Massachusetts Congresswoman Announces New Anti-Book Ban Legislation
By Jane Laurey
Due to the 33% rise in book bans during the 2022-2023 school year, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) has fought back by announcing the Books Save Lives Act.
Image by How To Be Books
The Books Save Lives Act aims to combat book bans by providing students with an inclusive learning environment, as book bans discriminately affect books dealing with issues of race, racism, the LGBTQ+ community, and other “controversial” topics. The legislation would require primary and secondary schools to have a library and hire a trained librarian, ensure that public libraries and school libraries have a diverse selection of books, label discriminatory book bans as going against federal civil rights laws, and aim to have the Government Accountability Office issue reports on how underrepresented communities are affected by book bans.
“Rather than honor the brilliance and diversity of our authors, illustrators, and librarians, Republicans are focused on further marginalizing people who already face systemic discrimination in our society through discriminatory book bans,” said Rep. Pressley. “The Books Save Lives Act pushes back on this dangerous trend and reaffirms the need for representative literature by ensuring libraries nationwide maintain a diverse collection of books and classifying book bans as violations of federal civil rights laws. Every reader deserves to see themselves reflected in our literature – and our bill would help make that a reality for all. I am grateful to our partners in crafting this legislation, and I urge Congress to pass my bill without delay.”
Co-sponsors of the Books Save Lives Act include Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), and many more. Additionally, the legislation is endorsed by PFLAG National, We Need Diverse Books, Color of Change, and Florida Freedom to Read Project.
“Florida Freedom to Read Project is proud to support this bill which will ensure that the expert curation of our libraries is inclusive of all the communities they serve. All Americans deserve the opportunity to see their lives reflected on the shelf and know that they are welcome here,” said Stephanie Ferrell of the Florida Freedom to Read Project.
The legislation has also garnered support from authors, especially authors of diverse books. Many of these authors have stated how book bans not only affect their writing but also affect the ability of students to receive diverse education.
“As a student, the library was my second home. I discovered stories that opened up my world and my understanding of myself on the library shelves,” said Maia Kobabe, author of Gender Queer. “I support the Books Save Lives Act because I want future young people to see themselves and their world reflected fully and accurately in their libraries.”
Image by PEN America
Rep. Pressley has been extremely involved in the fight against book bans before this new legislation, as she discussed the threat of book bans at the Turner Free Library earlier in 2023, and she discussed the harm that book bans cause in an April 2022 House Oversight Committee.
