Last weekend, superheroes of education and civic engagement turned out by the hundreds in Orlando to stand against Gov. DeSantis and other elected leaders who are censoring and suppressing basic rights in Florida, taking every opportunity to put the squeeze on freedoms we once took for granted — what we want to read, say, teach, learn, believe, be, and more!).

For those who have been paying attention Florida now bans more books in schools than any other state and it has passed a string of laws that censure topics in classrooms and undermine basic Constitutional rights that impact students and teachers. 

But the good news is that resistance is rising, with a league of defenders of the freedoms to learn and read, and other rights among teachers, librarians, students, civil society advocates and school board members. They are fighting back and offering rays of sunlight from the Sunshine State. On July 12-13, the Unified Voices Summit — organized with both wide-ranging vision and meticulous detail by PEN America’s Florida staff — brought together a statewide coalition of stakeholders determined to turn the tide.

Approximately 350+ participants heard  deeply impactful presentations from writers, educators, legislators, and activists of all stripes. Writer Lauren Groff described why she opened The Lynx bookstore, which uplifts books that have been challenged and banned, especially those by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Author James Ponti spoke of the unique role that kids’ books in particular play in helping young people see from a wide variety of perspectives. Educator, historian, and civil rights legend Dr. Marvin Dunn, who put the current censorship efforts into the context of a long history of oppression, reminded listeners that it wasn’t just books that were being banned, but the ideas they represent.

(L-R): Lauren Groff, Dr. Marvin Dunn, and James Ponti speak to the Summit’s attendees.

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult gave a passionate keynote address about her own adventures with book banning, nationwide but especially in Florida, and the deep need for the empathy that fiction uniquely cultivates, especially among youth.

Author Jodi Picoult presents her keynote address.

Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Stacey Abrams warmly and enthusiastically welcomed attendees via video, encouraging them to keep fighting the good fight and expressing gratitude to PEN America for the convening. Coalition partners including National Coalition Against Censorship, Florida Freedom to Read Project, Interfaith Alliance, PRISM, and others provided invaluable information in panel discussions, then huddled together in side-conversations to share resources, strategies, ideas, and their excitement just to be in conversation, solidarity, and the same room with each other, many for the first time.

This was a gathering across generations, race, ethnicity, identity, faiths, and from all over Florida’s politically diverse counties, unified behind the single-minded goal of letting people read what they want to read, write what they want to write, think what they want to think, and say what they want to say.  

I saw community elders fired up to go back to their local school board meetings and demand the right to free expression. I saw parents determined to fight on behalf of their kids’ right to read (and many parents expressing profound gratitude for the child-care provided that allowed them to participate); and I saw many, many young people ready to pick up the baton and lead the charge forward.

People gathered joyfully and with purpose, alternately speaking with firm determination and then dancing and grooving to the music from Xperimento. Throughout, the discussions were peppered with suggestions for practical actions to be taken from the room and implemented in the field. And perhaps most gratifying, profound thanks was expressed frequently and vigorously — to PEN America and PEN Florida — for this state-wide gathering, the likes of which people had not seen before and all felt was long overdue, and which put pep in their step to keep walking the walk down the road ahead.

In short, I wasn’t just fired up by the collective enthusiasm but deeply honored to be present and to witness all that PEN America uniquely brings to communities across the country. There is so much marvelous work happening in PEN offices in NY, LA, and DC, but don’t sleep on Florida — or, as I heard repeatedly during the summit, “thank you for not giving up on Florida!”

Many participants at the summit signed a letter to Gov. DeSantis calling on him to end the campaign of censorship and suppression in the state. We encourage everyone to sign the letter.

Andrew White is senior manager for PEN Across America which provides resources to mobilize ten local chapters across the country.