Latest news with #WilliamJohnson
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘State-driven censorship': new wave of book bans hits Florida school districts
A new wave of book bans has hit Florida school districts, with hundreds of titles being pulled from library and classroom shelves as the school year kicks off. The Republican-dominated state, which has already had the highest rate of book bans nationwide this year, is continuing to censor reading materials in schools, bowing to external pressures in an effort to avoid conflict and government retaliation. 'This is an ideological campaign to erase LGBTQ+ lives and any honest discussion of sex, stripping libraries of resources and stories,' William Johnson, the director of PEN America's Florida office, told the Guardian. 'If censorship keeps spreading, silence won't save us. Floridians must speak out now.' Book bans have been rising at a rapid rate across the US since 2021, but this latest wave comes after increased pressure from the state board of education in Florida. The board issued a harsh warning to the Hillsborough county school district in May, saying that if they didn't remove 'pornographic' titles from their library, formal legal action could ensue. More than 600 books were pulled as a result, and the process was expected to cost the district $350,000. The books taken off the school shelves included The Diary of Anne Frank and What Girls Are Made of by Elana K Arnold. None of them were under formal review by the district, and they hadn't been flagged by local parents as potentially inappropriate. Parents with children in the school system even had the opportunity to opt their children out of a particular reading, without removing them from the class for everyone. PEN called the board of education's mass removal in Hillsborough county a 'state-driven censorship', and concluded 'it is a calculated effort to consolidate power through fear, to bypass legal precedent, and to silence diverse voices in Florida's public schools,' in their press release. Fearing similar retribution, nine surrounding school districts have taken proactive measures, pulling books which they are worried could cause similar controversy. This includes Columbia, Escambia, Orange and Osceola, who have followed suit and quietly complied, probably to avoid similar state retaliation. 'Censorship advocates are playing a long game, and making Hillsborough county public schools bend the knee is a huge win for them,' said Rachel Doyle, who goes by 'Reads with Rachel' on social media. Doyle has two children in the Hillsborough school district system and is frustrated that they are being used as political pawns. She feels that her voice has been erased by far-right groups like Moms for Liberty and that parental rights groups do not have her kids' best interests in mind. 'I do not want or need a special interest group or a 'concerned citizen' opting out for me,' Doyle said. 'Once Florida becomes a place where this is the norm entirely, other states will follow.' In Escambia county, one of the nine school districts that have taken books off their library shelves after the Hillsborough removal campaign, 400 titles have been removed without review. These include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, a satirical anti-war novel centered around a prisoner of war in Dresden after the Allied bombings in the second world war. What is happening in Florida is part of a broader, nationwide censorship drive fueled by conservative backlash against teachings about race, gender and diversity. Unsurprisingly, red states on average have seen higher instances of banned reading materials, with Florida accounting for 4,561 cases of prohibited titles this year, spanning 33 school districts. These bans often target authors of color, female writers and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Books that educate about any of these experiences, or that document historical periods, are the recipients of frequent censorship attacks. Rob Sanders, the author of several acclaimed children's books like Ruby Rose and Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, and a former Hillsborough county educator, has seen many challenges to his books in Florida and beyond. 'If we eliminate every book that tells a story that is different than the life experiences of an individual or a family, there will be no books left in the library,' Sanders said. 'As an author, the best thing I can do for children is to keep writing books that tell the truth and that celebrate the wonderful diversity in our world.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘State-driven censorship': new wave of book bans hits Florida school districts
A new wave of book bans has hit Florida school districts, with hundreds of titles being pulled from library and classroom shelves as the school year kicks off. The Republican-dominated state, which has already had the highest rate of book bans nationwide this year, is continuing to censor reading materials in schools, bowing to external pressures in an effort to avoid conflict and government retaliation. 'This is an ideological campaign to erase LGBTQ+ lives and any honest discussion of sex, stripping libraries of resources and stories,' William Johnson, the director of PEN America's Florida office, told the Guardian. 'If censorship keeps spreading, silence won't save us. Floridians must speak out now.' Book bans have been rising at a rapid rate across the US since 2021, but this latest wave comes after increased pressure from the state board of education in Florida. The board issued a harsh warning to the Hillsborough county school district in May, saying that if they didn't remove 'pornographic' titles from their library, formal legal action could ensue. More than 600 books were pulled as a result, and the process was expected to cost the district $350,000. The books taken off the school shelves included The Diary of Anne Frank and What Girls Are Made of by Elana K Arnold. None of them were under formal review by the district, and they hadn't been flagged by local parents as potentially inappropriate. Parents with children in the school system even had the opportunity to opt their children out of a particular reading, without removing them from the class for everyone. PEN called the board of education's mass removal in Hillsborough county a 'state-driven censorship', and concluded 'it is a calculated effort to consolidate power through fear, to bypass legal precedent, and to silence diverse voices in Florida's public schools,' in their press release. Fearing similar retribution, nine surrounding school districts have taken proactive measures, pulling books which they are worried could cause similar controversy. This includes Columbia, Escambia, Orange and Osceola, who have followed suit and quietly complied, probably to avoid similar state retaliation. 'Censorship advocates are playing a long game, and making Hillsborough county public schools bend the knee is a huge win for them,' said Rachel Doyle, who goes by 'Reads with Rachel' on social media. Doyle has two children in the Hillsborough school district system and is frustrated that they are being used as political pawns. She feels that her voice has been erased by far-right groups like Moms for Liberty and that parental rights groups do not have her kids' best interests in mind. 'I do not want or need a special interest group or a 'concerned citizen' opting out for me,' Doyle said. 'Once Florida becomes a place where this is the norm entirely, other states will follow.' In Escambia county, one of the nine school districts that have taken books off their library shelves after the Hillsborough removal campaign, 400 titles have been removed without review. These include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, a satirical anti-war novel centered around a prisoner of war in Dresden after the Allied bombings in the second world war. What is happening in Florida is part of a broader, nationwide censorship drive fueled by conservative backlash against teachings about race, gender and diversity. Unsurprisingly, red states on average have seen higher instances of banned reading materials, with Florida accounting for 4,561 cases of prohibited titles this year, spanning 33 school districts. These bans often target authors of color, female writers and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Books that educate about any of these experiences, or that document historical periods, are the recipients of frequent censorship attacks. Rob Sanders, the author of several acclaimed children's books like Ruby Rose and Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, and a former Hillsborough county educator, has seen many challenges to his books in Florida and beyond. 'If we eliminate every book that tells a story that is different than the life experiences of an individual or a family, there will be no books left in the library,' Sanders said. 'As an author, the best thing I can do for children is to keep writing books that tell the truth and that celebrate the wonderful diversity in our world.'
Axios
11-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Philly duo to open slider pop-up in South Kensington
Slide through, Philly, to the new mouth-watering pop-up taking over South Kensington. Why it matters: The Slider Co., owned by Philadelphians William Johnson and Anesha Garrett, is teasing its homemade sliders and cookies over the next three months before opening a brick-and-mortar shop in Fishtown this fall. Driving the news: The pop-up opens today at 4pm in the outdoor courtyard of The Luxe. The first 100 guests will get complimentary sliders of their choice. Zoom in: Their fan favs include: the 95 South, a buttermilk fried chicken slider on cornbread. Fat Mama Cheeseburger — angus beef patty with sharp cheddar, pickles, baby greens, red onion, tomato, topped with tarragon Russian dressing. The Kitchen Sink — a vegan crispy quinoa patty on a sweet potato bun with vegetable ceviche, baby greens, black bean-sriracha sauce and avocado purée. Flashback: Johnson and Garret teamed up shortly after meeting in 2016. Johnson worked for local chef Christopher Todd before starting his own catering company in 2011. He has traveled to dozens of countries on a culinary circuit exploring how other cultures do food. Garrett, a pastry chef, worked for decades in healthcare before launching the pastry business Sugar Bouppies, a nod to a nickname her grandmother gave her. What they're saying: The Slider Company, which contracts with Aramark and does catering for several Philly-area hospitals, hopes to eventually expand nationwide, Johnson says. "But for now, we are thrilled to be popping up in our hometown of Philadelphia to show the sandwich capital of America what we're all about."
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- RNZ News
No immediate safety concerns for missing Will Johnson
Will Johnson who has not been heard from for a week. Photo: Supplied Private investigators trying to find a US aviation student missing for more than a week now say they have no immediate safety concerns for him. Massey University student William Henry Johnson, known as Will, was last seen in Palmerston North between 30 May and 1 June. The 24-year-old's last communication with family was on 5 June and he had not responded to any attempts to contact him since. His parents hired private investigators to find him, and early on Wednesday afternoon Mike Gillam, of The Investigators New Zealand, issued an update on the search efforts. "Following extensive investigations and recent developments, we now have no immediate concerns for William's physical safety or wellbeing," he said. "While we cannot release specific details at this time, information received during the investigation indicates that William appears to be safe." Gillam said the investigation remained active and The Investigators New Zealand were still working with police. Earlier on Wednesday he told RNZ investigators had received information that potentially confirmed a sighting of Johnson in the central North Island. "We do want to hear from anyone with information that could be beneficial," he said. "A lot of the time is spent filtering through and sorting what may be a priority and what may be historic and not of interest to our timeline. "Certainly, we've appreciated the public outreach and there are a number of lines of inquiry that we're looking into." Johnson's mother was arriving in New Zealand from Seattle this morning. William Henry Johnson. Photo: Supplied Johnson was last seen in the Takaro area of Palmerston North. Gillam said his disappearance was "really traumatising" for his family, who were distraught. His company had three investigators working on the matter full time. On Tuesday, Gillam said it was out of character for Johnson not to have contact with his family for such a period of time. Johnson was known to make off-the-cuff trips to Auckland. Police have said they received a missing person report on 9 June. "Police have made a number of various area inquiries in possible locations of interest in the Palmerston North area," a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "We would encourage William, or anyone who knows his whereabouts, to get in touch with police to confirm he is safe." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Garden City residents share concerns over children jumping trains
GARDEN CITY, Ga. (WSAV) — Concern is growing among Garden City residents after a video of local kids crossing over a stopped train surfaced online, sparking a conversation about the trains' persistent presence. The video was originally posted to Nextdoor, a social media app where people can share information about what's going on in their neighborhoods. It showed children hopping over a train on tracks that cross Augusta Road/Highway 21 in Garden City. 'It's everybody. Not only kids, adults, everybody,' William Johnson, a longtime resident near the railroad crossing, said. 'If they park this train back here and you walk up to it and it's just sitting there, sometimes overnight, you can't afford to walk all the way around and come back. Yeah, people jump on it.' Some consider the train issue more pressing because there is a school just up the road, many kids left with no choice but to cross the tracks to get home or get off the bus. 'Especially when the kids get out of school because the traffic is already backed up as it is,' Tamika Hayes, whose family lives in the neighborhood right next to the railroad crossing, said. 'Then, you've got people trying to come out of the neighborhood, and then the train on the tracks. It's a lot.' Neighbors said the train is often parked at the Augusta Rd crossing during school hours. 'There's no set times. It comes, it goes, it comes,' Johnson said. There are no train ordinances in Garden City, which means trains don't have to abide by local regulations for where they can be and when. The Garden City Police Department said they have seen the video and will be monitoring the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
