Fight Back Against Censorship in Texas Prisons
Without notification, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has implemented an “approved vendor” policy for its prisons, a type of censorship that PEN America opposes because it can… More
Fight Back Against Book Bans: Tell Congress to Protect the Freedom to Learn
Tell your congresspeople to support H.Res. 733/S. Res. 372 and protect free expression. More
Fight Back Against Book Bans: Tell State Lawmakers that Americans Don’t Want Censorship
Tell your state representatives and governor that Americans are opposed to censorship. More
Fight Back Against Book Bans: Tell Florida Schools that “Don’t Say Gay” Doesn’t Apply to School Libraries
Tell the board members of the Pinellas County Schools that diverse stories belong on school shelves. More
PEN America CEO to U.S. House Panel: Book Bans and Educational Gag Orders are ‘an Orchestrated Effort to Polarize, Intimidate, and Restrict Flow of Ideas’
Nossel, a former diplomat and veteran human rights advocate, warned that these disturbing trends at home tarnish America’s global image and undermine the effort to counter rising authoritarianism. “As… More
PEN America Austin Presents “Who is Afraid of Black Books?”: A Conversation and Reading with Authors ZZ Packer and Danez Smith
Moderated by Jennifer M. Wilks and featuring contributors to The 1619 Project, acclaimed author ZZ Packer and award-winning poet Danez Smith, this conversation will reflect on the recent book… More
South Dakota School District May Physically Destroy its Banned Books, a Move PEN America Says Reflects “Uncompromising Extremism”
Books, words, and works of literature are being seen as so objectionable that they must be obliterated. PEN America calls on the Rapid City Area School Board to resist… More
Report: 1,586 School Book Bans and Restrictions in 86 School Districts Across 26 States
Book bans have targeted 1,145 unique book titles by 874 different authors, 198 illustrators, and 9 translators, impacting the literary, scholarly, and creative work of 1,081 people altogether. Texas… More
Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
Mississippi Principal Fired for Reading a Book to Second Graders Should be Reinstated
The letter to the Hinds County School District said the firing of Assistant Principal Toby Price from Gary Road Elementary School on March 4 was “an extreme disciplinary action,… More
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