An unprecedented flood of book banning is taking place in the United States. According to a report from PEN America, a non-profit organization that promotes freedom of expression in literature, more than 1,600 books were banned last school year. Although banning books is not a new practice in the US or around the world, it has taken on new significance this year, as the number of banned books increased and new methods and means were used.
Access to a wide variety of books is critical for student development and well-being, and the effects of book bans can be far-reaching. This article addresses the impact that recent censorship measures may have on education.
A Brief History of Book Banning in the US
Banning books is the most common form of censorship in the US. Over the centuries, the reasons for banning books have changed, but the most common arguments for censorship have been political, social, sexual, or religious. As book-banning efforts have taken various forms and spread across the country in recent years, it is important to take a look at the history of book banning in the US to obtain insights into its effects.
Most of the earliest book banning occurred during the Colonial era and was instigated by religious leaders. Not long after that, in the first half of the 19th century, texts about slavery troubled would-be censors in the Southern states, which led to works that expressed anti-slavery sentiments being banned in several states, by the 1850s. Shortly after, in 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an anti-slavery novel. The book was publicly burned and banned, and those who owned a copy were sentenced to years in state prisons.
In 1873, book banning in the US was extended to the federal level with the passage of the Comstock Act which made it illegal to possess or distribute “obscene” or “immoral” texts.
Some of the most banned books in US history are Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George Orwell’s 1984, and J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Many books that were banned in the past became literary classics that are still taught in classrooms today.
Book Banning in the 2021–2022 School Year Overview
Legislation and advocacy campaigns can put pressure on public schools and libraries to limit the selection of books in their curriculum and libraries. During the 2021–2022 school year, thousands of books were banned in the US, largely due to initiatives carried out by advocacy groups, according to PEN America, which calls the movement “deeply undemocratic.” The aforementioned report stresses that current book bans impose restrictions on all students based on the preferences of those proposing the bans, citing a CBS News poll that shows that a majority of Americans oppose book bans.
PEN America defines a banned book as a book that was “previously accessible, but became completely removed from availability to students” or accessing it “is restricted or diminished because of its content.” The organization tracks banned books in a public spreadsheet.
As book banning continues across the country, here is what you need to know about the actions taken in that direction during the 2021–2022 school year.
The Main Reasons Why Books Are Being Banned
There are various reasons why books may be banned from schools and libraries. According to the report, this year’s rapid increase in censorship is due to a growing number of groups targeting books that deal primarily with racial or LGBTQ themes. The nonprofit organization identified at least 50 groups pushing to ban books, most of which have formed since 2021.
The American Library Association (ALA) also keeps a list of frequently challenged and banned books since 2000. The records show that more than 40% of the banned books focus on the history of racism in the US. Banned authors include Nobel Prize laureates and winners of other prestigious literary awards, such as Toni Morrison, whose works largely deal with racial issues.
Of the 10 most challenged books in 2021, 5 feature LGBTQ content or characters, and the other 5 feature protagonists of color. Last year, ALA recorded a total of 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials, targeting 1,597 titles. That’s more than double the 2020 numbers and the highest number since the association began recording data.
Legislation and the Current Crisis in the US Educational System
The rise in book challenges and bans comes amid an educational crisis in which students, parents, teachers, school officials, and policymakers are fighting over how educators should teach about racism, American history, sexuality, and LGBTQ issues. Hundreds of bills have been proposed and many passed. Some states have banned books that focus on themes about race, using the concept of “critical race theory” in their legislation.
In 2021, lawmakers in dozens of Republican states introduced bills that would ban content they deem offensive and prevent educators from teaching critical race theory. Although there is no evidence that critical race theory is taught in K-12 schools, the term is often used as a blanket statement in legislation. However, a recent survey found that simply defining critical race theory as “a way to explore and analyze the role race and racism has played in our society” increased support for teaching it from 34 to 40 percent, among the respondents.
Since last year, we have witnessed constant efforts to remove certain books from public schools and libraries. At the beginning of 2022, the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee voted 10-0 to remove Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic memoir, Maus, about the author’s parents’ experience of the Holocaust, from the curriculum.
How Does Book Banning Impact Education?
Children and teenagers are most affected by the consequences of book banning. Through an anti-censorship campaign, ALA emphasizes that book banning restricts access to information and ideas, because of another person’s typically ideologically or politically motivated opposition to them. The association addresses the importance of a variety of reading materials for children and youth as they provide “relevant and authentic stories” that “encourage deeper and more extensive reading”, which can improve students’ academic performance, well-being, and future opportunities. Furthermore, the campaign points out that books on controversial and challenging topics can “build bridges for difficult conversations with parents and other trusted adults.”
A recent survey conducted by the National Education Association found that “everyone across demographics agrees” that removing history from the curriculum and banning books are “undermining quality education for all of our children”.
Banning books also has significant implications for classroom dynamics. When books are banned, unbanned, questioned, and challenged, the foundation of the curriculum falters and becomes unstable. This directly affects teachers and students and encourages self-censorship, which violates the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Conclusion
The past year has seen a significant increase in book banning across the US, with thousands of titles being banned. As a result of this rapidly accelerating movement, more and more students are losing access to literature, which can have far-reaching effects on individuals, society, and the education system.
