Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice: Intellectual Freedom

A long-simmering debate over the specter of teaching critical race theory (CRT) in schools has spilled out into open challenges, affecting collections and activities in school and public libraries. (See To Our Community: The Attacks Against CRT - we are (weare-nc.org).

The conflict ties into the broader political moment as some officials and office-seekers aim to undermine intellectual freedom (see A Conflict of Values - American Libraries Magazine); for example, in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race, the successful candidate ran on a platform that included vilifying a book by Toni Morrison. (See Virginia governor race highlights irony of banning 'Beloved' from schools (nbcnews.com)).

At the same time, there are forces at work that want to punish the educators and librarians who are committed to telling the truth about our history, and to block materials about this truth from reaching the public. (See Intersectionality Matters!: 42. Educators Ungagged: Teaching Truth in the Era of Racial Backlash on Apple Podcasts). Would-be censors are also targeting books and authors dealing frankly with diversity of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, promoting the harmful idea that LGBTQ_ identities are innately 'obscene.' (See 18 LGBTQ+ Books That Are Banned in Schools in 2022 (advocate.com)).

What's at stake: successful book bans; loss of jobs and funding; a heightening of the culture wars; the embrace of dis/misinformation in educational and informative institutions; the persecution and prosecution of librarians and teachers; and perhaps even literal book burning. (See Banning, criminalizing, maybe even burning books is back for public schools in Texas, Virginia, elsewhere - The Week and More Republicans try to ban books on race, LGBTQ issues. Some want them burned: NPR)

The good news: so far, policies are often holding up, book challenges are being defeated, and communities are becoming more educated about what librarians do. (See Victoria Public Library board votes to keep all 21 contested books - Premium and Librarians Not Backing Down from Censorship Fight - School Library Journal)). Successful bans of popular books like Maus are galvanizing public support for intellectual freedom and sparking important conversations about the freedom to read and learn.