U.S (JUST STRATEGY) : Join OBAMA; FREE THE BOOKS ! Unlock minds !

 

 

 

Friend,    Former President Obama is standing up against book bans and supporting educators in our fight. Speaking out in a rare statement thanking public libraries and librarians for their support of access to literature -- and condemning the efforts of Republicans like Ron DeSantis to weaponize & ban books in their states -- Obama said : “It’s no coincidence that these ‘banned books’ are often written by or feature people of color, Indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community… the impulse seems to be to silence, rather than engage, rebut, learn from or seek to understand views that don’t fit our own. I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great.” President Obama is right. That’s why we’re demanding the Department of Education take action to protect the right to read and support public school teachers and librarians working hard to fight back. Please add your name now. TAKE ACTION The far right is seeking to close down young minds, threatening actions against teachers and school librarians who make available any books the extremists consider objectionable. As President Obama said, especially targeted are books about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, as the extremists intend to silence the voices of people that aren’t like them. And they are putting teeth in these laws, including criminal penalties for educators who are simply doing their jobs. Well-funded right-wing organizations like Moms for Liberty claim to be protecting children, but they are actually acting to tamp down diversity, eliminate discussion of race relations or gender diversity, and make great works of literature inaccessible. They have been joined by the violent white supremacist Proud Boys, leaders of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, at school board meetings and at rallies in efforts to harass librarians and sow divisiveness in communities nationwide. There have been more than 1,477 book bans across the country, affecting at least 874 titles, this year alone. This is not even counting the wholesale shutdown of libraries by educators afraid of being fired or even jailed. And it isn’t just Florida and Texas, either. Book bans by local governments have afflicted thirty-seven states so far, including California, Michigan, and New York. Stand with former President Obama. Call on the Department of Education to reject any efforts to ban books and allow individuals and parents to make the decision about what they can read and believe. Click here to sign the petition now! If reading a book can help put one in another’s shoes, these extremist groups want to keep people’s shoes tightly laced and tied with double knots. Thank you for fighting back against those who want to limit the power of thought ! LeeAnn Hall Director, National Campaign for Justice.     Support our work!

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