Banned Black Books
by Mandy Rulez
How these prominent Black authors wound up on the banned books list.
Shop this article (*affiliate links): https://bookshop.org/lists/fiction-readin-magazineAlmost every day, buzz circulates surrounding the newest books to be banned. But what exactly does it mean to ban a book? While the phrase “banned books” can be misleading, as it suggests a book will no longer be available for purchase, it refers to the censoring of books in libraries, school districts, or other governmental institutions.
According to the American Library Association, 2023 saw a 65 percent surge of banned and attempted banned books in comparison to 2022, with “4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship…as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources.” As book bans have increased over the last few years, Black authors have been unfairly targeted by these bans with 41 percent of banned books featuring protagonists or prominent characters who are people of color despite 75.6 percent of authors in the United States being white.
Banned Books by Black Authors and Why
Black authors have had their books targeted for a number of reasons. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was banned for allegedly promoting hatred toward police officers and Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin was banned for its graphic content. But most frequently, Black books are banned simply for being about the Black experience. Toni Morrison has multiple books banned across numerous states for references to hate crimes, slavery, and violence. Books like The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall, The New Kid by Jerry Craft, and Stamped: Antiracism, Racism and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds have all found themselves banned in various parts of the United States for promoting critical race theory and extensive discussions of racism. While critical race theory has been around for decades and showcases how deeply racism is embedded in United States legislative and justice systems, it has become a term Republican lawmakers use to ban adequate teachings of racism, the history of white supremacy and slavery in classrooms.
How to Counter Racism in the Publishing Industry
Black authors make up less than 6 percent of the publishing industry and are often overlooked online and in person. Whether they are skipped on a display at the bookstore down the street that oddly only features white authors, are forgotten in countless viral #BookTok videos (a community where white authors consistently blow up but people of color are cast to the side), or are never even able to meet with publishers, readers can make a difference! Do a quick Google search for Black authors in your favorite genre to look for the next time you’re out book shopping, or seek out Black content creators to see what they are reading! Supporting Black readers across all platforms helps to promote Black voices and Black authors. As support is garnered for authors who have been historically looked past, publishers will be forced to take Black and BIPOC authors more seriously. The next time you go to pick a book from your bookshelf, look more closely at the stories you are choosing to read and realize the impact you can make in the reading community.