Book bans are still bad

Republicans in North Carolina didn't get the memo

In North Carolina, a bill just advanced that makes it easier for a few extremists to ban books in public schools. The bill would put together a committee made up of five parents and five school district employees who decide whether a book should be approved or denied. Just ten people to decide which books students can read, regardless of what individual parents, teachers, or librarians think. Who knows what the politics of those ten people will be and which books they think should be banned?

A few days after President Donald Trump took office, his new Education Department denounced what it called the “book ban hoax.” But with record high numbers of book bans across the country, it’s unfortunately no hoax.

For all the pearl-clutching of extremists like Moms for Liberty, it’s usually books written by or about people of color and the LGBTQ+ community that get banned. Classics like “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison or “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee have topped lists of banned books across the country.

Even if you don’t have kids in school right now, book bans are bad for democracy. Providing our students with accurate information about our history and minority experiences helps marginalized kids feel seen and increases empathy across the board. If you live in North Carolina, let your legislators know that you don’t support banning books.