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š§µHow did PEN America defend and celebrate #FreeExpression this week?
On Wednesday, we urged school officials in Nixa, #Missouri, to retain Art Spiegelmanās graphic novel Maus and two other books that were flagged by as "sexually explicit." pen.org/press-release/ā¦
On Wednesday, we urged school officials in Nixa, #Missouri, to retain Art Spiegelmanās graphic novel Maus and two other books that were flagged by as "sexually explicit." pen.org/press-release/ā¦
We also sat down with Art Spiegelman, who reflected on the history of fascism and the idea that #Maus was being attacked for sexual content: "I was offended just like they were, but I was offended by describing a naked corpse as a nude woman." pen.org/art-spiegelmanā¦ (2/x)
Ahead of a June 20 school board meeting in Nixa, Missouri, we encouraged everyone who opposes censorship to tell school officials that Maus belongs in schools.
Use this form to send your own letter: pen.org/fight-back-agaā¦ (3/x) #BannedBooks #FreeTheBooks
Use this form to send your own letter: pen.org/fight-back-agaā¦ (3/x) #BannedBooks #FreeTheBooks
PEN America: White House Announcement of Anti-Book Ban Coordinator Treats Crisis with Deserved Seriousness pen.org/press-release/ā¦
(2/x) In response to President Bidenās announcement that he will appoint an anti-book ban coordinator, PEN Americaās Washington Managing Director Nadine Farid Johnson issued the following statement: āThe growing movement to ban booksāespecially books focused on the experiences...
".... of people of color and the LGBTQ+ communityārepresents a threat not just to the rights enshrined in the First Amendment, but to the well-being of students, who deserve to see themselves represented in works of literature and nonfiction...." (3/x)
š§µPEN America Files Lawsuit against Florida School District over Unconstitutional Book Bans
Lawsuit joined by @penguinrandom, parents, and authors asserts that Escambia County School Board unlawfully removes or restricts access to books about race, racism, and LGBTQ identities.
Lawsuit joined by @penguinrandom, parents, and authors asserts that Escambia County School Board unlawfully removes or restricts access to books about race, racism, and LGBTQ identities.
Our lawsuit alleges Escambia County has set out to exclude certain ideas from their school libraries by removing or restricting books, some of which have been on the shelves for yearsāeven decades. Read more here: pen.org/pen-america-v-ā¦
According to the lawsuit, the school boardās removal and restriction of access to books discussing race, racism, and LGBTQ identities, against the recommendations of the district review committee charged with evaluating book challenges, violates the First Amendment.
Yikes. A year after Central York school district in PA was at the center of a book ban crusade, here it is again, making questionable choices.
As they did last year, students are protesting ongoing book bans in the district-- now they feel intimidated /1 yorkdispatch.com/story/news/eduā¦
As they did last year, students are protesting ongoing book bans in the district-- now they feel intimidated /1 yorkdispatch.com/story/news/eduā¦
On Friday, during school hours, five students were called into a mtg with the superintendent & district leaders where they were "harangued" and spoken to "sternly"... for what?
Apparently for speaking publicly about the district and the bans. /2
Apparently for speaking publicly about the district and the bans. /2
What did the students do? Apparently they were reprimanded for talking to the press earlier last week -- for expressing frustration with the district's book bans, and making plans to protest.
Last I checked, those are all, um... students' rights /3 yorkdispatch.com/story/news/eduā¦
Last I checked, those are all, um... students' rights /3 yorkdispatch.com/story/news/eduā¦
NEW. An updated book ban report for the current school year from @PENamerica shows how new state laws are supercharging book suppression in schools, esp in Florida. š§µ #FReadom #EdScare #BookBans
nyti.ms/41DFeJC
nyti.ms/41DFeJC
As I told @nytimes: "This is much bigger than you can really count... People need to understand that itās not a single book being removed in a single school district, itās a set of ideas that are under threat just about everywhere.ā /2
Read and share:
pen.org/report/banned-ā¦
Read and share:
pen.org/report/banned-ā¦
Critically, although the book ban movement began with individuals and groups acting locally, they're efforts have been enhanced by the passage of state laws, which have together created an unprecedented chilling effect on schools, which we @PENamerica call the #EdScare. /3
DeSantis called reports of book bans in #Florida āa hoax in service of trying to pollute and sexualize our children.ā
Teachers in fear of felony charges carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine would beg to differ. #FreeTheBooks #Education motherjones.com/politics/2023/ā¦
Teachers in fear of felony charges carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine would beg to differ. #FreeTheBooks #Education motherjones.com/politics/2023/ā¦
āJean Faulk, a 65-year-old world history teacherā¦ had carefully curated her classroom library over the years, and the task of combing through several hundred volumes seemed insurmountable. So later that day she stripped her shelvesā¦ only dictionaries and encyclopedias remainedā
āIn Jacksonville, a third-grade teacher penned an op-ed describing how one of her students, an avid reader, had cried after learning he couldnāt access the classroom library.ā #FreedomToRead #Florida
POP Quiz: How many people does it take to ban a book in Florida?
A: Increasingly... only one.
For @MiamiHerald I discuss why and how this is happening & why it's a threat to democracy. @PENamerica @FLFreedomRead #FreeTheBooks /1
miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/ā¦
A: Increasingly... only one.
For @MiamiHerald I discuss why and how this is happening & why it's a threat to democracy. @PENamerica @FLFreedomRead #FreeTheBooks /1
miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/ā¦
Dig into almost any school book ban in FL, and you find 1 person--or a small group-- filing objections to books en masse, demanding removals. The restrictions on books this vocal minority have gotten are astonishing, precisely b/c they're often enacted without any process /2
Ofc, parents should be able to engage with schools about books & curricula. But schools also have to balance the demands of a few people with the objectives of public education, and the interests of ALL parents. Too often, that isn't happening. /3
It was a long week in the āfreeā stateās censorship news. Did you catch it all?
Weāll repost the stories you need to know to fight censorship here in the thread below for you.
#FreeTheBooks #FReadom #DeSantisDestroysFlorida
Weāll repost the stories you need to know to fight censorship here in the thread below for you.
#FreeTheBooks #FReadom #DeSantisDestroysFlorida
Here is @JuddLegum story that reveals DeSantisā lawyers have gotten away with arguing one thing in court so HB1557 is not infringing on constitutional rights while the FLDOE does what could otherwise be considered unconstitutional.
Over 20,000 titles have been banned from FL prison libraries. This number is unlike anything seen in any other state.
Itās almost as if the DeSantis Administration wants to discourage rehabilitation.
Itās almost as if the DeSantis Administration wants to discourage rehabilitation.
You may be surprised to learn that books by @MargaretAtwood @jodipicoult @judyblume @kellyyanghk @johngreen are being determined to have "no serious literary value for minors" in Utah schools.
Latest crop of 44 banned books hinges on that assessment š§µ
stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2ā¦
Latest crop of 44 banned books hinges on that assessment š§µ
stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2ā¦
Yes, under Utah's new "sensitive materials" law, librarians are being pressured to ban books that include any of a wide range of sexual content, if -- and, this is key -- if the district determines a book has "no serious value for minors."
Here's the list of 44 being banned in Washington County. Many are widely recognized, popular, award-winning literary works. They're being determined to have "no serious value for minors" to appease the vocal activists who want books w/ sex of any kind banned.
Banned book of the day is "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.
With its true story of 2 male penguins raising a baby, it's been targeted for years. But we @PENamerica are seeing an uptick in efforts to ban it across FL... #FreeTheBooks
With its true story of 2 male penguins raising a baby, it's been targeted for years. But we @PENamerica are seeing an uptick in efforts to ban it across FL... #FreeTheBooks
In Lake County. the district banned the book specifically b/c of the "Don't Say Gay" law. Note: the law bans "classroom instruction" on gender and sexuality, not library books. No matter. š¤·āāļø h/t @FLFreedomRead
In Escambia, FL, Tango was one of 100+ books challenged by a teacher, which resulted in it going on backroom shelves for a time and requiring a parental permission slip. The objection? "LGBTQ agenda using penguins", and some key excerpts:
š§š³ļøāšš§ pnj.com/story/news/locā¦
š§š³ļøāšš§ pnj.com/story/news/locā¦
Well, it happened. Someone banned a Berenstain Bears book...
It's just 1 of a whopping 176 titles that were ordered out of classrooms in a Florida district. The books were part of a large collection to add diverse & inclusive literature to classrooms. They were ordered off shelves in January for extra "review"...
The list is a breathtaking array of books celebrating the diversity of human identities, cultures, traditions -- books historically not available in schools. The collection was banned wholesale in a multi-racial district! Books by 100+ authors incl @Lupita_Nyongo @LindaSuePark
In Escambia, Florida, someone is trying to ban this children's book about Wilma Rudolph, the African-American sprinter who set world records in running and won gold medals at the 1960 Olympics.
What's so "controversial" about it?...
What's so "controversial" about it?...
The teacher who filed the complaint-- which led to the book being restricted to back rooms and requiring specific parental permission for a student to even see it -- zeroed in on these 2 pages as allegedly breaking new Florida education laws, incl the Stop WOKE act.
The book is no longer restricted, but still "under review."
This is an encapsulation of the kinds of stories, histories being targeted for banning all over... In fact, someone tried to ban the same book in Prosper ISD, Texas earlier this year ššš
This is an encapsulation of the kinds of stories, histories being targeted for banning all over... In fact, someone tried to ban the same book in Prosper ISD, Texas earlier this year ššš
Last night Frisco ISD, TX declared:
-American Gods, @neilhimself
-The Handmaid's Tale graphic novel, @MargaretAtwood
-Looking for Alaska, @johngreen
-Milk and Honey, @rupikaur_
...& 50 other books, 'obscene'.
They BANNED 113 titles, incl one on Black Holes by Stephen Hawking
-American Gods, @neilhimself
-The Handmaid's Tale graphic novel, @MargaretAtwood
-Looking for Alaska, @johngreen
-Milk and Honey, @rupikaur_
...& 50 other books, 'obscene'.
They BANNED 113 titles, incl one on Black Holes by Stephen Hawking
And they placed new restrictions on 190 other books, incl 'The Hobbit' and 'Fellowship of the Ring', and 'Anne of Avonlea'.
In nearby Keller ISD they voted to ban any and all books that depict or describe " gender fluidity". It's brazenly anti-trans, but it's likely to be used against any and all LGBTQ books.
Book banners continue to dictate the horizons of what everyone can read. #FreeTheBooks
Book banners continue to dictate the horizons of what everyone can read. #FreeTheBooks
