A shadow has been cast over this Black History Month, with a number of federal agencies pausing events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, and Juneteenth to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at curtailing diversity, equity and inclusion.
At schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity, Black History Month celebrations were canceled, with displays celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks taken down.
Silencing Black history isn’t new; books about Black history have been banned in states across the country for years, with some policy makers attacking “critical race theory” and anything that would make a student feel guilty about their race.
It’s essential to uplift and celebrate Black stories this month and every month. (See our curated list of recommended reading for Black History Month.) These 10 Black history books that were banned in the 2023-2024 school year, according to PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans, are a great place to start.
Banned Books for Black History Month
1. Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880, by W.E.B. Du Bois
Called “one of the landmarks of U.S. historical scholarship,” Du Bois’ 1935 essay offered a new assessment of the post–Civil War era that ultimately led to Jim Crow. Banned in Lee County Schools, Florida.
2. Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor, by Layla F. Saad
This bestselling book challenges readers to unpack their often unconscious biases, examine their privilege, and avoid inflicting damage on people of color. Banned in Elkhorn Area School District, Wisconsin.
3. Portraits of African-American Heroes, by Tonya Bolden, illustrated by Ansel Pitcairin
In illustrations and words, this anthology celebrates historical figures from diverse fields, including Frederick Douglass, Du Bois, Bessie Coleman, Thurgood Marshall, Dizzy Gillespie, and Trump acolyte Ben Carson. Banned in St. John’s County School District, Florida.
4. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol, by Nell Irvin Painter
Considered a “modern classic of scholarship,” this biography delves into the life of a woman who was born into slavery and became an abolitionist and symbol. Banned in Escambia County Public Schools, Florida.
5. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
An adaptation of Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning breaks down the concept of race and America’s history of racist ideas for younger readers. Banned six times in the 2023-2024 school year.
6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
This bestseller (now a major motion picture starring Oprah Winfrey) tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, better known as HeLa by the scientists who studied her cells without her knowledge to study cancer, viruses, the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, and more, Banned in Elkhorn Area School District, Wisconsin, and Lake County Schools, Florida.
7. Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary, by Juan Williams
This definitive biography of the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court, details his victory in Brown v Board of Education, clashes with Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, and secret relationship with J. Edgar Hoover. Banned in Escambia County Public Schools, Florida.
8. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy, by Emmanuel Acho
Adapted from the bestselling Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, this book for young readers uses Acho’s own experiences from attending white prep school to playing for the NFL to teach about racism and how to stop it. Banned twice in the 2023-2024 school year.
9. Who Was Maya Angelou?, by Ellen Labrecque, illustrated by Dede Putra
A children’s biography of the acclaimed poet and memoirist whose own work was banned 43 times in the 2023-2024 school year. Angelou, who died in 2014, commented on book bans in her lifetime: “I’m always sorry that people ban my books. Many times I’ve been called the most banned. And many times my books are banned by people who never read two sentences. I feel sorry for the young person who never gets to read.”
10. The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Newbery Award-winning novel, considered a modern classic, tells the story of the Watson family as they set out for Birmingham, Alabama, during one of the darkest moments in American history.
