Book Banning: The Censorship Fire that Needs to be Put Out

by BRANDEE JOHNSON

I remember being 12 years old and reading “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou. It was definitely one of the books that made me fall in love with reading when I was younger. So imagine my surprise when I find out that Maya Angelou – one of the greatest American writers – was one of the most banned authors in the United States. Sadly, so many students won’t have the chance that I did to learn more about Maya Angelou and her amazing autobiographies. And unfortunately, she’s not the only one.

Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and James Baldwin are authors whose books have also been banned from bookshelves and libraries. Book banning has always been one of the most problematic forms of censorship. While it’s certainly not new, it’s become more common in the last recent years. The book banning process begins when a private group “challenges” a particular book. To challenge a book is to restrict the public’s access to it on the basis of the book’s content.

Parents, school boards, students, and even religious groups have the opportunity to restrict access to a book because of its ideas or themes. The book will then be investigated before a decision is reached for removal. Once a group decides to have a book banned, the book will no longer be available for use. It won’t be accessible in libraries, bookstores, or even online. While this may not seem like a big deal, it is. After all, certain organizations argued that “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” should be banned due to explicit sexual content.

And this is how many organizations are attempting to ban some of the greatest books written by Black authors. Another book that I enjoyed reading in high school was “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. Ironically, this book was banned in 1997 because a parent in Virginia complained of its sexual content. It’s not just school boards and parents who have participated in book banning. In 2018, “The New Jim Crow” was temporarily banned from New Jersey prisons. Fortunately, that ban was lifted after public backlash. But it’s still a violation of the First Amendment.

The First Amendment is the right that every American has. Under this Amendment, Americans have the right to free speech and the right to hear all sides of every issue. When organizations decide to ban books, they’re violating the First Amendment rights of children. They’re depriving children of the right to explore and learn about different ways of life. It was while reading books that I learned things about my culture that I didn’t learn in school. I learned so much about life in Mississippi from reading “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” by Mildred D. Taylor.

While reading “The Watsons Go To Birmingham” I felt like I was on summer vacation with Kenny and his family. To know that these books could be banned because a parent disagrees with the language or content is sad.

This type of censorship causes more harm to children than just their First Amendment rights. Book bans prevent children from learning about America’s history. It’s no coincidence that a majority of banned books deal with racism or racial injustice. These books are a reflection of life for Black people from the late 1800s to the present. As difficult as these themes are to teach children, they must be taught.

Challenging these books and attempting to have them banned is another way to try to erase these authors from history. That’s why book banning should be stopped at every level.

Fortunately, many people are pushing back at the attempts at censorship in schools. One school board in Florida recently challenged the Disney movie “Ruby Bridges” on the grounds of its language. One parent argued that the “slurs” mentioned in the movie would cause students to believe that “White people hate Black people.” Thank goodness this complaint fell on deaf ears and the school board voted to keep the movie in its curriculum. And the same is happening for banned books.

There are so many bookstores and libraries that introduce banned books to children. And there are so many people that keep track of the nationwide attempts at book bans. The next time that you are in your local bookstore or library, check out the banned books section or list.

If you can, introduce your children to some of the books on the list. Hopefully, these actions can stop these organizations from banning some great books for children. It would be a shame if future generations never picked up a book by Maya Angelou or Zora Neale Hurston.