MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Attempts to ban books from schools and public libraries are rising at an unprecedented level across the country.
People are fighting back as they celebrate "Banned Books Week."
There are displays of banned books in libraries around the Charlotte area at Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries, as well as things like banned book story times.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries is celebrating the American Libraries Association's "Banned Books Week." Libraries are celebrating the freedom to read and are spotlighting both current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools.
"We have to admit that this moment is unprecedented,” Patrick Lawrence, an associate professor of English at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, said.
Lawrence researches censorship controversies and American political and social movements.
"Censorships always target social outcasts, people who are marginalized, or people who don’t have access to power," Lawrence said.
Lawrence said banned books typically have a common theme, they typically revolve around the social issues of the times.
“We know in the 1950s for example we were seeing a lot of persecution of communists or people with socialist politics," Lawrence said.
According to the American Libraries Association, books targeted for censorship right now were mostly by or about LGBTQ+ people, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.
"We know that when books celebrate the full diversity of the country and of the kids themselves, when we know that that’s a powerful tool to get them reading and to love to read, there can be no barrier," Kyle Zimmer, the CEO of First Book, said.
First Book is a nonprofit working to remove barriers to an equitable education for children living in low-income communities. The group conducted an education study that showed the impact that diverse books have on children’s reading and learning outcomes.
"The vast majority of respondents reporting that book banning actually decreases the engagement of their kids," Zimmer said.
The ALA shows North Carolina along with states like Texas, Florida, and Illinois all lead the nation with attempted book bans. The book challenged the most in North Carolina, according to the ALA, is "Looking for Alaska" by John Green.
The book was considered to be banned at Cabarrus County Schools in 2022.
“We’re seeing a number of challenges that is far beyond anything we’ve seen historically and part of that is the shift we’re seeing from libraries to schools where challenges are happening," Lawrence said.
Lawrence will talk about when and why this shift happened at South Boulevard Library on Thursday at 6 p.m. A panel of experts will have a public discussion about the dangers of book banning and censorship and the importance of free expression and First Amendment rights.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.