Dear MoveOn member,
Ten states. Fifteen stops. Banned books distributed for free to every
attendee. The Banned Bookmobile hit the road—with enthusiastic crowds,
free books, and a powerful message: Read Banned Books. All thanks to
MoveOn members whose donations and commitment fueled this high-impact
national tour.
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In states experiencing some of the most aggressive right-wing attacks
against our freedom to learn and freedom to read, the Banned Bookmobile
distributed the most-banned books in America. The attacks on books and on
the freedom to learn are calculated to render our histories, our
communities, and our families invisible. Through book challenges and bans,
the far right is attempting to erase LGBTQ+ people and people of color—and
we will not let them succeed.
That's why the MoveOn Banned Bookmobile delivered free books—and a
much-needed boost of hope—in community after community, rallying readers
and sending a message to MAGA extremists that we won't accept their bans.
Together, we're going to exact a political price for these MAGA attempts
to ban our books, whitewash our history, censor our identities, silence
our librarians, and punish our teachers.
[ [link removed] ]Check out this short video to hear from MoveOn Executive Director Rahna
Epting, special guests, and some of the MoveOn members who found the
Banned Bookmobile on the road.
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We're currently planning next steps in this work—including putting the
Banned Bookmobile back on the road. [ [link removed] ]You can contribute to those efforts
here.
You can also help add your voice to the fight or bring the energy to your
community: [ [link removed] ]Visit our Banned Book Petition Hub to sign on to our
existing petitions or start one of your own.
The Banned Bookmobile tour kicked off in Chicago to celebrate the Illinois
government's enacting the nation's first ban on book bans—a proactive
legislative move that can be used as a model across the country. MoveOn
members and staff were joined by local elected officials, the presidents
of the nation's two major teachers unions—Becky Pringle of the NEA and
Randi Weingarten of the AFT—to represent teachers who are on the front
lines of these attacks.
The route for the Banned Bookmobile tour was strategic. We started in
Chicago and then hit the road for 10 days—from Milwaukee, one month before
the Republican presidential candidates gather for their first debate,
through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Georgia. The tour's final stop was in Tallahassee, Florida,
bringing hundreds of thousands of signatures of MoveOn members fighting
against bans and censorship to the capital, where Ron DeSantis has made
these attacks a signature part of his governing vision and his campaign
for president.
Handing out books is a powerful act, but what made this event so impactful
was how folks showed up along the way. At an Ohio stop in the hometown of
Toni Morrison, the celebrated author whose books "Beloved" and "The Bluest
Eye" are frequent targets of MAGA extremists such as the pro-censorship
Moms for Liberty, Morrison's own family members spoke to the Banned
Bookmobile team to share how grateful they were for this effort. In
Tennessee, where Republicans have attacked Black elected officials and
criminalized drag performances, the Banned Bookmobile was joined by
Democratic leaders and a prominent drag artist and activist. In Atlanta,
local champions and advocates showed up in support of a teacher who is the
first known educator to be fired under the state's new censorship law. And
throughout the tour, MoveOn purchased books from local, independent
bookshops to distribute for free.
At stop after stop, current and retired teachers, librarians, school board
members, students, their families and friends, and MoveOn members from all
walks of life came, shared their passion for books and for democracy, and
redoubled their commitment to fight these bans—which are especially
targeting the stories and voices of authors of color and from the LGBTQ+
community. We saw firsthand the way local book lovers showed up for each
other, thwarting MAGA Republican efforts to divide and control us.
What was clear in every town: People are ready to fight back ... and MAGA
Republicans have overreached with these attacks. The majority of Americans
don't support these bans and want the chance for schools and libraries to
offer an honest and inclusive view of society, provocative ideas, and the
works of diverse authors. MoveOn will keep sharing more ways to take
action in every community around the country—from launching or supporting
petitions to counter local book bans to building on the national movement
to "ban bans" to distributing hundreds of thousands of pro-book/anti-ban
stickers and gear ... and ultimately to holding accountable Republican
politicians who attack our freedom to learn.
So thank you—for bringing this Banned Bookmobile to life, for keeping it
on the road, and for lifting up our shared values in your community and
everyday life.
Now, we are preparing next actions to fight book bans—including a plan to
put the Banned Bookmobile back on the road. [ [link removed] ]If you can, contribute to
help us distribute more free books, support more local campaigns to repeal
book bans, and fund tactics to hold book-banning Republicans accountable.
You can also take action by adding your name to an existing petition—or
starting one in your community. [ [link removed] ]Check out this action page that pulls
together many of our member-driven petitions against bans across the
country.
Hope you have some good summer reading planned—maybe there's a banned book
on your bedside table already!
Thanks for all you do.
—Mana, Chloe, Alexis, Kelsey, and the rest of the team
Want to support MoveOn's work? The MoveOn community will work every
moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the
damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the
nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that
we must never give up on. And to do it MoveOn needs your ongoing support,
now more than ever. Will you stand with MoveOn?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
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