Book bans are making headlines again, and not in a good way. Across the U.S., schools and libraries are pulling thousands of books off the shelves, sparking debates about free speech, censorship, and whose stories get told. Groups like PEN America report that more than 10,000 book bans have happened in the last school year alone, affecting over 4,000 different titles.
A striking pattern has emerged in the selection of banned books: a disproportionate number of feature narratives about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. PEN America's report reveals that 36% of the banned titles spotlight characters or real-life figures of color, with 44% of banned history and biography books focusing on people of color, and 26% specifically highlighting Black individuals. Additionally, 29% of the banned books include LGBTQ+ themes, with a notable emphasis on transgender and genderqueer characters. (PEN 2025)
While some of these book bans are pushed by school boards or politicians, many come from a small but vocal group of individuals. Individuals like Bruce Friedman, dubbed the "Michael Jordan of book banning," have taken it upon themselves to challenge and remove books they deem inappropriate. Friedman, a 59-year-old father from Florida, has successfully campaigned for the removal of numerous titles, including Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and a biography of Leonardo da Vinci, citing reasons ranging from sexual content to the promotion of ideologies he opposes. (The Sunday Times)
These bans don’t just affect books—they affect people. Librarians and teachers are being harassed, even losing their jobs, for standing up against censorship. Some have even been targeted in lawsuits for refusing to remove books. Thankfully, a lot of people aren’t staying quiet about this. Groups like the American Library Association’s Unite Against Book Bans campaign are rallying support to push back against censorship.
At the end of the day, book bans aren’t just about what’s in a library or classroom—they’re about whose voices get heard and whose experiences get erased. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or just someone who cares about free expression, this is an issue that affects all of us. The good news? More and more people are fighting back, and if history has shown us anything, it’s that censorship never wins in the long run.
