U.S. senators at a committee hearing Tuesday discussed the consequences of book bans and parents’ desire to control what their kids read — though they also acknowledged it’s not an issue for Congress to settle.
Amid bans on teaching controversial topics related to race, Black families have embraced schools that affirm their African American heritage. Some parents in Georgia have found solace in Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute, a private K-8 school in an Atlanta suburb.
LGBTQ+-themed books remain the most likely targets of bans at public schools and libraries, the American Library Association says. Maia Kobabe's memoir topped the list for the second year in a row.
This year is expected to set a record for the number of book bans by public school libraries, so many people are finding creative ways to make banned books available to young readers outside schools.
More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states — including Georgia — were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said.
The books under review were previously challenged and placed back on shelves, but now the Keller Independent School District wants them to undergo another review with new criteria.
One school district in Georgia, Forsyth County Schools, banned 13 books, most of them pertaining to LGBTQ+ topics or centered on marginalized characters.
Anyone 13 and older can access some of the commonly banned books through the library's app. The Brooklyn Public Library has also launched a similar initiative.
Under Senate Bill 226, school principals would have seven business days to review complaints from parents that a given book is obscene and “lacking in serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.” Principals would have three additional days to determine whether a book should be removed from that school’s library and inform the parent of the decision.
A conservative campaign to ban certain books from schools is prompting other parents to push back. The issue is often framed as the latest "culture war" battle, but some see democracy itself at stake.
