Barack Obama, the former president of the United States, has spoken out against the increasing efforts to ban books in public schools. In an open letter to American librarians, Obama criticized the profoundly misguided attempts by right-wing groups to censor and remove certain books from libraries.
Last year, a record number of 2,571 unique book titles were targeted for censorship in US public schools, representing a 38% increase from the previous year. Many of these books, written by or about members of the LGBTQ community and people of color, were challenged by parent-led groups. This trend shows no signs of slowing down.
Right-wing organizations, such as Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education, and No Left Turn in Education, have spearheaded campaigns to ban books, particularly those that touch on LGBTQ topics or feature Black characters and issues. These groups have become increasingly organized, with 40% of last year’s attempts aimed at censoring 100 books or more at a time.
Politicians seeking electoral advantages have also shown support for these efforts. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for president in the upcoming 2024 election, signed a law known as the Stop-Woke Act. While the law was ultimately struck down by a Florida judge, schools and universities in the state continue to self-censor out of fear of violating the law.
Barack Obama has lent his support to the Unite Against Book Bans campaign, led by the American Library Association, which aims to counteract these censorship attempts. In his letter, Obama emphasized the importance of books in shaping our understanding of society, expressing concern over the censorship of minority authors.
Books by Black authors such as The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, and All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson have faced bans and censorship in various states. These books address important topics such as racism, police violence, and the experiences of queer Black individuals. Historical works like Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye have also been targeted for their explicit content and examination of race, class, and gender.
Obama warned that the world is watching how the United States, a nation built on freedom of expression, handles these censorship attempts. He pointed out that other English-speaking democratic countries, like the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have already faced similar challenges. In these countries, parents, religious groups, and right-wing conservatives have pushed for book bans and curriculum changes related to critical race theory.
Countries outside of the English-speaking world have also made headlines for book bans and censorship. Hungary, for instance, ordered bookshops to seal and wrap books suspected of promoting homosexuality or containing explicit depictions of sexuality. Turkey has banned the sale of children’s books like Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, and Brazil has seen a rise in efforts to prohibit gender and sexuality education in schools.
