Banned Books Week: This Story Matters
Censorship continues a record-breaking sweep across our nation in the form of book bans, removal of literacy materials from school libraries, and the limitation on educators’ speech in the classroom. Teachers, parents, and citizens often feel hopeless when seeking ways to combat censorship, but there are some novel approaches recently taken by libraries, associations, and educators that support a student’s right to read.
Join us for “This Story Matters,” an in-person event on Tuesday, September 20, at 5:30 p.m. to hear about these approaches, ask questions about censorship efforts and the challenges facing educators today, and learn how you can support the fight for intellectual freedom.
About NCTE and the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center
The National Council of Teachers of English is the nation’s oldest organization of pre-K through graduate school literacy educators. NCTE applies the power of language and literacy to actively pursue justice and equity for all students and the educators who serve them, and it offers guidance, tools, and other resources to support teachers facing classroom censorship challenges through its Intellectual Freedom Center.
Speakers
LaMar Timmons-Long is a vibrant educator who believes that every student deserves access to an equitable and transformative educational experience. His main work centers around ethnic studies, racial linguistics, anti-racist education, intersections between literacy, social justice, and language, as well as students experiencing disabilities. LaMar teaches English in New York City and holds a Master of Education in Special Education. He is also a professor at Pace University in the School of Education.
Leigh Hurwitz is Coordinator of School Outreach Services at Brooklyn Public Library. Leigh is also currently involved in BPL’s Books Unbanned initiative, a response to the tactical surge in book bans and censorship across the country, disproportionately affecting teens. Leigh’s other professional areas of interest include comics, inclusive and affirming gender and sexuality education for all ages, and fostering connections between library collections and programming.