There’s no room for censorship in our libraries

I count Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou among my favorite writers. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, it was when I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings that I knew I wasn’t alone. For many of us, the same books that have been banned by Republicans and right wing groups have been a source of comfort and solidarity in difficult times.

That’s just one reason I’m raising the alarm about the coordinated wave of censorship we’re seeing in our schools and libraries. Many of our youth are being denied the opportunity to see themselves reflected in our literature due to harmful and discriminatory book bans. In Massachusetts alone, the number of book challenges has quadrupled since 2021.

Thousands of books across the country have been the target of Republican-led book bans. These bans overwhelmingly target books about race and LGBTQ+ identity in an effort to erase and rewrite history. To whitewash our libraries and public schools. To further isolate people who are already marginalized.

I introduced the Books Save Lives Act to confront the rise of book bans to help protect our history, our stories, and our gifts for future generations. The removal of books uplifting marginalized perspectives contributes to a hostile environment for vulnerable students, hindering people from learning about diversity and reinforcing harmful biases and stereotypes. These books matter – and their importance demands that we come together and defend them. With my Books Save Lives Act, we can do exactly that. Add your name as a grassroots co-sponsor of this bill.

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As students head back to school and teachers prepare reading lists, I think about the books they won’t have access to, the stories they aren’t allowed to discover. When I say that books save lives, I mean it. They open doors. They help people feel seen. And any work in defense of books is life-saving work.

If you agree that every reader has a right to free access to information and public education, where they can be greeted by books that reflect the diversity of lived experiences in their neighborhoods and around the world, add your name to become a grassroots co-sponsor of the Books Save Lives Act.

Onward,

Ayanna