
Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ characters: Graphics explain the data
Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ characters: Graphics explain the data
The majority of books banned last school year highlighted stories featuring people of color and LGBTQ+ characters and subjects. A recent analysis of thousands of banned titles by PEN America found that more than a third of unique banned titles featured people of color or fictional characters of color. A quarter of banned titles included LGBTQ+ people or characters.
PEN America is a nonprofit organization that tracks book bans. The organization said that commonly censored books portray themes of race, sexuality and gender identity. They also show young people dealing with substance abuse, suicide, depression and other mental health issues.
Across all genres and reading levels ‒ including fiction, history, biography, memoir and picture books ‒ characters and people of color were disproportionately affected by book bans in the past school year. Of all the history and biography titles, 44% featured people of color, according to the report.
Some of the titles removed include "Fences," a Pulitzer-prize winning play, "Another Brooklyn" by Jacqueline Woodson, as well as "A is for Activist," a children's picture book.
'When we strip library shelves of books about particular groups, we defeat the purpose of a library collection that is supposed to reflect the lives of all people. The damaging consequences to young people are real," said Sabrina Baêta, senior manager for PEN America's Freedom to Read program.
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Moms For Liberty, a right-wing political activist group, has been a powerful crusader within the parents' rights movement, with a major focus on restricting access to books with sexual content.
The advocacy group previously posted online that, 'age appropriate is not banning,'
The organization wrote, "Schools have the responsibility of keeping obscene and pornographic materials out of the hands of children. Our moms are working within their communities to make sure books in public schools are age appropriate for all children.'
In their analysis, PEN America found that 31% of banned titles had references to sexual experiences but with minimal detail, they added. Another 13% described the sexual experiences 'on the page."
States with the most book bans
A different PEN America report shows that Florida was the state with the most book bans during the 2023-2024 school year, followed by Iowa. The organization said laws in both states censor certain books in public schools.
In Florida, legislation dictates that titles including sexual content, even if it is not pornographic, are subject to removal. Teachers in the state can be charged with a felony for possessing and distributing inappropriate books. 'Inappropriate' can be hard to define. Mentions of race or an LGBTQ+ person or relationship and sexual violence in any context have fallen under that term.
Book bans nearly tripled during the 2023-2024 school year with more than 10,000 books banned in public schools, according to PEN America. The spike reflects a renewed effort since 2021 to ban or restrict books in the U.S.
Top banned books of the previous school year:
According to PEN America, these are the most commonly banned books in schools:
Suzanne Trimel, senior adviser for communications and media at PEN America, previously told USA TODAY that the group tracks bans through school board minutes, local news stories and reports from organizational partners across the country. PEN America notes on its website that it does not document book challenges that do not result in bans.
This story was updated to add new information.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Atlantic 's July Cover Story: Elizabeth Bruenig's 'Witness,' on Sin and Redemption in America's Death Chambers
The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. 'Capital punishment operates according to an emotional logic,' staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig writes in her July cover story for The Atlantic. 'Vengeance is elemental. Injustice cries out for redress. Murder is the most horrifying of crimes, and it seems only fitting to pair it with the most horrifying of punishments.' But as a Christian—embracing the doctrine that we're all sinners in need of redemption—Bruenig explains that she is interested in forgiveness and mercy, which are 'some of my faith's most stringent dictates. If those forms of compassion are possible for murderers, then they're possible for everyone.' For her first Atlantic cover story, Bruenig draws on the past five years of her reporting on death row. Bruenig has witnessed five executions of death-row inmates, and has also helped bring attention to the prevalence of botched executions: that is, the seeming inability of executioners in some states to kill the condemned humanely. Further, she has formed relationships, even friendships, with prisoners awaiting execution. In 2023, Bruenig was named a Pulitzer finalist for her reporting on Alabama's death row. Alabama has now banned Bruenig from its prisons. In an editor's note to lead the issue, also published today, The Atlantic's editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, writes that Bruenig 'possesses an almost-otherworldly toughness that has allowed her to witness, again and again, the unnatural act of state-sanctioned killing,' adding that Bruenig 'does not flinch from any of the ugliness of capital punishment, and, crucially, she does not flinch from the appalling crimes committed by so many of the men on death row.' Goldberg continues: 'For understandable reasons, people turn away from the subject of capital punishment. But Liz has done a remarkable thing here—she has written a propulsive narrative about redemption and sin and invested her story with humanity and grace.' Also accompanying the article is a series of original paintings by The Atlantic's creative director, Peter Mendelsund, including a striking cover image of a corridor leading to an execution chamber, and a prisoner lying on the table within it. When she witnessed her first execution, Bruenig writes: 'The only certainty I had going into the Indiana death chamber in December 2020 was the simple sense that it's generally wrong to kill people, even bad people. What I witnessed on this occasion and the ones that came after has not changed my conviction that capital punishment must end. But in sometimes-unexpected ways, it has changed my understanding of why.' Bruenig writes that 'capital punishment as an institution relies on judgment at every level: judgment about guilt, about fairness, about proportion, about pain and cruelty, about the possibility of redemption. Judgment about how to carry out a death sentence and how to behave as one does so. And then there is the judgment that must be directed at oneself and one's community—the distant, sometimes-forgotten participants. In all of this, I see the arc of my own evolving comprehension.' The cover story also addresses how these questions have touched her own family's life: When Bruenig's sister-in-law was murdered, nearly a decade ago, her husband and father-in-law both stood opposed to the death penalty. (The killer was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in prison.) 'Choosing mercy is the moral path even in the hardest cases—even if you believe that some people deserve execution,' Bruenig writes, 'and even if you know for a fact that the person in question is guilty and unrepentant.' She writes: 'To default to mercy is to impose limitations on one's own power to retaliate, and to acknowledge our flawed nature. To a Christian, mercy derives from charity. And in the liminal space where families of murder victims are recruited into the judicial process—to either bless or condemn a prosecutor's intentions—showing mercy is an especially heroic decision. To think this way is to understand that the moral dimension of capital punishment is not just about what we do to others. It's also about what we do to ourselves.' Elizabeth Bruenig's '' was published today at Please reach out with any questions or requests to interview Bruenig on her reporting. Press contacts: Anna Bross and Paul Jackson | The Atlantic press@ Article originally published at The Atlantic
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Michigan librarian pushes back against years of harassment from Moms for Liberty adherent
Getty Images After five years of public name-calling, being called a 'smut peddler' and a 'pedophile' by a woman from a far-right group advocating book bans, West Michigan librarian Christine Beachler is finally pushing back. Beachler recently filed a civil lawsuit against the woman, Stefanie Boone, who is associated with the group Moms for Liberty, which specifically advocates against school curricula involving LGBTQ+ content and themes. The harassment Beachler experienced, and the back-and-forth legal battle that is now playing out as a result, was just one more instance of Michigan libraries and librarians facing attacks from right-wing groups dedicated to excising LGBTQ+ related materials from their shelves. Earlier this week, Michigan Advance highlighted additional efforts in Hartland and in Lapeer to sequester, move or label materials conservative library board members have deemed inappropriate for children – and many with LGBTQ+ characters or content. But for Beachler, the legal fight she's facing in Lowell is personal. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In an interview with Michigan Advance, Beachler, who has held her position as a librarian for more than 20 years, said Boone has waged a relentless 'smear campaign' against her, and that her efforts to challenge books in Lowell Area Schools have not been in good faith nor in the benefit of any child attending the district. Parents have several options to work with the district to ensure they have oversight over the books their children read, Beachler said. There are opportunities to challenge books in the library, a path to require permission to check out books, and other options to direct students away from consuming media their parents might disagree with. But Boone's actions have gone beyond that, as she has read excerpts from books out of context at school board meetings, Beachler said, and posted floods of untrue statements about her on Facebook saying she provides pornography to minors, all culminating in Beachler filing a civil lawsuit against Boone on May 13. 'It's just really hard to talk about. That's why I've actually been working from home a lot. … I mean being called a groomer, being called a pedophile, I was called a whore, a smut peddler,' Beachler said. 'I've been an educator for 37 years and how can somebody call somebody that name that has invested their life in working with kids? It's very hurtful and obviously untrue.' Last June, Boone filed her own lawsuit against Beachler, as well as the school district and several school employees for what she says are violations of her parental rights to challenge indoctrination of students. Boone is being represented by former Republican Michigan attorney general candidate and attorney Matt DePerno, who is currently facing felony charges for reported mishandling of voting equipment after the 2020 election. '[The] defendants have continued to groom children by fostering relationships that include secrecy, undue influence, control, and pushing personal boundaries,' Boone said in her lawsuit against Beachler. '[The] defendants have attempted to and have desensitized children to DEI, SEL, sex, social justice issues, alternate sex and gender ideologies, and liberal political ideology, and through manipulative behavior by showing them pornography or discussing sexual topics with them, and have introduced the idea of sexual contact.' Lapeer library board mulls age restrictions on materials despite shaky legal ground Boone did not return a request for comment at the time of this story's publication. The years of false statements and accusations published on Facebook posts and through public comments at school board meetings came to a fever pitch in February. Beachler said Boone interrupted a tour Beachler was leading a tour alongside two students of a large-scale renovation of a school library to ask where the mature section was. Beachler's lawsuit said Boone filmed the interaction, posting the video with the caption 'Which way to the PORN section please?', which was reposted by individuals with large social media followings like former Republican gubernatorial candidate Garrett Soldano. 'I put up with it for five years. I sent a cease and desist order and asked her to stop. It's only amplified. It's only gotten worse, to the point where I was getting threats,' Beachler said. 'Half of my hair fell out and I've broken several of my teeth from grinding my teeth and I couldn't even work for quite a while because I just couldn't come here without even crying.' In the nearly four decades Beachler has worked in education, Beachler said never before has there been such disrespect and dishonesty when it comes to criticisms of educators. And as Michigan faces a teacher shortage in schools that are already struggling to catch kids up on learning losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, Beachler said misinformation campaigns about the books kids have access to at school take time away from the learning experience. Anyone has the right to talk about how much they disapprove of a book, Beachler said, and Boone can post all she wants on Facebook about how she hates what's in the school library. That's her First Amendment right, Beachler noted. But that's not what Boone's rhetoric or lawsuit is about, she added: it's about destroying trust in public schools at any cost. Lowell is a tight-knit small town community, which Beachler said is filled with 'very wonderful people' who lean conservatively, but in general don't expect people to conform to their own beliefs. There have been, however, some members of the Lowell community that believed what Boone was selling them, especially grandparents, Beachler said. Parental Guidance: A new front emerges in battle between far-right, LGBTQ+ themed books Some of the books that were being brought to their attention, with passages read out of context, aren't even in the school library, Beachler said. And when Boone posted her video in February, Beachler said there was a switch in the community who did not support the calls for violence against her. Several members from the community stood up during the packed March 10 Lowell Area Schools Board of Education meeting following Boone's video posting, who extolled their disgust for the mistreatment of the librarian with calls for civility in conversations about books. 'So much of this is being done … straight from the Moms for Liberty people. It has been done from a Christian movement, and the behavior and the way that they have treated me is so anti-Christ, it's been so the opposite of how a Christian person would treat somebody, with respect and truth,' Beachler said. 'We can have a difference of opinion. That's absolutely fine, and you have the right to make those decisions for your children, but again, to be mean-spirited and say untrue things about a person and call them … horrific names has been incredibly hurtful to me and to my family.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Key SCOTUS parental rights cases draw McMahon, Moms for Liberty to rally on court steps
Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the conservative group Moms for Liberty took to the Supreme Court steps Tuesday to recognize the 100-year anniversary of a landmark case that they said gave parents more control over their children's education. But advocates who spoke at the event are also anticipating decisions in two other pivotal cases that could affect the conservative-led parental rights movement. Rosalind Hanson, who is part of a group of plaintiffs in Mahmoud v. Taylor, told Fox News Digital in an interview after the rally that she is optimistic about a forthcoming decision from the high court on the key religious liberty case. She said it came from Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland refusing to allow parents to opt their elementary school children out of being exposed to books containing gender and sexuality concepts. "We are not trying to change the curriculum," Hanson said. "We are not trying to say what you teach.… The majority of states across the country have said you can have an opt-out for these very sensitive issues and topics, especially because of the religious component, but also because of the age appropriateness." Supreme Court Likely To Side With Parents In Letting Them Opt Out Of Lgbtq Storybooks, Expert Says Montgomery County Public Schools attorneys argued to the Supreme Court that courts have long held that "mere exposure to controversial issues in a public-school curriculum does not burden the free religious exercise of parents or students." Still, the attorneys stood by the school system's decision to incorporate what they described as a "handful of storybooks featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer characters" for use in language arts lessons. Read On The Fox News App The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case in April, and a decision is expected in the coming weeks. Also on Moms for Liberty's radar is United States v. Skrmetti, one of the most closely watched cases of the court's term. The case arose from the Biden administration suing over a bill Tennessee passed in 2023 to ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy as treatments for minors who identify as transgender. The Supreme Court is now poised to decide within the next few weeks if states can restrict such medical treatments for minors. Maryland Mom Taking Fight To Opt Child Out Of Lgbtq Story Books Before Supreme Court Scarlett Johnson, who has a leadership role in Moms for Liberty, called the case a "big one" and told Fox News Digital she also urges members of her group to advocate legislation that "will protect children from the puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors regarding the issue of gender identity." McMahon, meanwhile, reflected on Pierce v. Society of Sisters, a landmark decision issued 100 years ago that struck down Oregon's law requiring all children to attend public school. McMahon called it "one of the most impactful education-related cases in American history" but said the parental rights movement remains necessary. Watch Live: Moms For Liberty Rally With Linda Mcmahon At Supreme Court "Special interest and progressive activists still try to agitate for the government to override moms and dads in education," McMahon said. "Whether it's through ideological indoctrination, sexually explicit curriculum, or hiding health and safety risks from parents, the progressive left always wants to come between you and your kids." The speakers' remarks could be heard clearly over livestreams online, but in person in front of the Supreme Court building, they were drowned out entirely by a single protester screaming profanities and bashing a string of officials, including McMahon, Justice Clarence Thomas and President Donald Trump. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., elicited laughs when she thanked the protester, who was holding a sign reading "Let's TACO 'bout tariffs," a reference to an acronym Democrats' adopted for "Trump Always Chickens Out." "I'd also like to thank our lone protester for highlighting the mental health crisis in our country. Bless your heart, as we would say in the South," Cammack article source: Key SCOTUS parental rights cases draw McMahon, Moms for Liberty to rally on court steps