Help us reach and exceed 100,000 signatures before we reach Florida.

Sign the petition to add the inspiring book "The Hill We Climb" to recommended reading lists for people of all ages.

Dear MoveOn member, 

More than 70K fellow MoveOn members have signed the petition to add "The Hill We Climb" by award-winning author Amanda Gorman to recommended readings lists after the book containing the history-making poem of the same name was restricted from a Florida school last month.

As Gorman wrote, "We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it we found the power to author a new chapter." The far-right GOP feels threatened by books like “The Hill We Climb” because they want to limit not only our freedom to read but also our freedom to imagine a future truly rooted in equality and justice. One where more young people like Gorman can not only learn history but make it. 

Add your name to the petition to stand with Gorman, and encourage “The Hill We Climb” to be added to recommended reading lists for children of all ages.

And because of the resounding support from MoveOn members, we’re also taking matters into our own hands by giving out free copies of "The Hill We Climb" from the MoveOn Banned Bookmobile that’s making its way from Chicago to Florida this month.

Help us reach and exceed 100,000 signatures before we reach Florida, the state where "The Hill We Climb" was restricted. Sign the petition and help spread the word by sharing with three friends.

Thanks for all you do. 

–Aliya, Isbah, Chrissy, Jensine, and the rest of the team

Sign the petition: Add Amanda Gorman's book of poetry, "The Hill We Climb," to every recommended reading list in the country.

Dear MoveOn member,

Florida recently passed a law that allows schools to more easily ban, restrict, and censor books.¹ Amanda Gorman—the first National Youth Poet Laureate who made history as the youngest inaugural poet when she read "The Hill We Climb" during President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021—experienced the ramifications of the law firsthand when her book of poetry was shockingly challenged by a parent in the Miami-Dade County school district.²

The complaint claimed that the book of poetry was "not educational" and contained indirect hate speech.³ After a rushed review, the school restricted access to the book for younger audiences, deeming it inappropriate for elementary students. This is outrageous, and we won't stand for it. 

Our freedom to read—and to make decisions about what our students and children can read—is being stripped away by concerted attacks from right-wing parents and Republican legislators dead set on politicizing our schools. But we can make sure every student has the opportunity to be captivated by Gorman's powerful words and embrace the beauty of diverse literature. 

Add your name to the petition if you believe historic books like "The Hill We Climb" should not only be available to young readers but encouraged.

With Governor Ron DeSantis fanning the flames, a small but loud group of conservative parents have been galvanized under the new law and begun challenging books in schools across the state—disproportionately censoring LGBTQ+ books and books about race and racial diversity.⁴ It's the right wing's latest tactic designed to eradicate conversations students have in the classroom around genocide, white supremacy, gender, and sexuality.

We can't sit idly by while books disappear from our schools due to one-off complaints and rushed committee reviews. These complaints are being orchestrated by right-wing parents who want to take away our ability to read freely and learn a full, honest account of history.

We need to come together collectively to push back against challenges, restrictions, and bans whenever and wherever they pop up. We need to proactively work to increase the number of diverse books featured in our schools and libraries—and we need to fight to keep them on the shelves. 

Sign now to call on the Department of Education and state education departments, as well as librarians and teachers across the United States, to add "The Hill We Climb" to every associated recommended reading list in the country.

There are many "recommended reading lists" put out by schools, local libraries, youth-oriented nonprofits, newspapers, websites, TV hosts, and more.These lists often inform students and their families about what books to read. While Republican leaders may want to strip away Amanda Gorman's moving poetry, we are calling upon thousands of individuals and institutions to recommend it. 

Together, we can protect the freedom to read and ensure that important works like "The Hill We Climb" aren't hidden away or dismissed.

Thanks for all you do. 

–Aliya, Isbah, Chrissy, Jensine, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Florida at center of debate as school book bans surge nationally," The New York Times, April 23, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174337?t=24&akid=357650%2E40999114%2EmJmKSy

2. "1 complaint led a Florida school to restrict access to Amanda Gorman's famous poem," NPR, May 25, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/173156?t=27&akid=357650%2E40999114%2EmJmKSy

3. "Florida elementary school removes Amanda Gorman's poem from Biden's inauguration," ABC7, May 24, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174338?t=29&akid=357650%2E40999114%2EmJmKSy

4. "Who's Behind the Escalating Push to Ban Books? A New Report Has Answers," Education Week, September 28, 2022 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174339?t=31&akid=357650%2E40999114%2EmJmKSy

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