Blough-Weis Library News

Censorship of literature in modern society

The topic of censorship is found in an array of disciplines. From a historical perspective, we find censorship in the silencing of minority voices. Voices that speak out against or dispute religious ideas. From a feminist perspective, we find censorship in the suppression of progressive ideas regarding women’s rights and power. 

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.” - Ray Bradbury

The type of censorship most commonly talked about is censorship in literature and media. This has varied over different centuries and different cultures. In the United States, producers, schools, and parents refrain from introducing minors to content containing a lot of mature language, violence, or sexual references and depictions. Most people would agree with the restriction of these themes for young children. However, over the last few decades, more pieces of literature are being challenged by society for contested reasons.

In the last 10 years, LGBTQ+ books have been challenged more with people citing religious reasons for not wanting their children to engage with the topic. In more recent years, books that discuss race and police brutality have been contested for various reasons. Parents who bring the challenges say they don’t want their children getting “bad ideas” or “wrong perspectives” on issues that are only growing more apparent in society. “You can determine, almost infer, from the list of banned books or challenged books what’s going on in society at that time,” says Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, Randy Robertson. With the legalization of same-sex marriage, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, books that discuss the topics should come to the forefront of education, but they are instead being negated by parents and schools who believe they are doing what’s best for children. “There’s an attempt, in a very literal sense, to push back the movement,” adds Robertson.

So then, who should be able to choose what pieces of literature children are allowed to consume? At what age do we allow the youth of our society to decide for themselves what they want to include in their education? According to scholars, there is no clear answer. Part of being a citizen is learning self-government, being able to make decisions for yourself. “These children are going to grow up in a society at some point, and that society is going to consist of more than just family,” says Robertson. Education is an introduction into a broader sense of the world than what you grew up in. So, while scholars don’t agree on a specific age, they do agree that censorship of important societal issues can harm a child’s development of individual thought. 

“By restricting children for whatever ostensible, moral, or religious reasons, is to limit that person’s ability to be a citizen in a larger culture.” - Randy Robertson

Outside of individual parents and school boards, there are some forms of censorship at the government level. Some scholars argue that how states set up their restrictions is on its face unconstitutional. In the case of the Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books …” If a book is contested, an inquiry must be done into the motives and reasons of the party calling for its removal. Removing a book from a school shelf requires more reasoning than that it conflicts with personal beliefs. Doing so is considered to be violating school student’s First Amendment rights. 

What can and should students do to protect their rights and fight against the banning of books? Bring public awareness to the situation. More often than not, these cases will favor the majority. Students have the power to protest for the education that they want to receive. Progression can fight against regression. Utilizing the media, spreading awareness to the damages caused by censorship, is a unique tool for younger generations.

Every year, the American Library Association does just that. Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign that celebrates the freedom to read, and draws attention to banned and challenged books. To learn more about their mission and banned books, visit their website.