Black Authors Speak Ahead of Banned Books Week

By Ariyana Griffin | The Afro | Word In BlackThis& post& was originally published on& AfroCredit: AFRO Photo/Ariyana Griffin(WIB) – Banned Books Week, recognized each September, was founded by library activist Judith Krug in 1982 as a protest to the increase in censorship of literature. Krug believed that bans on books massively violated the First Amendment, freedom of speech. Books are typically banned from schools and libraries for including content that contains “graphic violence, expresses disrespect for parents and family, is sexually explicit, exalts evil, lacks literary merit, is unsuitable for a particular age group, or includes offensive language,” according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Books are also often removed due to sexual orientation and race related topics.The American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) reported that “the number of titles targeted for censorship surged 65 percent in 2023, compared to 2022, reaching the highest levels ever documented by OIF in more than 20 years of tracking: 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries.”This month, in honor of Banned Books Week, to be celebrated Sept. 22-28, the& AFRO& spoke with an African-American book publisher on the issue.Robert Curry, CEO...