WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:63000 1 00:00:00.330 --> 00:00:04.240 Books are being challenged at an unprecedented rate this school year. 2 00:00:04.300 --> 00:00:09.240 The American Library Association received 330 reports of such 3 00:00:09.241 --> 00:00:10.720 challenges last fall alone. 4 00:00:10.860 --> 00:00:13.720 And since then that wave has somewhat picked up momentum. 5 00:00:19.330 --> 00:00:23.590 These efforts are being driven mostly by conservative politicians with 6 00:00:24.191 --> 00:00:25.030 the help of parents, 7 00:00:25.210 --> 00:00:29.830 who've organized in a grassroots fashion to get certain titles removed. 8 00:00:29.990 --> 00:00:34.950 A high profile recent example involved the graphic novel "Maus." And 9 00:00:34.951 --> 00:00:38.630 that's about the Holocaust. And school board members in McMinn County, 10 00:00:39.110 --> 00:00:43.860 Tennessee voted 10 to zero to remove the book from its eighth grade 11 00:00:43.950 --> 00:00:47.460 curriculum. So that really prompted a lot of outrage. 12 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:52.660 Another aspect that's different about this wave is the focus on libraries. 13 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:56.300 You know, book banning efforts have often focused on curriculum. 14 00:00:56.360 --> 00:00:59.740 But lately they've extended to entire library collections, 15 00:00:59.741 --> 00:01:04.130 which observers say makes the trend particularly egregious because they're not 16 00:01:04.131 --> 00:01:06.930 just attacking what's required as part of curriculum. 17 00:01:06.931 --> 00:01:09.810 They're seeking to limit optional access to titles. 18 00:01:10.270 --> 00:01:14.770 Almost all of the frequently targeted books deal with race, gender, 19 00:01:15.050 --> 00:01:15.630 or sexuality, 20 00:01:15.630 --> 00:01:19.730 and recent challenges have tended to focus on newer titles that explore the 21 00:01:19.731 --> 00:01:21.370 intersection between all three. 22 00:01:21.470 --> 00:01:24.000 And many contain sexually explicit scenes and swear words, 23 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:28.800 and they often deal with heavy themes like rape and death and coming out. 24 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:30.020 And you know, 25 00:01:30.020 --> 00:01:34.040 for many children literature can provide a community and a safe haven. 26 00:01:34.420 --> 00:01:39.080 And that's particularly true of literature whose perspectives have often been 27 00:01:39.081 --> 00:01:40.720 excluded from traditional narratives. 28 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:43.470 And students told me when that literature under attack, 29 00:01:43.471 --> 00:01:44.990 their schools feel less welcoming. 30 00:01:45.410 --> 00:01:50.150 And research shows that for LGBTQ+ students who attend schools 31 00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:52.790 where they don't feel welcomed, they have higher rates of truancy. 32 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:57.870 Research also shows that inclusive curricula can improve 33 00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:01.830 graduation rates and reduce rates of suicide and attempted suicide. 34 00:02:01.850 --> 00:02:05.620 And obviously book ban inherently make curricula less inclusive. 35 00:02:06.360 --> 00:02:06.941 For young people, 36 00:02:06.941 --> 00:02:11.060 being able to read these books isn't just a matter of principle. In many cases, 37 00:02:11.570 --> 00:02:15.860 it's existential and particularly for children who are queer, people of color, 38 00:02:15.861 --> 00:02:17.380 people who just, you know, 39 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.020 for whatever reason feel marginalized from their communities. 40 00:02:20.720 --> 00:02:25.410 There is an interesting initiative underway to distribute copies 41 00:02:25.750 --> 00:02:30.290 of "Maus" and "Beloved," two frequently banned books in schools in both Texas 42 00:02:30.470 --> 00:02:31.190 and Virginia. 43 00:02:31.190 --> 00:02:35.610 So there are some initiatives underway to fill the gaps that these bands or 44 00:02:35.611 --> 00:02:36.450 challenges create.