Conservatives have turned against academic freedom again. Here’s why.
As conservatives return to the rhetoric of their repressive roots denouncing academic freedom, the big question may be whether they will even face opposition. More
Crusading for Parental Rights May Cloak Other Motives
Parental control has always tempered academic freedom in American public schools, with the outcome of any resulting dispute often turning on which parents protest the loudest or which politicians… More
Today’s Book Bans Might Be More Dangerous Than Those From the Past
Bans are targeting books that young Americans want to read, not texts that a teacher tells them they must. More
Banned Books Week 2022
As we celebrate Banned Books Week 2022, PEN America uplifts the books and writers who insist on telling stories and examining history with truth, honesty, and complexity. More
The Right Has Long Tried to Impose Its Vision on American Education
Real academic freedom means more than just the eventual defeat of book-burning mobs. It means more than waiting until the next election to oust irresponsible politicians. It means the… More
The Truth About the History Education Wars in 2022
Good history teaching involves both perspectives, and — most of all — it requires students to make sense of them. More
New Op-Ed Series Focused on the Freedom to Learn to Launch in Washington Post’s ‘Made by History’ Section
“We’re excited to partner with the Washington Post’s Made by History to support high-quality, well-researched analysis by professional historians on the unprecedented threats to our education system,” said Jeremy… More
These 4 Florida Bills Censor Classroom Subjects and Ideas
These bills have been the subject of much public commentary, including an unfortunate amount of misinformation. To cut through the confusion, PEN America explains below the salient features of… More
Educational Gag Orders: Legislative Restrictions on the Freedom to Read, Learn, and Teach
This report chronicles the alarming spread of legislative efforts in 2021 to constrict education on topics related to race, gender, and American history. More
New PEN America Report Warns About Dangers of Educational Gag Orders
A wave of alarming legislative efforts to limit teaching and learning on topics including racism, sexism, and American history represent a censorious drive to impose viewpoint and content-based restrictions… More