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Dear Friend—
This week, a school district in York, Pennsylvania rolled back a book ban that had focused almost entirely on titles by or about people of color, including Jacqueline Woodson, Ijeoma Oluo, and Ibram X. Kendi. We spoke out forcefully to support the students on the ground leading the pushback. Together, we defeated censorship.
While this represents a key victory in the fight against book bans, the battle is far from over. Similar efforts in Texas and elsewhere across the country are part of a sinister rise in attacks on the freedom to learn. Throughout PEN America’s long history, we’ve fought back against censorship of all kinds. Because the solution to creating a better classroom for our kids isn’t trying to cover their eyes from difficult or challenging books—even ones we disagree with.
This coming week, join us in celebrating Banned Books Week and helping PEN America continue doing this work. It’s only with your help that we can continue fighting back against book bans and championing the right to learn, read, and write.
Thank you,
Jonathan Friedman
Director, Free Expression and Education
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