{"id":66425,"date":"2021-12-13T18:09:10","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T22:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=66425"},"modified":"2023-09-13T14:41:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T18:41:18","slug":"books-are-being-banned-across-the-country-whats-really-at-stake","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2021\/books-are-being-banned-across-the-country-whats-really-at-stake\/","title":{"rendered":"Books Are Being Banned Across the Country. What\u2019s Really at Stake?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin news-block-editorial-leadin has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Blog<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBooks Are Being Banned Across the Country. What\u2019s Really at Stake?\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A blog post by Laura M. Jim\u00e9nez<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar news-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">December 13, 2021<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/authors\/laura-jimenez\/\">Laura Jim\u00e9nez<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>I do not enjoy pumpkin spice lattes. I know this seems off topic, but go with me here for a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t understand who hates coffee this much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I cannot overstate how much olfactory offense I take whenever this cloying combination of sweet spice mixed with the pungent bitterness of coffee wafts over the autumnal scent of rotting leaves, smashed gourds, and old candy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, as much as I loathe\u2014and I do loathe it with the power of a thousand white hot suns\u2014I have never considered it my job, my duty, my place, nor my responsibility to stop anyone else from drinking them. I have never stood outside a Starbucks and knocked cups of pumpkin spice lattes out of people\u2019s hands as they stream out drinking their piping hot cup of abomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead\u2014and I know this is going to sound wild, so you might want to sit down for a second\u2014I do not order nor do I drink pumpkin spice lattes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the extent of my action. I do not like them, so I do not imbibe them. If someone asks me if I recommend that they try a pumpkin spice latte\u2014I might howl about the indignity of <em>it all &nbsp;<\/em>but I am not going to stand in their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why do I mention pumpkin spice lattes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, firstly, it is that season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondly, in a lot of ways pumpkin spice lattes are a lot like books about topics, histories, subjects, and ideas that individuals may not like. There are lots of books. Some are poorly written or have plots that drag and unimaginative characters. Some are filled with racist, sexist, or ableist representations. There are also books that possess a magic that allows readers to explore ideas, events, realities, and experiences outside themselves. And there are books that allow us to see ourselves\u2014perhaps for the first time\u2014and make us feel seen and loved and worthy. Some books even scare us\u2014as readers, as children, as adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these books deserve to exist.&nbsp;They deserve to be read, critically examined, discussed, and evaluated. But that isn\u2019t what is happening. There is a distinct subset of books that are being challenged and banned. They are being taken off shelves in libraries and out of classrooms. They are being taken out of the hands of students who are trying to figure out the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The books that are being removed are overwhelmingly by and about marginalized individuals and communities. These books are stories and experiences told by those who have had their histories erased, voices stolen, and beauty denied. They center a reality that frightens and intimidates those who are accustomed to power and privilege.&nbsp;Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>The Proudest Blue<\/em> by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali, about a young woman deciding to wear hijab and the ways choices affect and influence those around us<\/li><li>For historical contexts of racial segregation in American history, <em>Ruth and the Green Book<\/em> by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Gwen Strauss, and Floyd Cooper, along with<em> Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family\u2019s Fight for Desegregation <\/em>by Duncan Tonatium<\/li><li>For ways of seeing the multiplicity of the LGBTQIA+ community (and who doesn\u2019t love PENGUINS!!!) read <em>and Tango Makes Three <\/em>by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole, along with <em>Melissa<\/em> by Alex Gino<\/li><li>Finally, for a big dose of triumph in worlds that are not meant to love and support marginalized people, enjoy Jerry Craft\u2019s graphic novel <em>New Kid<\/em>, Lupita Nyong\u2019o and Vashti Harrison\u2019s <em>Sulwe<\/em>, and Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal\u2019s <em>Fry Bread<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <em>literally<\/em> hundreds of books being banned and challenged in schools across the country\u2014in Pennsylvania,&nbsp; Kansas, Texas, Rhode Island, Virginia, and all points in between. The \u201canti-Critical Race Theory\u201d movement is coming for books written by and about marginalized people. The books being removed from shelves and challenged by community members are books about love, trauma, blame, joy, mystery, and pride that do not center the White, male, cis, straight, able, Christian, middle class experience that has, for far too long, been the normative lens for story telling in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The folks who are afraid of seeing histories also fear recognizing our present. We are a country that is on the cusp of having no clear racial majority. We are a county that must grapple with our past in order to have a future that includes all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe that is the difference between pumpkin spice lattes and books about marginalized histories, people, and events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do not fear a pumpkin spice latte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Jimenez\" class=\"wp-image-56136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1500x1500.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-826x826.jpg 826w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-344x344.jpg 344w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-529x529.jpg 529w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-682x682.jpg 682w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1032x1032.jpg 1032w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1321x1321.jpg 1321w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-688x688.jpg 688w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1058x1058.jpg 1058w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1364x1364.jpg 1364w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1652x1652.jpg 1652w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Laura-Jimenez_30_-710x710.jpg 710w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/laura-m-jimenez\/\">Laura M. Jim\u00e9nez<\/a> is BU Wheelock\u2019s associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a senior lecturer in BU Wheelock\u2019s Language and Literacy Department.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/tag\/blog\/\">blog posts from BU Wheelock faculty and staff<\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I do not enjoy pumpkin spice lattes. I know this seems off topic, but go with me here for a minute. I don\u2019t understand who hates coffee this much. I cannot overstate how much olfactory offense I take whenever this cloying combination of sweet spice mixed with the pungent bitterness of coffee wafts over the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9274,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Blog","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[4099],"bu-publication":[6614],"magazine-article-category":[],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[6739,6754,6760,6768,6757,6763],"news-topic":[6725],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/66425"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/66425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72614,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/66425\/revisions\/72614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=66425"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-kayla.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=66425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}