New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently introduced legislation that he said will fight book banning, which he calls "a disturbing form of censorship increasingly impacting our nation’s schools."
The Fight Book Bans Act would give school districts funding to oppose challenges to educational and library materials.
“Ideologically-driven book ban efforts are being weaponized against educators and are undermining our children's education," Booker said. "We must not let political agendas dictate what our children can read. The Fight Book Bans Act will empower our schools, libraries and educators to fight back against radical agendas so that our students have access to diverse narratives and can maintain their freedom to read stories and enter new worlds through literature.”
More: ALA raises alarm after 2023's top challenged books target mostly LGBTQ, people of color
According to the American Library Association, the number of titles targeted for censorship across school and public libraries surged 65 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, the highest levels ever documented. PEN America, which according to its website "stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide," said that book bans in schools nearly tripled during the 2023-24 academic year, counting more than 10,000 books banned.
Parental rights often are used as arguments supporting book bans.
Companion legislation to the bill, which was announced during Banned Books Week, was introduced in the House last year by U.S. Reps. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D, Florida), Frederica Wilson (D, Florida) and Jamie Raskin (D, Maryland).
More: US public schools banned over 10K books during 2023-2024 academic year, report says
The bill would enable the Department of Education to give grants to school districts to cover expenses they may run into while fighting a book ban. Some of those costs may include legal representation, traveling to hearings on the bans and the logistics for those hearings, as well as the cost of obtaining expert research and advice, according to a news release.
The release stated that thousands of school districts cannot afford to fight book bans. The DOE would be able to provide up to $100,000 for a school district, with total appropriations capped at $15 million over five years.
“Book bans in Florida and in states across the nation are a direct attack on our freedoms and liberties everywhere," Frost said in a news release. "As my home state shamefully leads the country in book bans, we cannot let this censorship and dismantling of our education system go unchecked.”
Silencing of diverse voices alleged
Frost called the book bans in states like Florida, Texas, Utah and Missouri "loud and clear attempts by far-right conservative leaders to silence and erase our Black, brown, Hispanic and LGBTQ+ communities."
He said that the move to fight book bans is about protecting libraries, truth and history.
"Many books are being targeted for censorship these days simply because they address the historical realities of racism and white supremacy or address LGBTQ+ issues," Raskin said in the release. “America is in the middle of an escalating book ban crisis that requires our full attention and a strong response."
More: More NJ adults concerned about school book banning than inappropriate content: poll
Wilson said that in Florida alone, more than 1,000 books have been banned, of which disproportionate numbers are by Black or LGBTQ+ authors.
“Banning books in public schools is a dangerous infringement on students’ First Amendment right to access information,” said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Fight Books Bans Act has been endorsed by PEN America, ACLU National, American Library Association, Interfaith Alliance, The Trevor Project, Catholics for Choice, Color of Change, National Urban League, UnidosUS, Equality Florida, Florida Freedom to Read Project, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas and NAACP DC, according to the news release.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Booker's Fight Book Bans Act aims to fend off 'disturbing form of censorship' in schools
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