Why Are People Banning Books in Schools?

A lot of books are getting BANNED lately, especially those that focus on LGBTQ youth or the impact of racism. We all know books can be powerful, but many parents and politicians argue we need to protect kids from content they think is too mature, or even harmful. But what if you are LGBTQ or a person of color and these books reflect your lived experiences?

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** What are book bans and where are they happening?
Books are being banned everywhere. A new American Library Association report says there were more than 330 “book challenges” in the fall of 2021. That's more than double the reports from 2020. Book challenges are basically when citizens request that it be banned from libraries and schools. Also, as it stands today there are a bunch of states that have introduced efforts to ban books, an Oklahoma state senator filed a bill to ban books that deal with really any aspect of sexuality, and in Texas, State Representative Matt Krause put over 800 books on a watch list. Also, it’s not just politicians; book bans are often organized by local chapters of conservative parent groups like Moms For Liberty and No Left Turn in Education. They argue that what students read about sexuality and race should be up to the parents, it's their right to choose how they raise their kids.

** What's the history of book bannings?
Taking a look back to 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is probably the best-known example of banning a book in the U.S. The book shows the horrors of slavery, so it’s no surprise pro-slavery people called for the book to be banned and called it “pro-abolitionist propaganda.” Some historians point to it as one of the most influential books banned in the United States and some historians think the book was a catalyst for the civil war. Fast forward to the 1960s, folks were obsessed with banning what we now consider classics like J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” for things like language, sex, violence, and drugs, or Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” for its depictions of rape and language some even challenged it for being immoral, and even Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” which was challenged for rape and molestation but also for being anti-white.

** Who’s impacted the most by banning books?
If a student identifies with the character or the story from a book that's being banned, how does that shape how they see themselves? People who disapprove of these books consistently point to explicit sexual content, language, or ideas that their kids can’t handle because they’re too young as the reason for trying to ban books. But in practice, does banning these types of books just end up silencing non-white and non-heteronormative voices? A lot of the books being banned focus on LGBTQ+ stories and characters or People of Color, and sometimes the intersections of those groups. How do we protect students and children while making sure they see themselves in books or can see experiences and cultures they may not otherwise be exposed to?

SOURCES

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/bo...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/stude...
https://www.vox.com/culture/22918344/...
https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter...

TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices. https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/

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00:00 - 01:03 - Intro to topic
01:03 - 02:45 - What's going on with book bans today?
02:48 - 04:34 - What's the history of banning books?
04:58 - 08:12 - Who is most impacted by banning books?

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