Ideas are powerful. That’s why intellectual freedom is protected by the First Amendment — and it's also why governments sometimes try to suppress them. Join us for Banned Books Trivia to honor the American Library Association's 39th Annual Banned Books Week.
Registration is free but required. This event will be held over Zoom. You can download Zoom free for your computer here, or for your smartphone wherever you download your apps.
Since its founding, the ACLU has fought to make sure Americans have the right to read what they want. Despite our many victories, there are still misguided attempts to ban books. The American Library Association keeps track — some of the most frequently challenged books from the past few years range from Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' to 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' to 'Captain Underpants.' See the full list from the American Library Association here.
The latest attempts in Kentucky to censor what we read have come in the form of proposals to ban critical race theory, something that is not even taught in public schools. The bills Kentucky lawmakers have pre-filed for the 2021 legislative session are clearly about censorship – not CRT – as they would ban public schools, colleges, and universities from even discussing "concepts related to race, sex, and religion."
Despite these attempts, you can't keep a good book down and we'll keep fighting to protect your right to read whatever you want.
