"We're meant to keep doing better. We're meant to keep discussing and debating. And we're meant to read books by great historical scholars and then talk about them..."
~ Jeff Breckenridge, ‘The West Wing’
Banned Books Week, which was September 18th – 24th, is a time for us to discuss books, what gets some banned and others not. Ones that are banned are opportunities for us to open conversations and discuss our differences, as well as our similarities.
We should look at what people are trying to shut down and ask: Why?
Why is To Kill a Mockingbird on the banned book list? Uncle Tom’s Cabin? The Hate U Give?
We should seek to understand rather than to shut out what makes us uncomfortable. We should have open, honest discussions where we strive to understand not only ourselves but others—their lives, their experiences, their thoughts and feelings. We should strive for empathy and education, and books have always been a great outlet to do just that. To start those conversations.
The American Library Association believes the same, which is why they are committed to working against book bans and are supporting the Unite Against Book Bans campaign. The theme of this year is the simple, powerful message that Books Unite Us – Censorship Divides Us.
This is something you can support long after Banned Books Week.
As we gear up for the release of The Price We Pay by Nikki T. Anthony, we realize that some of the difficult—but necessary—topics explored in it could put us in line to get banned the same way The Hate U Give has been. We know this, but we are undeterred to release this novel because we believe that powerful messages, even if uncomfortable, need to be discussed. If you believe the same, be sure to visit our crowdfunding campaign to learn more about it and to support Path To Publishing's movement and mission with The Price We Pay.