“Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.” ~ Toni Morrison

Tonya explains why this discussion was important to cover

"Literacy, access to education, and promoting literary citizenship are high priorities for me. Part of being an activist means being active in my advocacy. In my previous role as Education Chair for Henderson Writers Group, I railed against censorship. The recent surge in book-banning sparked my new plan to serve the literary community."

What is a Banned Book?

Any work that has been removed from a library shelf or school curriculum.

Why should we care?

Book-banning limits the public’s access to information. Restricting information discourages freedom of thought. One of the primary functions of education is to teach students how to think for themselves, something they can’t do without access to proper tools and materials.

Banned books tend to cover important real-world topics. People who aren't exposed to these topics may not be equipped to handle these situations when facing them in their adult lives. When books are pulled from the shelves, parents, teachers, and students lose those educational tools. More importantly, they lose choice.

The Banned Books Tonya Todd will be discussing are as follows -

1984 by George Orwell

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds

Why were these books banned?

The challenges to these books run the gamut: accusations of profanity, anti-family themes, pro-communism, anti-Christian views, references to slavery, racism, witchcraft, sex, critical race theory, LGBTQ+ content, violence, ghosts, and in two cases, having problematic authors.

When asked "Will these conversations helps?" Tonya had this response -

These panels won’t solve the problem. That said, I believe in ripple effects. By hosting these seven discussions about why some books are banned and why it's important to protect the public's rights to read them, I'm hoping to open a discourse between people in multiple nations that have the potential to create waves across the globe."

What action can we take? Follow Banned Books Conversations on my Tonya Todd YouTube Channel, the Comics in Motion podcast feed, and The Pop Guerrillas feed