National News
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African American reading event highlights Black stories for children
Sunday, March 16th, 2025
via Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Iowa)Three children's book authors held storytime for a crowd of over 1,000. The event comes as a response to the Waterloo Community School District withdrawing from a similar event.
School Board – General, Book Bans
Mischaracterization, misfocus
Friday, March 14th, 2025
via Arkansas Democrat Gazette (Arkansas)As Arkansans fine-tune our citizen initiative and referendum (I&R) processes, it's important to remember that there is no national consensus on I&Rs: Half the states don't allow popular initiatives at all. Among states that do, it's a hodge-podge regarding what kind of initiatives are allowed (for amendments, statutes or referendums) and what rules apply to each (direct or indirect, petitioning rules and deadlines, majority percentage required, etc.).
Book Bans
Removing books from schools isn’t a book ban, South Carolina Superintendent says
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
via The Post and Courier (South Carolina)There's a big difference between removing pornographic books from schools and banning books, South Carolina Superintendent Ellen Weaver said at a women's event.
Book Bans
Removing books from schools isn’t a ban, SC superintendent says. She bristles at Nazi comparison.
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
via The Post and Courier (South Carolina)There's a difference between removing books from schools and banning them, SC Superintendent Ellen Weaver said. She was offended by comparison to Nazi Germany.
School Board – General, Book Bans
Hawaiʻi School Libraries Are Shrinking When Students May Need Them Most
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
via Honolulu Civil Beat (Hawaii)The number of school librarians in Hawaiʻi has declined dramatically over the past 20 years, despite an increased need to help students navigate misinformation and digital learning.
Book Bans
Ms. Freeman Goes to Salem
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
via Eugene Weekly (Oregon)By Martha Freeman The hero of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a newbie U.S. senator who speaks on the Senate floor for 25 hours to save himself and democracy. I did not have 25 hours when I went to…
Book Bans
RI’s public employees reveal their creativity as annual art show returns. How to go.
Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
via The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)A Department of Revenue worker who turns dried flowers into art. A fraud investigator who designs clothing. You'll find them and more at the art show.
Book Bans
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Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, wants Texas to require school lessons about ‘evil’ of communism
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
via The Texas Tribune (Texas)The prominent right-wing pastor told state lawmakers that an anti-communist curriculum is crucial to reaffirming that America is a 'Christian country.'
Racism, Book Bans
2025 Spring Arts Guide: Book Recommendations
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
via Washington City Paper (District of Columbia)From Lavender Con to Black Broadway to Joni Mitchell—there are plenty of literature events sure to grow your TBR list.
Book Bans
Fearing federal DEI policies, Waterloo schools withdrew from African American reading event
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
via The Des Moines Register (Iowa)Waterloo schools, a minority-majority district, declined to participate in the African American Read-In. The 1619 Freedom School is hosting its own instead.
Book Bans
In Roger Williams’ Rhode Island, banning books is a departure from our heritage
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
via The Boston Globe (Massachusetts)Bills recently introduced in the General Assembly would make it harder to take books off of public shelves by requiring that people challenging reading materials live near the school or library…
Book Bans
Meet the 4 candidates running for Wisconsin Rapids School Board in the April 1 election
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
via Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (Wisconsin)Incumbent Troy Bier will face challengers Craig Manka, Jaime Sparkes and Steven Wasmundt for two seats on the Wisconsin Rapids School Board.
School Board – General, Book Bans
The righteous right takes aim at Iowa’s public libraries
Sunday, March 9th, 2025
via The Gazette (Iowa)A librarian organizes books that have been returned on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, at the Ladd branch of the Cedar …
Book Bans, Parent Involvement
The week in politics: How TN’s immigrant education bill could threaten federal ed funding
Friday, March 7th, 2025
via The Jackson Sun (Tennessee)Plus, taxes on period products and an effort to honor Nashville hot chicken.
Book Bans
What books have groups tried to ban in RI schools? Here are the titles.
Friday, March 7th, 2025
via The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)Efforts to pull certain books from school shelves have been underway for years, with some success.
Book Bans
Make America speak English only? History shows it’s never spoken just one language.
Friday, March 7th, 2025
via San Antonio Express-News (Texas)Making America speak only one language ignores its history and that of a continent before Europeans arrived.
Book Bans
Nikole Hannah-Jones hosting read-in event in after district pulls out of similar event
Friday, March 7th, 2025
via Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Iowa)The event will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 at Waterloo West's auditorium. The first 300 families will receive a tote bag and copies of books for
Book Bans
Vermonters discuss book banning as more and more titles are barred from shelves
Thursday, March 6th, 2025
via WCAX-TV (Vermont)Toni Morrison is one of America's great authors, yet many of her books are banned in schools and libraries. On Thursday night, Vermonters reacted and experts weighed in on the trend of book banning.
Book Bans
RI ‘Freedom to Read’ bills would protect librarians from censorship prosecution. What to know.
Thursday, March 6th, 2025
via The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)Over the last several years, parents and organized groups have targeted 28 books for removal from RI school libraries.
Book Bans