Challenged / CENSORED / BANNED Black Books, Resource guide 2022

Books have taken centerstage for good, bad, and, some would say ugly reason.  

This post will examine:
​

1. Record levels of interest in books starting in 2020,
2. Discuss and list the books challenged during the Jackson Confirmation Hearings,
3. List challenged books to date (2/3/2022 Ingram Publishing Group)  
4. Provide resources to fight book bans happening across the country.

After the murder of George Floyd, interest in books on Black people and the Black experience skyrocketed. Never in our 28 year history in business has Afriware Books, Co sold books by the hundreds without having an author present.  And our story was duplicated around the country by over 100 other Black owned bookstores.[1]

During the Jackson Confirmation Hearings, "Critical Race Theory" books were offered up as educational fodder to the Supreme Court nominee.  Ketanji  Brown Jackson was asked repeatedly if she agreed with or practiced the theory .[2]

The Good...

Sales Soar for Books  on Black Experience  in Aftermath of George Floyd Murder

A story is told just by examining the sales of our top 2 titles, ​"White Fragility," and "How to be AntiRacist" in the wake of George Floyd's murder.  We sold 1200+ and 700+ copies respectively.  The NY TImes reported in June 2020 a similar phenomenon in "People Are Marching Against Racism. They’re Also Reading About It."  They reported that 5 of their top 15 best sellers address racism, whereas in May, there were none. 

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, many were moved to reeducate themselves about the Black experience.  Of the Outpouring of Orders we received, some of the comments were so revealing:


The murder of George Floyd exposed the how far up the racist support structure went up.

Hoping to unlearn racism and do my part to make lasting change. Supporting you from San Antonio, TX!

Thank you for helping people educate themselves and others. Black lives matter.

Thank you so much for all you are doing. I stand with you.

​It was refreshing to get a boost in sales, though it was also bitterly sweet in the way it occurred.  Black booksellers, have long identified the importance of these books.  Now that the general public is actively seeking them out adds an unprecedented urgency..

The Bad...

"Critical Race Theory" Accusations during Jackson Confirmation Hearings

One of the many take-aways from the hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson were the accusations about "Critical Race Theory" from  Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.  He mentioned the term 5 times during the Jackson Confirmation Hearings and even brought out boards showing the illustrations from "Antiracist Baby" by Ibram X. Kendi.  The books he referenced were:

1. 1619 Project:  A New Origin Story - Nikole Hannah-Jones
2. Critical Race Theory - an Introduction Edited by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
3. The End of Policing by Alex Vitale
4. How to be an AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi
5. AntiRacist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
6. Stamped for Kids by Ibram X. Kendi​

 "Critical Race Theory" was used as a political buzz word.  Kruz made several attempts unsuccessfully to entrap Jackson into aligning herself with the word/theory or prove that she was in agreement with it.  It became obvious that if she was caught using or practicing it, that in his opinion, she would not be fit to be a Supreme Court Justice.  

In our previous blog post, "Books on Critical Race Theory - Primary Resources," we mentioned that Derrick Bell was viewed as one of the founders of "Critical Race Theory" when he was at Harvard Law School.  It is interesting to note that in a recent online interview with the author of "The 1619 Project" Hannah Jones indicated that she was not a "Critical Race Theorist" and that it was part of a propaganda campaign to misuse and confuse the two. Both are being fused and misrepresented as a curriculum that teaches kids to hate their country. [5]

It is interesting to note that one of the titles Kruz mentioned, "How to Be an AntiRacist," was one of the best sellers for Black booksellers.  Also, "The 1619 Project - A New Origin Story" was a NY Times Bestseller for over 18 weeks, and its author Nikole Hannah-Jones received a 2020 Pulitzer prize for her introductory essay in the NY Times magazine handout that preceded the book.  The book, "1619 Project commemorates the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in what would become the United States by examining slavery's modern legacy and reframing the way we understand this history and the contributions of black Americans to the nation," according to the author's website.  There's a curriculum provided with the book as well here.

In spite of this notoriety, some politicians have decided to use their position as a bully pulpit to castigate these titles.  Their efforts are growing.  We reported about Black banned books in 2020 in a previous blog post, "Black Banned Books."  Unfortunately, as the election season grows nearer, it doesn't seem likely this will let up. [2,3,4,5]

NY Times display of "The 1619 Project" showing 18 weeks on best sellers list

Challenged Books as of 2/3/2022

​Of the 100 challenged books listed on supplier Ingram Book Group's website as provided by the American Library Association, as of 2/3/2022, twenty-seven are categorized as African American.  They include:

1. Between the World and Me Coates, Ta-Nehisi
2. The Bluest Eye Morrison, Toni Morrison
3. Class Act Craft, Jerry ; Craft, Jerry
4. New Kid Craft, Jerry ; Craft, Jerry
5. Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice Browne, Mahogany L ; Acevedo, Elizabeth ; Gatwood, Olivia ; Taylor, Theodore ; Reynolds, Jason
6. All American Boys Reynolds, Jason ; Kiely, Brendan
7. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning Reynolds, Jason ; Kendi, Ibram X
8. We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices Hudson, Wade ; Hudson, Cheryl Willis
9. The Hate U Give Thomas, Angie ; Giovanni, Nikki
10. Racial Justice in America: Topics for Change Wing, Kelisa ; Nichols, Hedreich ; Erickson, Leigh Ann
11. King and the Dragonflies Callender, Kacen
12. All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto Johnson, George M
13. Monday's Not Coming Jackson, Tiffany D
14. Ghost Boys Rhodes, Jewell Parker
15. Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter King, Shani ; Martin, Bobby C
16. The Color Purple Walker, Alice
17. Salvage the Bones Ward, Jesmyn
18. A Good Kind of Trouble Ramée, Lisa Moore
19. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice Celano, Marianne ; Collins, Marietta ; Hazzard, Ann ; Zivoin, Jennifer
20. Beloved Morrison, Toni
21. This Is Your Time Bridges, Ruby
22. A Lesson Before Dying Gaines, Ernest J
23. All American Boys (Reprint) Reynolds, Jason ; Kiely, Brendan
24. 2020 Black Lives Matter Marches Markovics, Joyce
25. 47 Mosley, Walter
26. Fallen Angels (Special Anniversary) Myers, Walter Dean
27. Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to the Streets Tyner, Artika R

*The complete list contains 850 books from Texas State Representative Matt Krause according to a CNN video, "Librarians fight back against push to ban books from schools." A copy of the letter from Rep. Krause can be found on the Freadom.us website.

We join Librarians and all civil minded individuals around the country in support of our basic human right to the freedom to read and encourage everyone to speak out through social media/letters/protests against it.  Since April is National Library Month, we encourage you to join in the campaign of "Drop Everything and Read Banned Books www.freadom.us/campaigns-actions " as detailed on the website.

Final Thoughts

​As always, I appreciate that you have read through this blog post.  I hope that you’ve become curious to read more books about Banned Books, books on Critical Race Theory, and ways to support the freedom to read  We ask that you consider purchasing your books from our Black owned bookstore, Afriware Books, Co.  If there is a title you’d like to purchase that is not mentioned here, or could not be found on the website, feel free to email us at:  [email protected]

Blog Notes

1 A Bittersweet Moment For Black Bookstore Owners
​2 WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz questions Jackson in Supreme Court confirmation hearings - Youtube video
3 ​"Ted Cruz gave the nation a lesson on misreading kids books" https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/03/23/ted-cruz-ketanji-brown-jackson-books/
4 Freedom to Read Roundtable in Texas Zoom Call hosted by Booklist - fill in registration and you can access the previously held zoom call.   State Rep. Erin Zwiener says, "...I think this has been a way to rile up the right wing base as we go into Republican Primary Season."
5 MSNBC - Nikole Hannah-Jones Links Critical Race Theory Backlash To Spread Of Voter Suppression

Blog Resource Guide

How to Fight Book Bans - a Tip Sheet for Students

​Texas "Critical Race Theory" Laws

Map on States with "Critical Race Theory" Laws and those seeking to restrict or expand education on racism, bias, the contributions of specific racial or ethnic groups to U.S. history, or related topics.

​Texas Right to Read Statement
​
1619 Project Curriculum Materials

Here is the link to the ALA with the complete list by Decade/Year:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

Freedom To Read Organization - Not for profit arm of American Library Association

https://www.freadom.us/   @FreadomFighters - Twitter account for librarians for support when accused of forcing pornography/obscene content on students. 

“Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S.” by the NY Times, 2022. According to the article, challenges are being made to libraries and school boards “at a pace not seen in decades.”