It’s National Library Week, so I’ve been thinking a lot about knowledge and the idea that knowledge should be readily available – for all. An informed populace is crucial to the health of the nation and a bulwark of democracy. The ability to think, to reason, to avoid being fooled, all these notions are tied to reading and easy access to the wisdom of the ages.
And this is exactly why libraries – and their contents – are under siege these days.
HuffPost’s Jennifer Bendery recently told readers:
“Librarians are living in constant fear. They have become the targets
of Republican politicians and far-right groups like Moms for Liberty
Liberty that are hellbent on burning books about LGBTQ+ people,
people of color and racism. Some librarians are quitting their jobs
because of constant harassment; others are getting fired for
refusing to clear shelves of books that conservatives don’t like.”
If that’s not bad enough – and it is – Bendery informs us there’s another evil twist in the tale: “The GOP’s censorship campaign has shifted from book bans to legislation threatening librarians with jail time.” Idaho’s tried several times to enact such legislation; this February, West Virginia passed a bill “making librarians criminally liable if a minor comes across content that some might consider obscene.” Idaho, Iowa, Alabama, and Georgia are also considering various means of keeping books they don’t like off the shelves...and they’re not alone.
The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shared some frightening statistics: “The number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.”
Given these ever-more-frequent, ever-more-strident attacks, what can a concerned reader do to stem the tide of book-banning?
PEN America, an organization whose mission “is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible,” offers a number of ways to make one’s voice heard. Whether you’re a student, a parent, an author, or a librarian, PEN America provides advice, assistance, and resources to keep you informed and ready to push back.
The need to support the nation’s libraries is more urgent than ever. In Bendery’s HuffPost piece, American Library Association President Emily Drabinski draws a chilling conclusion: “What gets lost in conversations about book banning is that it’s really about eliminating the institution of the library, period. It’s not about the books. Well, it is about the books, but the books are the way in to gut one of the last public institutions that serves everyone.”
“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture,” Ray Bradbury once said. “Just get people to stop reading them.”
Bradbury was one of the 20th century’s finest fabulists, the author of The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the worldwide blockbuster Fahrenheit 451. Published in 1952, the novel Fahrenheit 451 is set in a future where books are illegal and firemen don’t put out fires – they start them. Printed matter is what they burn.
Bradbury was writing in the tense, paranoid early years of the McCarthy era. But he might as well have penned those words last Thursday.
Support your local library. Speak up for the voices the hate-mongers would shut down. Before – as history’s proven again and again – they try to shut down yours.
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Students fight a book ban by giving away free banned bookswww.youtube.com
The New York Public Library has also weighed in on the matter, you can find its suggestions here.
Michelle Obama Launches Initiative to Reach Young Voters and Increase Voter Turnout
In 2016, 43% of eligible voters—nearly 100 million Americans—didn't vote.
In 2018, Michelle Obama launched an initiative called When We All Vote.
Her nonpartisan organization is dedicated to closing the race and age voting gaps, getting young people to the polls, and making the voting process more accessible and appealing to all.
Partners included Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monáe, Chris Paul, Faith Hill, Selena Gomez, Liza Koshy, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Rita Wilson, as the organization engaged with millions of voters prior to the 2018 election. Hosting over 2,500 in-person events led to 2018's boundary-breaking turnout.
In 2020, when in-person organizational opportunities are largely off the table, When We All Vote is focusing its energy on digital initiatives and online content. Today, Michelle announced the start of a new digital initiative called Vote Loud, which aims to reach and inspire young people in order to get them to the polls on Election Day.
Announced the day after National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 23rd, Vote Loud aims to reach young voters—specifically BIPOC voters between the ages of 18 and 24—by meeting them where they are: on the Internet.
So far, the organization has partnered with a variety of celebrities to create bite-sized video content. Gaten Matarazzo starred in a video about the environment, Lisa Koshy spoke out about healthcare. Khalid created videos about taxes and thugs, and Becky G spoke on women's issues.
Your Voice | Environmentwww.youtube.com
Your Voice | Taxeswww.youtube.com
Your Voice | Thugswww.youtube.com
Your Voice | Immigrationwww.youtube.com
Your Voice | Protestingwww.youtube.com
The organization is also working with brands like Gucci Changemakers, WarnerMedia, and Houseparty in order to reach additional voters. As part of the initiative, Houseparty is releasing a new game called Pick Me! that will encourage users to vote.
"We've got to do a better job of speaking directly to the motivations and unique challenges that young and first-time voters face around voting," Michelle Obama said. "That's a big part of the reason why I created When We All Vote—to spark important conversations, share critical resources, and make sure people get registered and get out to vote. It's up to all of us to encourage and work with the next generation to really change the culture around voting."
Another influential political figure also made a call for young voters recently: In a new video, Senator Bernie Sanders made an impassioned plea for young voters to get to the polls.
Young People Can Transform This Election
"I am 79, and I am angry. If I were 18 or 20, I would be very, very, very angry," Sanders said. "I would be angry that I can't afford to go to college. Or I'm leaving school deeply in debt. I would be furious that we have a president who demonizes the Latino community...I would be angry that I can't afford healthcare or I can't afford decent housing."
Sanders continued, "And what you have heard from all our wonderful panelists and great organizations is that the future of our country and in fact the future of the entire world rests with the younger people. They are a beautiful generation, a progressive generation. A compassionate generation. And what we have to do now in the next six weeks is to make sure that everyone in that generation registers to vote, gets their friends, co-workers, family members out to vote, and when we do that...we can rethink America...and create a government and a nation that works for all of us."
In 2016, 43% of eligible voters—nearly 100 million Americans—didn't vote. The United States also has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world, according to Forbes. Initiatives like When We All Vote aim to change this, but they face a variety of challenges.
Statistics show that marginalized communities and young voters face the highest barriers to voting. Voter suppression and disenfranchisement are ongoing problems, and the COVID-19 pandemic will make voting even more complicated this year. Many people will also be voting absentee, a process that requires (among other tedious steps) successfully mailing multiple letters and meeting a variety of deadlines.
Research shows that today's young people are mobilized and ready to make their voices heard. Now all that's left to do is actually get the people to the polls.
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