, and that authors write books with controversial content to make money. Political, cultural, historical, and socio-economic contexts are used to share their voices and advocate for their beliefs. Some parents work to protect their children from pornography in schools. They feel that the content is sexually explicit and inappropriate for children. Schemmel (2021) shares that parents in the Wake County Public School system in Raleigh, NC, filed criminal complaints about several of the books used in the school system in 2021 for this reason. This complaint is an example of parents using their cultural values (or beliefs about what pornography means) to support their arguments through political means to censor the books they do not believe fitting to be in schools. Many parents with the same beliefs posit that the content in the books has no educational value; they depict sex acts and "try to normalize kids to sexual experiences" (Shemmmel, 2021). Their goal is to protect their kids.
Similarly, some parents say they do not necessarily want to ban books but want educational entities to be transparent about inappropriate book content. In a video posted on the Moms for Liberty website (2023), a Black mother affiliated with the Moms for Liberty group voiced her opinions about book banning during a political rally for George DeSantis in Florida. She believes parents know best what children should learn, instead of the government or the school board. She advocates that some books, like music and videos, are inappropriate for children under 18. She argues that books should have ratings or parental warnings on them and advocates for banning inappropriate books that contain inappropriate content, such as Critical Race Theory (CRT) or content about the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Many parents agree that books containing American history and content about cultural or gender differences are inappropriate and thus should have ratings or be banned from school students.
Nevertheless, some people, especially parents, want books banned in schools because they believe that books are a money-making business and parents should protect their children from this phenomenon. In a blog post, Hemingway (2014), a parent and school board member of Luthern School near Washington, D.C., posits that there are practical reasons that books should be banned. He believes parents should be responsible for making good decisions for their children because publishers have political or hidden agendas. Hemingway (2014) expresses that publishers want to make money and can do so with controversial content because books that have explicit content are a selling point. Moreover, he suggests that authors and publishers do not have the interest of children in mind, and it is the role of parents to be responsible gatekeepers of content because it is the right thing to do as a parent. While Hemingway (2014) advocates for banning books, it is interesting that he feels that book banning can go too far. Thus, another reason for banning books is so parents can protect their children's safety from controversial books written and published to make money. Inappropriate content, transparency, and hidden agendas are why many argue that books should be banned.
Figure 3
Read a Banned Book
Books Should Not be Banned
While many Americans feel that books should be banned in K-12 schools, libraries, and classrooms, many people and organizations disagree and believe that books should not be banned. Blakemore (2023) explains that while book bans have increased, reading books of one’s choice is a constitutional right to free expression. Thus, having the choice to read books and not ban them supports freedom and is a means to resist hegemony in our nation.
PEN America is an organization that advocates for and supports the belief that people and authors should have the freedom to write and read books of their choice (2022). Friedman & Johnson (2022) discuss that students are losing access to literature because more and more books keep getting banned. They posit that organized advocacy platforms (such as Moms for Liberty, which is discussed above) that work to ban books are causing the influx of banned books and a lack of freedom of choice. Friedman and Johnson (2022) share statistical data to support their stance against banning books: “Bans occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students.” They also share that most books banned from July 2021 to June 2022 consisted of content on LGBTQ+ or books with predominating characters as Persons of Color (Friedman & Johnson, 2022). Hence, students are losing the freedom to learn about history and social contexts through books because of political movements.
Like PEN America, the American Library Association (ALA) supports the belief that books should not be banned. They promote “the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular” (ALA, 2016). They also advocate for the freedom of books by ensuring that diverse opinions about books are visible and shared with anyone interested in reading them (ALA, 2016). The association explains that banned and challenged books are both an attempt to take away the freedom to read and write as one sees fit. According to the ALA, a challenged book “is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials”(2016). The ALA shares that banning books has political, historical, and cultural ties; thus, they use their public website for interested parties to explore and inform the public on censorship topics and provide a database of books that have been challenged or banned in different states for different reasons and topics. ALA aims to work toward the freedom of reading and writing books and to raise awareness of the reasoning behind the push to ban book issues.
Learning for Justice is an educational organization that advocates for social justice, focusing on racial justice for all. On the Learning for Justice website, the associate editor Keels shares an article positing that books should not be banned and everyone should “keep reading—and writing—to counter the narratives that have historically excluded diverse perspectives” (2022). Learning for Justice describes hegemony as a historical phenomenon, and banning books supports continuous hegemony and white supremacy and thus banning books hides black history. Keels (2022) states that we must hear and learn about diverse perspectives using books as our tools. Thus, we should resist book bans because it is a form of resisting hegemony. While there are many reasons people are against book banning, having a lack of choice and freedom and resisting dominant narratives that exclude the stories of all people are two thoughts on the issue.
Figure 4
Neutral Perspectives
Neutral Stances on Banning Books
There are also neutral perspectives on the issue of book banning. Instead of being for or against banning books, many authors share simple facts, information, or data. In my research, I found it interesting that some of the information on book banning tried to remain neutral but had underpinnings of a particular stance even though it was not evident. Moreover, some discourse or information within a text or discussion may lean slightly one way or the other. For example, the informative video Banned Books created by Harvard University in 2022 has a neutral stance on banning books. However, the data shared in the video comes from ALA, which opposes banning books. Thus, finding information or stances on truly neutral books was difficult.
Another example of a resource that had a neutral perspective about banning books was a report from CBS Sunday Morning (2023). According to the report, the number of banned books is rising. Sex and gender are being attacked in books. Florida and Texas have the most banned books. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty advocate banning books because they include pornography. The report interviewed people who represent both sides of the banned book argument. However, only one person from an advocacy group spoke about banning books, while three others spoke against banning books. While the report shared both sides of the issue, I cannot help but wonder if this is a neutral and balanced argument by incorporating only one perspective, which is pro-banned books.
Another (somewhat) neutral resource was created by PEN America (2022). The organization curated a list of books banned or restricted in school libraries or classrooms from 7/22 -12/22 from many resources. PEN America also explains that a school book ban is “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished” (2022). While the organization does not share its perspective in this list, its mission is against book bans.
Some of the information on banned books uses stories to stay neutral in their stance. In an NPR Radio Broadcast, Keith (2023) shares how one parent can advocate enough to cause a book to be banned. Keith (2023) states that this happened in Wilmington, NC, where a parent went to the school board and got a single book banned. The book is "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, And You." It was banned because the parent said it was anti-American. Keith (2023) also shares that the NCAAP disagreed with the school board's decision and is considering a lawsuit as they say the book teaches critical thinking rather than opposition to the United States. Keith stayed neutral in the broadcast and did not share his opinion. Instead, he shattered information about how parents can influence book bans and how politics play a part in school board decisions.
Predictions about Book Banning
Banning books in K-12 education brings about controversy. There are many opinions about why books should be banned and why they should not be banned. While some resources and media seem neutral, the real agenda for the discourse within the information may need to be more evident. Overall, people make accusations and assumptions about banning books. They believe their “truths” are the right thing, regardless of the perspectives of others. While some feel banning books is political, others feel it is for economic purposes. Likewise, misunderstandings about book banning can occur when people have diverse socio-cultural values and beliefs. Book banning in the United States is prevalent today, like many educational issues, and I predict it will be in the future as well.
References:
American Library Association. (2016, October 25). Banned Books. American Library Association (ALA). https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned-books-qa#:~:text=Does%20ALA%20ban%20books%3F%20No.%20The%20ALA%27s%20Office,about%20censorship%20efforts%20that%20affect%20libraries%20and%20s
Beware of the Books! [Image]. (n.d.) https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.6e0711fb4290eec00a8fd3cd045952e2?rik=8rhcZ7VTxLabNQ&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.languagetrainers.com%2fblog%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2013%2f09%2fbooksign.jpg&ehk=opIps3MERkK7rw3ZG3GLeQemdNRF96GWQk%2fgobyEr%2f0%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0
Blakemore, E. (2023, April 24). History & Culture Explainer. National Geographic .https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/history-of-book-bans-in-the-united-states
CBS Sunday Morning. (2023, April 23). The Fight Over Banning Books [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAsEJ29xV-A
Friedman, J., & Johnson, N. F. (2022, September 19). Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools. Pen America. https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/
Harvard University. (2022, September 17). Banned Books [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/SwYees6STeI
Hemingway, M. (2014, March 11). In Defense of Banning Books. The Federalist. https://thefederalist.com/2014/03/11/in-defense-of-book-banning/
Keels, C. L. (2022, September 19). Resisting Dominate Narratives. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/resisting-dominant-narratives
Keith, R. (2023, September 8). 1 Parent is Responsible for a Book Ban in North Carolina [Radio broadcast]. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/09/08/1198373620/1-parent-is-responsible-for-a-book-ban-in-north-carolina
Moms for Liberty. (2023, March 9, 2023). Exposing the Book Ban Hoax [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNxhHfGZP60
Nutural Perspectives [Image]. (n.d.) https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/09/17/books/00Bannedbooks1/00Bannedbooks1-videoSixteenByNine3000.jpg
PEN America. (n.d.). Banned Books in the USA. PEN America. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eU3rCvzLjBwnVpph_Svs8MFmnp9EH8RG_72UofANVeM/edit#gid=1822899714
Read a Banned Book [Image]. (n.d.) https://bcchspatriotpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/wordspower.jpeg
Schemmel, A. (2021, December 14). Criminal complaints filed against school district for allegedly distributing graphic books. cbs4local. https://cbs4local.com/news/nation-world/criminal-complaints-filed-against-school-district-for-allegedly-distributing-graphic-books-raleigh-north-carolina-students-teachers-sex-graphic-content-gender-queer-lawn-boy-george-all-boys-arent-blue?SRC=link
The Hot Topic of Banning Books [Image]. (n.d.) https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.aea7ff602f4c6b59df3650374e9c4a03?rik=%2fwohN3QQB9nNcQ&riu=http%3a%2f%2fblogs.socsd.org%2fsmcmane%2ffiles%2f2018%2f07%2fWH_BannedBooks-2khr63y.jpg&ehk=DfnaO6oEd0mOmPvw7I%2fakQWylVjMSAFb21t78CkiokI%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&sres=1&sresct=1
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