The Banned Bookmobile distributed free banned books in a 10-state tour that brought the fight against book bans into some of the country's most important battlegrounds.

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.
 
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
We're currently planning next steps in this work—including putting the Banned Bookmobile back on the road. You can contribute to those efforts here.
 
You can also help add your voice to the fight or bring the energy to your community: 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. 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. 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

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