Senate resolution expresses concern about book banning and increasing threats to freedom of expression across the country and the value to our democracy to students learning from many voices

Book bans have affected Georgia communities, like Cobb and Forsyth County Schools

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I’m proud to help lead this Senate resolution which expresses concern about the alarming rise of book bans in our nation. Our children are smarter, and our democracy is more vibrant, when our students have access to the many different voices and perspectives that make our nation great”

ICYMI in The Root: “Senator Raphael Warnock On The Alarming Calls To Ban Books And What To Do About It”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) co-led his Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution expressing concern about book banning and increasing threats to freedom of expression across the country. This resolution calls on local governments and school districts to protect the rights of students and educators to learn and teach diverse perspectives. According to PEN America, the 2022-2023 school year saw 3,362 instances of book bans.

“We have to push back against this idea that somehow our children cannot handle the truth of the complicated world we live in and of our American story,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “I’m proud to help lead this Senate resolution which expresses concern about the alarming rise of book bans in our nation. Our children are smarter, and our democracy is more vibrant, when our students have access to the many different voices and perspectives that make our nation great.”

The resolution identifies many harmful consequences of book bans on specific groups, such as students with historically marginalized backgrounds, educators and librarians in surveillance-oriented environments, authors, parents, and community members. For example,37% of unique banned or restricted titles from July 2021 to December 2022 address race in some capacity, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

The resolution resolves that the Senate expresses concern about increasing threats to freedom of expression, reaffirms a commitment to supporting the freedom of expression of writers, and calls on local governments and school districts to protect the rights of students, educators, and librarians to learn and teach diverse perspectives.

Along with Senator Warnock, the resolution is spearheaded by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and cosponsored by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

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