Tennessee County’s Sweeping Book Ban Draws National Criticism

Photo via Chalkbeat

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While book bannings have always been a tool employed by school districts to keep children from reading inappropriate content, those enacted by Wilson County, Tennessee, have become more than just a ban—they are a threat not only to the First Amendment, but to democracy in general.

Wilson County, Tennessee, just one county over from the state capital of Nashville, has recently released a list of approximately 400 books to be taken off the shelves in public schools in compliance with a state law passed this past summer. Tennessee House Bill 843, passed in April 2024, introduces sweeping changes to school library policies across the state. The legislation mandates that all library materials be age-appropriate and align with schools’ educational missions. It explicitly prohibits materials containing nudity, sexual content, excessive violence, or sadomasochistic abuse, and requires public schools to list their library collections online. Further, it states that citizens may challenge books currently allowed to stay in libraries. When these materials are challenged, the schools have 60 days to evaluate them, after which challengers can appeal to the state textbook commission. The bill, which became effective in July 2024, represents a significant tightening of control over school library content in Tennessee.

Wilson County released its controversial list of banned books this past October, including world-renowned children’s books such as “Pinkalicious” by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann and “Wacky Wednesday” by Dr. Seuss at the elementary school level. At the middle and high school levels, books that deal with social justice and LGBTQ+ issues such as “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker have been removed from the shelves. Many have expressed disapproval of this ban, including the authors of “Pinkalicious.” In an Instagram post that has received over three hundred thousand likes, they explain how the literacy rate in the United States is declining and that their book simply has a message to love yourself and eat in moderation, which provokes no reason for it to be banned. The comments under the post have become a place where people have taken to criticizing the government, with one comment emphasizing, “They’ll ban Pinkalicious but won’t ban the most fatal weapons in America…right, that makes sense.” This comment in particular received over twenty-seven thousand likes, and a majority of the replies agree with its sentiment.

Book removals from public school libraries threaten the foundation of student education and democracy. By restricting access to diverse perspectives and complex topics, these bans limit students’ ability to develop critical thinking skills and form independent opinions. In today’s day and age, with access to the internet, children have information at their fingertips—so why should this information be banned from their libraries? All of the challenged books, regardless of the topic, are significant literary works that provide valuable educational experiences and historical context. The removals often disproportionately impact works featuring marginalized voices and LGBTQ+ characters, effectively erasing critical perspectives from library shelves; this has been most clearly displayed with the book bannings in Tennessee. While it is understandable for schools to consider age-appropriateness when admitting books on library shelves, widespread book removals based on ideological grounds rather than educational merit violate students’ First Amendment rights and create a troubling precedent for censorship.

The mass removal of books from Wilson County school libraries represents more than a local policy change, however: it is a symptom of a broader movement threatening educational freedom and democratic values across America. It may begin in one state, but it lays the groundwork for similar bans to be enacted across the country. From children’s books about self-acceptance to acclaimed literature addressing social justice issues, these bans reflect an alarming willingness to suppress diverse viewpoints and challenge essential discussions in our public schools. As literacy rates decline and political polarization grows, we must question whether shielding students from books like “Pinkalicious” and “The Color Purple” truly serves their educational interests, or if it is a purely political move designed to assert control.

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This article was edited by Renee Agostini and Bowen Yao.