Origins of Book Bans in America
By Rilewa Ayoade
Already a widespread problem throughout the United States, book banning, formerly a
much smaller problem, is now being seen nearly everywhere in America. Some states, like
Illinois and California have signed legislation into effect that prohibits the banning of books
entirely. A select few states, such as Colorado and Minnesota, have made efforts to join them,
and every small step forward to unrestricted literary access helps. An unfortunately large
number of bills have been passed to achieve the opposite effect, as well. In the last year,
legislation to ban books has appeared at staggering rates, which are concentrated in the
following states.
Florida
In statistics collected by the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual
Freedom, but also supporting PEN America statistics, Florida clearly takes the top spot in the
ranking. With a total of 2,672 titles challenged in 2023 in 33 separate attempts to restrict access
to books, the bleak nature of the situation is shown. In a separate map from PEN America, it
was shown that out of the 3,362 books banned that they had recorded for last year, over 40%
originated in Florida.
Texas
The state that comes in second place is Texas, with a lower number of 1,470 titles challenged in
2023, in 49 separate censorship attempts. PEN America statistics similarly place Texas as a
more censored state, with 625 book bans on record across 12 school districts.
Some other states that have also had their share of book bans, but nowhere near as
severe as Texas and Florida are Wisconisin, Kentucky, Utah, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and South
Carolina. The aforementioned states have amounts of challenged and banned titles ranging
from approximately 200 to 500 titles each. How do you even begin to justify the censorship of
that many books, though? Both organizations also gathered what some common rationales for
complaints were, as well as complaint origin.
The ALA documented in their The State of America’s Libraries 2024 report that of the
titles challenged in 2023, 28% of complaints were from Library patrons, 24% from parents, and
21% from pressure groups. In the minority were complaints originating from Boards/
Administrations at 13%, Other or Unknown sources at 9%, Librarians, Teachers, or Staff, at 3%,
and Elected officials/ Government at 2%. As for where the censorship would be taking place,
over half of all complaints were made against books in public libraries. Approximately 40% were
made against school libraries.
In PEN America’s Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor report, they
dove into analyzing and categorizing where the complaints in 2023 originated from. In the
2022-23 school year, with some books fitting into multiple categories, 48% of all book bans had
themes of violence and abuse, 42% covered wellbeing and health, and topics sitting at about
30% include mention of sexual experience between characters, LGBTQ+ characters, and/or
themes, having characters of color and discussions about race or racism, and themes of grief
and death. Cumulatively, the focus of banning seems to be on marginalized identities,
something PEN America also noted, including in their findings that bans also targeted Muslim
characters, Jewish Characters, and immigrants.
With states like Florida, who are at the forefront of this wave of bans banning books
ranging from Black Panther comics, to biographies of figures like Thurgood Marshall, Oprah
Winfrey, and Beyoncé under a blanket “sexual content” ban, the growing weaponization of book
bans isn’t surprising. Book bans are far from being a new issue, too.
According to data compiled by the ALA , 10 years ago, in 2014, there were 311 attempts
to censor books, which is still a quite large number, but pales in comparison to the rates at
which books are being challenged today. Of those challenges, 35% were initiated by parents,
and a mere 2% were by pressure groups, compared to the much higher 21% today.
Within recent years, the state and severity of book bans, as well as the landscape in
which we consume media has changed. With censorship attempts ranging in method from
restricting library access with closures or limiting funding, to threat of vandalism, theft, or other
threats of hate, or even the most common way, filing a complaint with a library or institution that
a book is housed in, the freedom to read continues to fall under attack. To help in the fight
against book bans, readers can follow bookbans and related legislation through organizations
like the American Library Association, PEN America, and The Beatrice Martin Foundation. For
people who find their right to read under the microscope a bit more often, particularly in states
like Florida, and Texas, there are organizations that focus on defending and fighting for the
freedom to read and learn.
Florida
Florida Freedom to Read Project
Texas
Freedom to Learn Children's Defense Fund Texas
Short description: Out of the thousands of books being challenged each year, where do the
complaints originate? Florida had 40% of recorded book bans, and Texas followed suit.
