EverydayAdvocacy.org – Helping Educators Address Censorship and Book Banning

When a Pennsylvania school board in 2020 pulled over 300 books and materials from school bookshelves, a student group at the high school, the Panther Anti-Racist Union, took note. All the banned books were by or about people of color or of diverse genders (including even a student PowerPoint on helping minority students take the SAT). Faculty sponsors Patricia Jackson and Ben Hodge helped the students to first talk with the administration, after which the group decided to hold a series of morning “walk-ins” with protest signs – rather than walk-outs that could generate negative publicity. The school board at first resisted and doubled-down on the ban, but after the students’ continued action through peaceful protest events and community involvement, the board eventually relented and returned everything to the shelves..

As educators have seen, not all such book-ban events turn out that way. With so much attention on race and gender in this country, parents and community members in many school districts around the United States are actively questioning the teaching in their schools – some with genuine interest but others with intense and active political agendas. Meanwhile, few educators receive training in how to address the doubts or outright restrictions on the books children read, the curriculum teachers follow, or the instructional practices they use. Fortunately, a number of social and educational organizations have stepped up to help. Among these is Everyday Advocacy, a volunteer committee of educators.

Everyday Advocacy helps teachers, and all who care about children’s learning, to actively and thoughtfully address issues around education policy, especially those concerned with censorship and book-banning. Such efforts need to be smart, safe, savvy, and sustainable if they are to be successful. In other words, teacher advocates need to be well informed so they understand the issues and can offer constructive solutions – i.e., smart. Actions must not detract from our jobs or place them in jeopardy – i.e., safe. They need to be strategic, actions likely to be effective rather than just action for its own sake – i.e., savvy. And actions must persist over time and against push-back – i.e., sustainable.

If you are concerned about book banning or censorship, any action step you may consider will depend on what is or is not happening in your district and community. If there are no problems but you fear they may develop, the first step can be to build a network of support among parents and fellow teachers who appreciate your teaching and your role in uplifting the school community. If a censorship effort is in motion you’ll need to consider steps that are strategic and that are supported by the network you’ve cultivated. Or if restrictive rules or laws are already in place, you may need to seek small ways to still support your students’ voices and growth.

If you decide there’s an issue that you must address, learn from Pennsylvania teachers mentioned at the beginning, Jackson and Hodges.. In summary:

• Realize you’re not alone, even when it can feel like that. Find a fellow teacher or teachers to work with you so each of you can be an anchor for the other. Trying to do this alone is difficult.
• Find your way to start with small steps. Little things matter.
• Start a club, any club where students can gather and you can hear from them. They can in turn help to involve parents and community members if needed.
• Realize that your efforts can cause ripples, even when it seems difficult. And know there are allies out there who can help you.

Remember, too, that the stories you can tell about your teaching and your students’ development provide some of the most powerful arguments for change and improvement. Thus, the Everyday Advocacy website provides not only guiding principles and practical action steps but also succinct videos of teachers describing their challenges and successes, along with videos from authors recounting times they’ve learned how their books provided crucial support in young peoples’ lives. The videos are also available at the YouTube channel @EverydayAdvocacy .

The Everyday Advocacy team would like to hear your stories – to possibly share the lessons you’ve learned with other teachers, or simply to help you connect with other resources that can help address censorship challenges you may be experiencing. If you would like to share, contact committee members Steve Zemelman or Cathy Fleischer.