Dear MoveOn member,
It's Banned Books Week—a week marking the freedom to read and highlighting both the historical and contemporary attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For more than 40 years, this annual event has brought librarians, authors, and many others together from across the country to fight book bans and censorship.
At a time when communities and entire states and regions are facing a tsunami of book bans, this week could not be more important.
To support the fight against censorship, MoveOn has printed a huge batch of our brand-new, glow-in-the-dark "Read Banned Booooks" stickers—and we're giving them away for free!
Last year, an unprecedented 2,571 book titles were targeted by MAGA Republicans—an uptick of nearly double the books banned in 2021.1
Despite an overwhelming majority of Americans being opposed to these GOP book bans, that has not stopped extremist MAGA Republicans from continuing their authoritarian crusade against education and the freedom to learn by targeting books overwhelmingly written by LGBTQ+ and authors of color.2
In this year alone, there have been 147 bills (and counting) in states to ban books across the country.3 And we can only expect this dangerous trend to continue heading into 2024.
That's why MoveOn has launched a full-scale campaign to stop book bans—including driving our Banned Bookmobile across critical 2024 battleground states, distributing free banned books, and partnering with celebrities like LeVar Burton to help voters understand what's at stake.
According to The Washington Post, an estimated 60% of the calls to ban books nationwide have come from just 11 people, who have spent their time in a coordinated campaign to file complaints in libraries across the country.4
We refuse to allow a small group of MAGA extremists to censor what young people and adults can read. MoveOn is proud to be at the forefront of the movement challenging and fighting back against these anti-democratic book bans.
If all it takes is 11 people to ban more than 2,500 books across the country, imagine what could happen if millions of us unite together to fight back against these bans.
John, you can join us in pushing back against these book bans by getting your free "Read Banned Booooks"sticker today while supplies last!
Click here to get your FREE, glow-in-the-dark sticker before they're gone!
Together, we will remain united in our goal to build a future where everyone can see themselves in the pages of a book.
Thanks for all you do.
–Elizabeth, Oscar, Emily, Mana, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "American Library Association reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022," American Library Association, March 22, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/174346?t=6&akid=365852%2E40999114%2EeuyToq
2. "The GOP War on Books Is Really Gaining Steam This Week," Them, May 24, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/184531?t=8&akid=365852%2E40999114%2EeuyToq
3. "Banned Books Week 2023: Activists Share the Banned Books That Changed Their Lives," Teen Vogue, October 2, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/184530?t=10&akid=365852%2E40999114%2EeuyToq
4. "She challenges one school book a week. She says she'll never stop." The Washington Post, September 28, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/184529?t=12&akid=365852%2E40999114%2EeuyToq
Want to support MoveOn's work? Book bans have skyrocketed thanks to right-wing state laws which have forced teachers to remove books from their classrooms. In response, MoveOn is launching a "Banned Bookmobile," filling it with books that the far right has banned, and driving it around to hand out those books, for free, in highly trafficked areas that will attract media attention. To keep the Banned Bookmobile up and running into 2024, we need your help.
Will you chip in to power our critical work?
PAID FOR BY MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, https://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. MoveOn Political Action - PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142.
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