Today, books that shaped my life—and many others—are being challenged in schools, bookstores, and libraries by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. Often, these “banned books” are written by or feature people of color and members of LGBTQ communities.
This year, I’m celebrating Banned Books Week and the freedom to read with people across the country. I wrote out a few of my thoughts, and wanted to share the stories of some folks who are working on this issue. barackobama.medium.com/heres-why-i-m-…
I'm thankful for leaders like Rebecca, one of our @ObamaFoundation Scholars, and Iesha who are making sure Chicagoans of all ages have access to powerful literature. obama.org/helping-kids-a…
I’m grateful for people like Cameron who fought censorship in Texas by organizing a student-led movement that eventually distributed more than 700 challenged or banned books. nbcnews.com/nbc-out/nbc-ou…
We also owe a debt of gratitude to the team at the Brooklyn Library, and everyone who is helping make sure that readers across the country have access to great books. nytimes.com/2022/09/12/nyr…
This Banned Books Week, I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the stories that need to be told. And I hope you’ll join me in reminding anyone who will listen—and even those who won’t—that the free, robust exchange of ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy.
@BarackObama First the racists wouldn’t let me out of my driveway because of my skin color,then they called the cops on me for no reason,then falsely accused me of driving fast around the neighborhood, now they’re on school board.This is what is happening in America.We need everything you got
@BarackObama I am an atheist, but I still believe that libraries are doing God's work.
@BarackObama In fact, more book reading is the way.
@BarackObama As a lifelong Okie, Oklahoma banning these books makes me want to go out and buy every single one of the titles on their list.
@BarackObama Remember Borders Books? Every pay day I would take my daughter there to get a new book & I’d get something for me too and she’d have hot cocoa and I’d have coffee. I miss fun book stores.
@BarackObama @iamgabesanchez We will defeat them every time
@BarackObama 1984 or The Giver or Animal Farm or even The Mysterious Benedict Society. Or anything by Athanasius or Augustine or Martin Luther. How about The Chronicles of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings. Maybe the Bible? I could go on.
@BarackObama @@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@????????@@@@@@@@
@BarackObama Glad to see Barack Obama citing & lauding the great, creative librarians at @BKLYNlibrary who responded to book banning by making library cards available to teens across the nation. #BooksUnbanned I've used & love 3 of our NYC library systems: Queens, Manhattan & Brooklyn. 💕