A history of book banning in America

PEN America says free expression is under threat. It's not the first time.

Book banning.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

Books are disappearing from the shelves of America's schools. Books about gay and lesbian characters. Books about Black and Latino people, and books about Jewish and Muslim people. Books that are fiction and books that are non-fiction — even books of poetry. All gone.

The country faced an "unprecedented flood" of book banning in schools during the 2021-2022 school year, PEN America reported this week, driven by activist groups and conservative state legislatures that have passed laws cracking down on "critical race theory" and the discussion of sexuality and gender identity in classrooms. The organization found 2,532 instances of book ban attempts, affecting 1,648 book titles. The trend poses "a dangerous precedent to those in and out of schools," the organization said, because the bans threaten "the future of American democracy, public education, and free expression."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.