(NEW YORK)— In response to action taken today by the Department of Education dismissing complaints about book bans and referring to them as a “hoax,” PEN America issued the comments below:
Kasey Meehan, director, Freedom to Read, at PEN America, said: “For over three years we have countered rhetoric that book bans occurring in public schools are a ‘hoax.’ They are absolutely not. This kind of language from the U.S. Department of Education is alarming and dismissive of the students, educators, librarians, and authors who have firsthand experiences of censorship happening within school libraries and classrooms.
Since 2021, we have meticulously recorded nearly 16,000 instances of book bans nationwide – where access to books is revoked from their intended readers – often without following commonsense processes and increasingly due to censorial legislation from states.
We will continue to raise awareness and resistance to ongoing book bans in defense of students’ freedom to read. All students deserve to see themselves and the world around them reflected in the books shelved within their public schools.“
Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 16,000 book bans in public schools nationwide, a number not seen since the Red Scare McCarthy era of the 1950s. This censorship organized by conservative groups predominantly targets books about race and racism by authors of color and also books on LGBTQ+ topics as well those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence. Read more about PEN America’s documentation of and advocacy against book bans.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057