A school board in York, Pennsylvania, made the news after banning books that were about, or written by, people of color. The educational material that was banned included titles about historical heroes like Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai.
The news is terrifying, especially since the vote to ban these books was reportedly unanimous. However, the students aren't afraid to fight back. Many of the students believe that the administration didn't even read a majority of the books they deemed to be inappropriate. The school board claimed these titles were "vetted" to be reviewed later, but that process has reportedly taken over a year.
Students and their parents took action by attending a virtual school board meeting, where they were able to voice their concerns. Some of the material on the list was baffling. The Sesame Street town hall on racism that took place on CNN back in 2020 was also on the list.
According to CNN, the materials haven't been completely banished. But they have been "frozen" while the vetting process happens. Most of these titles aren't offensive whatsoever, but some parents were worried about the education their children were getting as children were learning more about racism and the rallies that took place to help protect Black lives.
It seems like the true issue with these books is that they showcase diversity, which is incredibly important. Silencing Black voices is something the school district shouldn't do. If anything, it should be finding ways to amplify those voices even further. But by doing this, the school board is on the wrong side of history.
The board claims that having all of the banned books penned by, or about, people of color was a "coincidence." However, that's hard to believe. Just knowing the fact that Sesame Street was included in the ban is quite telling. Since 1969, the program has been educating children on all facets of life, including diversity. These days, the show is more determined than ever to make sure everyone feels represented.
It's good to know that the students are fighting back. One of the best ways to make change happen is through activism, and it's refreshing that the younger generation can see how unfair of a move this is.
"I don't think a moral compass will let you ban books about equality and loving each other," stated Central York High School senior Christina Ellis to CNN.
She wasn't the only student who spoke up. Other teens also made sure to use the opportunity to make their voices heard, asking for a balanced and true account of history to be taught in school. Many of the stories that were banned share true accounts of historical events that don't often get discussed in the classroom.
Having a book about Malala Yousafzai banned is especially difficult, as she serves as an active example of a young woman making a difference. The Pakistani activist has spent her life trying to make sure that women get the same educational opportunities as men. She's worth learning about, and she's a wonderful role model for children.
Other banned books are about interracial relationships, which are very common these days. As time goes on, interracial marriages are becoming more widely accepted. A recent statistic showed that 15.1% of all new marriages in the United States happen to be with people of two different cultural backgrounds. Yet many couples who fall into this category are still struggling, which is why this literature is important.
Central York High School student Edha Gupta told CNN that the banned material was a "slap in the face." And Edha isn't wrong. "This is a board that after hearing their students' concerns about diversity in the district, hearing my struggle with race, being an Indian American and consistently feeling like I didn't belong. After all those conversations for weeks on end, they still pursued the book ban," Edha continued.
Those who have heard what's happening are also trying to take action, mostly by attempting to provide some of the titles to students who are interested in reading them. Those who live in York are attempting to stock a few Little Free Libraries with them, so that access isn't completely taken away. It's a good way to further show the importance of these titles.
"I was deeply hurt when I heard about this book ban, which hurts Black and brown authors and resources," senior Christina Ellis, who is Black, told CNN. She noted that without these books, many kids might not be able to really understand the impacts of racism. It's something the school district should embrace instead of shun.
"Why is a Sesame Street episode threatening the education of children?" she reportedly asked at the board meeting. "If anything, this school board is threatening education." Hopefully, if this ban did anything, it's drawn more attention to these fascinating titles that have been released to educate, inform, and even entertain students. These books were published for a reason.
