"The Battle Over Books:" Nationwide trend of book censorship … – ABC 57 News
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Are political action committees turning public schools into political battlegrounds?
There's growing support from some local school board members with ties to these national committees to suspend, and in some cases, ban books with sexual or violent scenes and regulate what's taught in classrooms.
This is happening most notably in Berrien County, where a group called "We The Parents" is helping elect school board members that enforce what they call "traditional American values of faith, family, and freedom."
The group has been most successful in the Brandywine school district in Niles where last year, four candidates were elected to a seven-member board.
The growing movement to censor books in schools is a nationwide issue and is directly linked to political pressure. School districts are removing books from libraries at a record pace, according to Pen America. During the 2021-22 school year, 138 school districts in 32 states banned more than 2,500 books.
Jen Unger, a Brandywine Parent, is concerned about what the trend means for her young children.
"I want my children to be able to go into those libraries and look at any books that they want, Unger said."
Unger is a parent of three first-grade students at Merritt Elementary in Niles.
She's struggling with the idea that her kids won't be able to access books that she believes are important to their educational development in the future.
In February, Brandywine school board voted to suspend the addition of any sexually explicit or violent books from entering the middle and high school libraries. They also moved to create an 'Explicit Material Book Review Committee' to evaluate the books already in the school library.
Tiffany: "So, do you think the school board is acting in the best interest of the community?"
Jen: "I do not. I think they're acting in their best interest and not on what's going to be the best for the students and then the staff at the schools that they're supposed to be serving."
This is all part of a bigger picture issue, with school board races across the country becoming more political and more parents wanting a say in their children's education.
The 20-22 school board elections at Brandywine Community Schools brought four new faces to serve the district, all of whom are supported by We The Parents, a parental rights group financially backed by the 1776 Project, a conservative political action committee or PAC.
The committee formed back in 2021 to push back against the New York Times' 1619 Project, which provides free lesson plans that center U.S. history around slavery and its lasting impacts.
The super PAC received $3,00,000 in donations in 2022, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
In Michigan alone, Transparency USA, a group tracking money in state politics, shows over $56,000 in contributions went to "We The Parents last year.
The group supported almost 30 school board candidates across 10 different schools in Berrien County but they were most successful in Brandywine.
"It seems that they have a more political agenda than focusing on the needs of the students of our district," Unger said about the recently elected We The Parents backed school board members.
On November 9th, 2022, after Board President Thomas Payne, Secretary Angela Seastrom, and Trustees Michelanne Mccombs and Elaine Mckee won their elections, The 1776 Project PAC tweeted, "We just flipped the Brandywine school board from liberal to conservative."
Unger voted for all four We The Parents backed school board members and it's something she says she now regrets.
"I just didn't do my part as a parent and as a taxpayer to make sure I knew what I was voting for," Unger said.
The We The Parents group touts a mission of recruiting, equipping and retaining a new generation of school board candidates that are grounded in the traditional American values of faith, family, and freedom.
At face value, Unger says it sounded like a good option but after taking a closer look at the group's push to "remove all forms of sexual, racial, political and gender indoctrination" from schools, she's realizing she disagrees with them.
"If you recognize the name, and you're not necessarily even doing some homework or have children in the district, I think you're just voting for by popular knowing their name, versus what they're running for," Unger said.
The big question is why are books that have been in school libraries for centuries getting challenged now?
Interview requests sent to We The Parents and the 1776 Project PAC went unanswered.
ABC57 also did not get a response for an interview request from Brandywine School Board President Thomas Payne, until showing up in person.
When requesting an interview with Payne at the March 27 board meeting he said, "Not tonight. But I will email you back and I'll my put phone number on there and then we can potentially set up a time. I'm really not doing interviews but let me think about it."
Payne did send an email the next day, but ABC57 was unable to set up an interview. A final email asking for at least a statement, went unanswered.
Former Brandywine School Board President Dennis Hinsey did agree to an interview request. He served on the school board for 16-years, until Payne was voted into the role last year.
I held every position from trustee to Secretary Treasurer, Vice President and most recently President up to December 31," Hinsey said.
Hinsey isn't surprised that the incumbents on the Brandywine school board were voted out in 2022.
With PACs pouring money into school board races, its fairly easy to flip control of who governs a school and for much less than it would cost to elect someone to the house or senate.
The 1776 Project PACs website shows theyve endorsed candidates all over the country, even impacting bigger school board races like in Miami-Dade County in Florida where over 300,000 students are enrolled.
Being a part of a political action committee is there's money funneled in all over the country to help advertise," Hinsey said. "And knowing that there were mailers going to homes, there was text messages, there was sponsored social media post, that all costs a lot of money, that the average person just trying to help his school or her school, they just won't do it. So, they had, you know, huge signs. It was basically name recognition.
Winning local school board races can impact education on a national scale as were seeing now with the push to censor books in schools with several states passing new laws.
In Indiana, lawmakers passed a bill in February to ban books harmful to minors in school libraries.
In Michigan, House Bill 4136 was also introduced in February. Called the library privacy act," it doesnt ban specific books, but calls for books with obscenities to be kept in age-restricted areas of a library.
Pen America, a left-leaning organization dedicated to promoting free speech and journalism, says 40% of book bans in the last year have been connected to political pressure or legislation designed to restrict and reshape teaching.
Hinsey thinks the push to ban books has become a talking point for politicians and it's not a real issue.
I went back and there was some push back last fall when I was President and we double checked, and I double checked, that in the last almost 20 years, there has never been a challenge from a parent for a challenge from anywhere about a book in the library [at Brandywine]," Hinsey said. We're not talking about kindergarteners, what do you consider sexually explicit? A National Geographic? You know, I mean, that's such a broad line. And we want kids, students to be able to maybe see something that they could be uncomfortable with, and ask, and because if we don't let them, they're going to find it. They're going to they're gonna learn about it one way or the other.
In the Brandywine school district, Hinsey explains that parents have always had the right to be involved in their childs education. He sees it as creating problems that dont exist.
The director of the American Library Associations Office for Intellectual Freedom, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, echoes that sentiment.
I can't think of a single public library for example that doesn't have a reconsideration policy in place that allows someone to raise a concern and talk about it with a librarian," Caldwell-Stone said.
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest non-partisan organization dedicated to library services in the world. Censorship challenges in school libraries are something Caldwell-Stone says can be detrimental to a childs educational success.
"When young people are allowed to read freely, they gain something from that and they're better citizens, they are better prepared to enter College, be effective parts of the military force, or join the workforce. And so, when we narrow their opportunity to learn, when we treat education as indoctrination rather than an opportunity to expand horizons, we can see the real impact on young lives," Caldwell-Stone said.
Caldwell-stone believes that book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the united states and, arguably, the most dangerous form too.
She says banning books can have major impacts on children, and society as a whole, by creating gaps in knowledge for young learners and undermining efforts to teach students to think for themselves.
We've seen quadrupling of the reports of censorship in school libraries in public libraries in the last year," Deborah Caldwell-Stone said. Ive done this work for 20 years and I've never seen numbers like this in the past and we're just really deeply concerned about the impact on young people's education, their ability to read widely about the world in general about their lives in particular and what it means for our democracy to have government agencies trying to tell individuals and tell families what they can and can't read.
According to the American Library Association, the number one most banned book in the last decade was "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
"Captain Underpants" (series) by Dav Pilkey is actually the second most banned book in America.
"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher ranks third, and "Looking For Alaska" by John Green is the fourth most banned book.
"Looking for Alaska" was recently challenged in the Coloma, Michigan school district. So far, no specific books have been banned locally, but the conversation over potential censorship in school libraries is ongoing.
You can read the full list of the most frequently challenged books here.
Go here to read the rest:
"The Battle Over Books:" Nationwide trend of book censorship ... - ABC 57 News
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- Executive Order to the State Department Sideswipes Freedom Tools, Threatens Censorship Resistance, Privacy, and Anonymity of Millions - EFF - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
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- Seizure of Sally Mann photographs in Texas revives old debates about obscenity, free expression - Free Speech Center - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
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- Meta back in the tent after agreeing to settle Trumps $25M censorship lawsuit - SiliconANGLE News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- We tried out DeepSeek. It worked well, until we asked it about Tiananmen Square and Taiwan - The Guardian - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Library Director Rachel Winner speaks on the role of libraries, Censorship. - Sullivan Daily Times - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Day 3: USC Conference on Censorship in the Sciences - Why Evolution Is True - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- DeepSeek Starts to Explain Tiananmen Square Massacre, Then Gets Caught by Built-In Censorship System - Futurism - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean? - NPR - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- DeepSeek is the hottest new AI chatbotbut it comes with Chinese censorship built in - Fortune - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Opinion | Conservatives Have No Interest in Censorship - The Wall Street Journal - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump and Elon Musk appear in Ben & Jerry's censorship lawsuit against Unilever, its parent company. Here's why. - Business Insider - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Disinformation experts blast Trumps executive order on government censorship as direct assault on reality - CNN - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Ben & Jerry's is accusing its parent company of censorship because it allegedly blocked a post that mentioned Donald Trump - Fortune - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- 'This is censorship': Trump freeze on communications forces medical journal to pull HHS authors' article - STAT - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Analysis | Trumps anti-censorship order has a blind spot - The Washington Post - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- The TikTok Ban: Foreign Influence Through Censorship, Propaganda, and Espionage - Independent Women's Forum - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- DeepSeek: This is what live censorship looks like in the Chinese AI chatbot - Trending Topics SEE - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Why President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning government 'censorship' - USA TODAY - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Government Officials Who Engaged In Censorship Must Be Held Accountable - The Daily Wire - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Statement from the Kids Right to Read Project on the U.S. Department of Educations Dismissal of Book Bans as a "Hoax" - Blogging Censorship - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- JD Vance says big tech firms still very much on notice for censoring conservatives: Face the consequences - New York Post - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Trump talks free speech while moving to muzzle those he disagrees with - Los Angeles Times - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Trump targets government censorship with new executive order - WXLV - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- What's behind a White House order ending 'federal censorship' - KUOW News and Information - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Trump Takes Aim at Social Media 'Censorship' With Executive Order - CNET - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- EU doubles down on social media censorship that will not be confined to Europe following concerns about Musks free speech policy on X - ADF... - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Is TikTok Turning Into a Censorship Machine? Users Witness New Restrictions After Trump's Order - Benzinga - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- FIRE to University of Texas at Dallas: Stop censoring the student press - Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Students concerned over censorship, career instability in wake of TikTok ban - Daily Free Press - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- TikTok Users Now On RedNote Are Starting To See One Very Big Problem With the App - Mic - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Tweeting the truth: Should social media companies have the right to censor content? - berkeleyhighjacket.com - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Kiehl's won't beat around the bush following ad censorship - Marketing Interactive - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Press freedom in Turkey declined further in 2024 amid censorship, arrests and intimidation: report - Stockholm Center for Freedom - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- America Is No Longer the Home of the Free Internet - The Atlantic - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Call for censorship culture to end as Unity Mitfords German diary is revealed - The Guardian - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Banning TikTok enables online censorship - Freedom of the Press Foundation - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Zuckerbergs conservative pivot fogs our understanding of censorship - Kansas Reflector - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- The TikTok ban isnt about national security its censorship and government control - The Hill - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- How the Trump administration threatens internet freedoms - Al Jazeera English - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Censorship or common sense? - Editor And Publisher Magazine - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- TikTok refugees flock to another (heavily censored) Chinese app - The Washington Post - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Bill Burr on Adapting His Ahole Vibe, Wanting a Hostile Crowd for New Hulu Special and How a Rabbi Changed His Perspective on Censorship (EXCLUSIVE) -... - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- In Russia, Reading Can Be Harmful To Your Health - Air Mail - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- The Media Is Giving Away Its Rights Even Before Trump Tries to Take Them - The Nation - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- How Trumps Return Is Pushing the Media to Self-Censor - Mother Jones - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- From Russia to the EU: The high stakes of Metas content moderation shift - Global Voices - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Meta is getting rid of fact checkers. Zuckerberg acknowledged more harmful content will appear on the platforms now - CNN International - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Mark Zuckerbergs excuse for ending fact-checking program is a hoax, say experts: It is a lie that we are censors - EL PAS USA - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Legislative Efforts Heat Up on Book, Curricular Censorship Attempts | Censorship News - School Library Journal - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Ok, Zuck: So You Say You're Going To Stop Censoring Conservatives; Call Me Skeptical | Tomi Lahren - Outkick - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Meta follows Musks lead on censorship but ad industry keeps its distance from panic - Digiday - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- How games might be the key to avoiding digital censorship - EurekAlert - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- The tyranny of woke censorship is finally over and its all thanks to Donald Trump - The Telegraph - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- If Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban, U.S. will see first-of-its-kind act of censorship | Opinion - Sacramento Bee - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Disney under pressure from conservative shareholders to disavow ad censorship - Washington Times - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Meta is Getting Rid of Fact-Checkers to Reduce Censorship on Facebook and Instagram - PetaPixel - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is moving moderators from California to Texas to combat concerns about bias and censorship - Business Insider - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Zuckerberg says Facebook will stop censoring and allow more political free speech: X effect - Must Read Alaska - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Students in every country have the right to free speech! Oppose the censorship of the Sri Lankan IYSSE! - WSWS - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Is the end of the Big Tech industrial censorship upon us? - The Spectator World - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Dont let Facebook off the hook for its pro-censorship past so easily - New York Post - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Mark Zuckerberg rolls back Meta censorship ahead of Donald Trump's return to White House - Washington Times - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Grounds of Getty Museum in LA Catch Fire, The Washington Posts Cartoonist Quits Over Censorship: Morning Links for January 8, 2025 - ARTnews - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Is this the end of the Big Tech censorship industrial complex? - The Spectator - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Comedian ended her 'Stockholm Syndrome' with the left, says it's become 'party of censorship' - Fox8tv - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Facebook Reverses Course On Censorship, Plus Is The Left Driven By Empathy Or Hate? with Dr. Gad Saad | Will Cain Show - Fox News - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Combating The Rising Threat Of Censorship In 2025 - The Daily Wire - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Social Media Companies Face Global Tug-of-War Over Free Speech - The New York Times - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Elon Musk accused of censoring right-wing X accounts who disagree with him on immigration - Sky News - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Conservatives continue to accuse Musk of censorship amid row over immigration - Anadolu Agency | English - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Conservatives Score Major Victory Against D.C. Censorship Cartel - AMAC Official Website - Join and Explore the Benefits - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Deepseek's V3 is the latest example of state-controlled censorship in Chinese LLMs - THE DECODER - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]