A Resurgence of Censorship: Understanding Book Banning

Over the last year, there has been a troubling rise in efforts to ban books throughout the South.  These book bans are targeting children’s and young adult literature about race, gender, and sexual orientation.  Many of the books targeted by these bans, including I am Rosa Parks and I am Martin Luther King Jr.  by panelist Brad Meltzer, have been heralded for teaching readers about empathy, educating about and uplifting marginalized groups and perspectives, and teaching the difficult lessons of history.  Despite this, these books have been targeted for censorship at school board meetings and in proposed legislation. Why are there growing efforts to restrict access to these books, and what does this mean for authors, for school librarians and educators, and for the students themselves?  In this webinar, we will explore the history of book banning in the U.S. and offer perspectives and insight from a New York Times bestselling author, a librarian, and a student on the reasons for the recent resurgence and its impact.