Banned Book Week is in full effect. The annual campaign challenges efforts to ban certain books in libraries, schools and bookstores, drawing national attention to censorship and the silencing of open access to information, while promoting the freedom to read without provocation or persecution. This year’s theme is “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights,” in reference to George Orwell’s novel 1984, where the government has totalitarian control and people are punished for “thought crime.”

As outlined in a previous EBONY piece, a student’s ability to access classroom, public and school libraries is important to our nation’s growth and development, as several studies have proven that reading diverse books increases emotional intelligence and empathy in students. Books by Black authors

See Full Page