Black literature faces challenges during Banned Books Week
As Banned Books Week approaches, discussions have emerged regarding the targeting of literature written by Black authors in American school districts and public libraries. Titles such as ‘The Bluest Eye’, ‘Beloved’, ‘The Color Purple’, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’, ‘Invisible Man’, and ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ have been subject to challenges or bans.
The current movement is framed as having deep historical roots, tracing back to anti-literacy laws during enslavement. Following emancipation, Black literacy rates increased from roughly 20% in 1870 to nearly 70% by 1910. Despite the constraints of Jim Crow segregation, Black educators helped push literacy rates past eighty percent by 1930.
Historical shifts, including desegregation, led to the closure of many Black schools and libraries and placed Black students under the authority of white-led school boards. This transition preceded contemporary censorship campaigns targeting integrated educational spaces.
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What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Black literacy rates reached over eighty percent by 1930 due to efforts by Black educators during the Jim Crow era. praisebaltimore.com · praisehouston.com · rickeysmileymorningshow.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Several books by Black authors, including The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple, have faced challenges or bans in American school districts and public libraries. praisebaltimore.com · praisehouston.com · rickeysmileymorningshow.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Black literacy rate rose from approximately 20% in 1870 to nearly 70% by 1910. praisebaltimore.com · praisehouston.com · rickeysmileymorningshow.com