Barrera Minute #7: Every Story Deserves to be Told
When I was in elementary school, good work was rewarded with a trip to the school library during regular class time. That’s when I discovered a book that had a profound impact on me, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a historical novel about an African prince who was kidnapped into slavery but went on to buy his freedom and lead a successful life. This book opened my eyes to the stain of slavery, while at the same time it taught me about hope and perseverance. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to read Amos Fortune, Free Man as it has been targeted for removal in some communities due to its racial content.
This week is Banned Book Week, a time to focus on censorship. This past year, book bans affected 3,752 unique titles in 87 school districts nationwide. Among the books recently banned from school libraries are Sold, by Patricia McCormick, a National Book Award finalist about a girl from Nepal sold into sexual slavery, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club, a queer young adult novel by Malinda Lo, which won a National Book Award. Past banned books include To Kill A Mockingbird, the Harry Potter novels, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.”
School librarians serve on the front lines of this culture war. They fight to protect students’ access to the stories that tell them who they are and who they can become. Here in California, we are lucky to have a state law that prohibits schools from banning books simply because they depict diverse perspectives. At San Diego Unified, where I serve on the Board of Education, we have an open and inclusive process for reviewing challenged books and parents can opt their children out of books and curriculum they find objectionable.
But this inclusive and thoughtful approach hasn’t stopped efforts to impose conservative ideology on our schools through our libraries. For example, in Grossmont Union High School District, in politically conservative eastern San Diego County, trustees eliminated all school librarians under the guise of balancing the budget. Many believe this to be in retaliation for librarians’ role in resisting attempts to ban books and as a way to enforce conservative doctrine.
Having a quality school library is associated with improved performance on standardized tests and better graduation rates. That’s why I encourage you to thank a librarian, not just during Banned Book Week, but all year long.
If you agree with me that every student deserves access to a censorship free school library, help me spread the word by donating to our campaign or getting involved at https://www.barreraforedu.com
Forward together,
Richard
