Book banning in public schools jumped 33% this year, so a group of enthusiasts is tackling censorship with a bus tour
Bus driver Carlos Benjamin leans on the vehicle that will be something of a home to him and his crew for the month of October. It’s huge and covered in graphics, and printed on the side in yellow and black are the words “Banned Books Tour 2023”.
The bus isn’t stacked with the usual road-trip items, such as coffee cups, clothes or daily supplies. It’s filled with thousands of books. As part of an initiative spearheaded by the New Republic, the books will be driven throughout the US to spread awareness about literary censorship and the freedom to read. Beginning in New York earlier this week, the bookmobile will visit several states and end in Texas later this month. Benjamin is excited to get going, smiling in a T-shirt that reads “I’m with the banned”.
“I have my road trip playlist with the Lauryn Hill jams,” he said. “And Beyoncé, of course. Her hits get you moving in the morning for sure.”
North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash
Read moreBook banning in public schools has been on the rise in the US, jumping by 33% during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a new PEN America study. Florida has overtaken Texas as the state with the highest number of titles pulled off the shelves and accounts for just under half of the nationwide bans. Consistently, this censorship targets materials dealing with themes like physical abuse, sexual assault, race and LGBTQ+ identities.
“The toll of the book-banning movement is getting worse,” said Suzanne Nossel, the chief executive officer of PEN America, in a press release. “More kids are losing access to books.”
Read the full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/05/banned-books-bus-tour-2023?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
More information on book banning available from the American Library Association, click this link.