Banned and Challenged Books: A Current Trend in the Southern U.S.

Throughout the world, the banning and censoring of books is a very common practice. Unfortunately the United States, specifically the South, has recently made the news due to the banning and challenging of many books that are considered by some to have controversial topics such as LGBTQ+, racism, and religion. 

Even though the banning of books is pretty common, the part of this that angered many Americans throughout the country was the topics which are being banned. In an article about the book banning by NBC News, it’s stated that the majority of the books that were banned were books about racism in the United States and around the world and books containing LGBTQ+ love throughout them. 

A major issue going along with the books being banned about LGBTQ+ love and acceptance is the labels, such as ‘pornography,’ being given to these books. According to NBC News, a parent at a school board meeting in Texas stated she felt like these books are vulgar and sexualize children.

NBC News states that the parents say they want to “protect” their children’s heart and brain from reading this content. In the article, the parents express their fear that their children are going to read this article and become influenced by the books. The mothers were so upset by the books that they went to the next school board meeting to read passages which contained descriptive sexual scenes and after reading them said, “If you are filtering a student’s internet access,” she said, “Why are we not filtering the library?” 

There have been a lot of complaints about these books and a lot of requests for these types of books to be banned in Texas. In the same NBC report, it has been recorded that with 1,250 public schools in the state, there have been over 75 formal complaints by community members and parents within the first four months of this school year.

But, even with the arguments the mothers made at the board meeting, there is also the point of view of those who see the banning of books as a lesser/unimportant issue in our country. One of those who believes this is Oseye Boyd, opinion journalist for the Indianapolis Recorder. She questions why books like these are more of a concern to parents than the unfortunate ongoing gun violence throughout our country. Boyd’s anger is evident when she says, “Children need protection from books but not guns? Parents are seriously losing their minds over books?” 

The Lancer Ledger sat down with Oak Hills Middle School librarian Jean Roy, who says that if kids are interested in a certain topic, they should be able to read it. She also tells The Ledger that “when a student enters my school library and sees a display of books and/or has access to books written by people who look like them, have similar sexual orientations as them, who write about topics that are important to them, that makes students feel included and seen.” 

Finally, The Lancer Ledger asked English teachers how they felt about the banning of books going on throughout our country, and Mr. White told The Ledger, “In general, banning books promotes ignorance. Period. However, parents certainly have the right to evaluate whether their child is ready for a particular book. But, to ban a book is to make that decision for other children.”