Breakdown of challenged materials in 2021 by the ALA
Right now in American society, book banning is back in full force. Between September and December of 2021, “more than 470 book removal requests” were made to ban all sorts of books from public and school libraries1. This is more than previous year and is a discouraging statistic to see. This is about more than just banning books. There is a movement to use school and local government to seek to control what students learn. While it isn’t new for parents to push for changes to curriculum or education, as Jeffrey Sachs puts it, “It’s not about discussing ideas objectively. It’s about not discussing them at all.2
A big part of the movement comes from outrage surrounding the term “Critical Race Theory”. Critical race theory, a term often undefined in the news, is the examination of history and relationship that race has with racism, power, and the structures of society3. The theory has recently come under heavy fire from mainstream conservatives as they seek to use this phase to stoke emotions in a culture war for political power. Unfortunately, this term has helped fuel a culture war as right wing media and activities have accused teachers and schools of promoting Critical Race Theory, drawing outrage amongst parents. This social divide and others are a large reason that book banning is back in full force. In order to combat these proposed banning’s, drastic measures and steps will need to be taken and massive organization is needed.
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1. Kim, Robert. “Banning Books: Unlawful Censorship, or within a School’s Discretion?” Kappanonline.org, Apr. 2022, https://kappanonline.org/category/under-the-law/.
2. Beauchamp, Zack. “Why book banning is back: The fight over books in schools is part of a much bigger struggle, revealing where conservatism is today.” Vox.com, Feb. 2022, https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22914767/book-banning-crt-school-boards-republicans.
3. Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2001). Critical race theory: An introduction. New York University Press.