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Revised Florida Textbooks Left Race Out of Rosa Parks History

news
By: Lisa Tolin | March 16, 2023

In an effort to pass muster in Florida, a history textbook publisher omitted references to race, even when it came to Rosa Parks. A revised text said only that… More

These books are banned in Martin County, Florida

Advocacy
By: Lisa Tolin | March 13, 2023

Last week, Martin County, Florida, released a list of dozens of books it had removed from school libraries, including 20 books by Jodi Picoult, nine books from James Patterson's… More

Florida Book Bans: Why Are There Empty Shelves in Florida Schools?

Explainer
By: Lisa Tolin | February 13, 2023

You may have seen pictures of empty bookshelves in Florida classrooms, or heard about book bans across the state. What’s happening now is that new laws passed last year in… More

PEN America Calls on Cooper Union to Reopen an Exhibit on the Legacy of Vkhutemas, a Design School Shuttered by Joseph Stalin

Press ReleaseFebruary 2, 2023

Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education, released the following comments: “Cooper Union’s decision to halt the opening of Vkhutemas: Laboratory of the Avant-Garde, 1920–1930 raises serious questions… More

Book Lovers Stage Read-In at State Capitol for ‘Let Utah Read’

Advocacy
By: Lisa Tolin | January 26, 2023

PEN America was among the organizers of the protest against a rise in book bans in Utah. More

Drag Queen story hour

Laws restricting drag shows should scare everyone who believes in free expression

Advocacy
By: Kate Ruane, Jonathan Friedman, Samantha LaFrance, Julie Trébault | January 19, 2023

A wave of bills restricting free expression is building in state legislatures. This time, the target is drag performances.  More

National Organizations Condemn Cancellation of Student Play at Douglas Anderson School of Performing Arts in Duval County, FL

Press ReleaseJanuary 10, 2023

“Indecent is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 2015 play by Paula Vogel that possesses rich educational and artistic merit. It has been produced Off-Broadway, on Broadway, and has been broadcast… More

The Absurd Year in Educational Censorship, From Gay Penguins to the Gettysburg Address

Advocacy
By: Jonathan Friedman, Kasey Meehan, Jeremy C. Young, Tasslyn Magnusson | December 23, 2022

It has been an absurd year for educational censorship. More

PEN America Calls on Elon Musk to Reverse Twitter Suspensions of Journalists

Press ReleaseDecember 16, 2022

”It’s alarming but unfortunately not so surprising to see Musk silencing journalists or creating new content regulation rules on a whim, based purely on what he finds inconvenient for… More

Proposed Texas Law Would Force Publishers to Create ‘Age Appropriate’ Ratings for School Library Books

Press ReleaseNovember 16, 2022

“This is a dangerous escalation in the movement to censor public education. In a very short time, those who advocate for school censorship have gone from trying to control… More

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  • What's New
PEN America/PEN International: Chinese Authorities Should Immediately Release Blogger Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison
PEN America, With Other Free Speech Organizations, Sends Letter to Congress Opposing Proposed National TikTok Ban
Letter to Congress Opposing Federal Law to Impose a Ban on TikTok
PEN America and Amani: Africa Creative Defence Network Call on Ugandan President to Veto Anti-LGBTQI Rights Law, Condemning it as a Serious Strike Against Free Expression

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aceducation ACE @aceducation ·
21h

Educational gag orders represent a serious threat to the very academic autonomy that has allowed for so much intellectual discovery at our institutions. Read the op-ed in @Newsweek by @ACEducation's Ted Mitchell and @PENamerica's @SuzanneNossel.
http://ow.ly/igX150Nq5iX

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penamerica PEN America @penamerica ·
6h

@MarkGDuncan1 @vickijohnson Students retain their First Amendment rights in schools…. https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1615368116359266305

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vickijohnson VICKI JOHNSON🏳️‍🌈 @vickijohnson ·
10h

“We are preparing students for life in a participatory democracy…” 📣 Please listen -> https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1639040796522602497

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