Education Justice Series — Public Schools Matter

Censorship and threats to civil liberties are intensifying in the United States. To strengthen our democracy, we must resist campaigns that aim to ban books, exclude participation and limit education. It’s crucial now more than ever to advocate for learning — in communities and schools — that is inclusive and promotes critical thinking. 

According to the American Library Association (ALA), in 2024, “Pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries.” ALA also cited factors contributing to a decrease in documented censorship, including underreporting by library workers who fear for their jobs, censorship by exclusion “when library workers are prohibited from purchasing books,” and legislative restrictions such as “state laws restricting the type of materials available in libraries and schools based on the ideas or topics addressed in the materials.” 

And PEN America’s “The Normalization of Book Banning” reported 6,870 instances of book bans in the 2024-25 school year. PEN emphasizes that reporting on “book bans remains a bellwether of a larger campaign to restrict and control education and public narratives, wreaking havoc on our public schools and democracy.” 

To resist book bans and hate in education spaces, we offer the following resources to help you learn, teach and advocate for education justice and a more inclusive multiracial democracy.