Editor’s Note: Good Faith Media is committed to strengthening faith and democracy, “protecting both and compromising neither.” A strong democracy depends on robust support for public schools. This week, we are highlighting that commitment with a series of articles focusing on the history and current state of the U.S. public school system.
In the United States of America, the right of parents to determine what is best for their children is a foundational principle. (Of course, some groups have historically been denied parental decision-making, but that is a conversation for a different day.)
However, when parental stewardship is distorted into imposing one’s personal values onto another, it can lead to unintended consequences that ultimately harm our children and society. One such example is the nationwide rise of book bans in schools.
While some parents believe banning certain books protects their children, this growing trend threatens to undermine the values of freedom and knowledge at the heart of our democracy.
Notably, classic literature like “The Canterbury Tales” and “The Grapes of Wrath” have come under fire, with some advocating for their removal from school curricula and libraries. These are not just books but windows into different times, cultures, and perspectives. They are part of the cultural and intellectual heritage that has shaped our world.
By challenging these books, we risk closing the door to meaningful conversations about history, society, and human experience.
I remember Maya Angelou telling me through “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” that “if you’re for the right thing, you do it without thinking.” Because those words were accessible, they have been life-changing.
That is why the issue of access must be addressed. For many children from low-income families or rural areas, school libraries are often the only place where they have a pipeline of free books. When books are banned from those libraries, marginalized children are effectively shut out from the opportunity to explore ideas, characters, and worlds beyond their own experiences.
They miss out on the chance to learn critical thinking, empathy, and understanding – crucial attributes for today’s complex, deeply interconnected world.
Take, for example, the Bible, a text that is considered holy to many and has been banned or challenged in many states. This is an action that constitutes spiritual disobedience in the eyes of some. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
If the most sacred text in Christianity can be challenged, nothing is exempt.
In this case, children are being prevented from accessing material that could help them fulfill spiritual direction. This creates a paradox: in the effort to protect children, we may end up depriving them of the resources that could help them grow into thoughtful, informed, and compassionate individuals.
Book bans not only restrict access to information but also send the dangerous message that suppressing ideas and censoring knowledge is acceptable. This goes against American values.
The ability to read, learn, and think for oneself sets a free society apart from an oppressive one. When we allow the banning of books, we edge closer to a republic where fear dictates what can be accessed, expressed, thought, and known.
Worse, the bans will eventually determine what can be felt, distilled into articulate thoughts, and written.
If we are to remain a nation dedicated to liberty and justice for all, we must also be a nation that defends the absolute right to read. We must ensure that all children have access to the full spectrum of human knowledge and experience, regardless of their locale, background, or beliefs.
We must allow libraries to fulfill their purpose as sanctuaries of learning and let books be the bridges that connect us to the past, present, and future.
In the words of Toni Morrison, “…we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”
Books are the holders of language and its carrier oil. More than ink on paper, books are the lifeblood of a democracy. Their words identify, connect, validate, affirm, enrich, define and liberate.
So let us honor the principles on which our nation was founded by protecting the right of our children to read, learn and grow. May we stand against this wave of censorship that seeks to wash away the diversity of thought and the richness of our shared heritage.
If we truly believe in the American ideal, we will fight to keep our libraries open, our bookshelves fully stocked, and our children’s minds unrestrained. We shall come together, not as opponents in the battle of censorship, but as allies in the pursuit of knowledge.
As a nation, we must boldly declare: let freedom read.
Shayne Kinloch is the Director of Programs and Partnerships for Together for Hope, Black Belt and a dedicated advocate for community empowerment and social change.
