Throughout the 2021-22 school year, more than 1,600 book titles were banned, according to a new report by the group PEN America, which advocates for freedom of expression.
According to the report, the surge in book bans is a result of a network of local political and advocacy groups targeting books with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines, and books involving characters of color.
“While we think of book bans as the work of individual concerned citizens, our report demonstrates that today’s wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being waged by sophisticated, ideological and well-resourced advocacy organizations,” said Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America.
In April, officials in Madison County, Mississippi, placed more than 20 books under “restricted circulation.” These books included “Queer, There, & Everywhere” by Sarah Prager, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, and “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. This came after pressure from the activist group Mass Resistance, listed by the SPLC as anti-LGBTQ.
Similar stories, cited in the report, are happening throughout the country. According to the report, Texas ranked first among states with the most bans. PEN America describes a book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content,” as a result of challenges coming from parents, community groups, or politicians.
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