Abstract
This essay examines the alarming rise of U.S book. Our stance is grounded in our experiences as educators and academics in Florida, the state with the highest number of book bans and legislation that has significantly impacted education. Book bans infringe on freedom of expression, right to access information, = students’ right to education, and real harm to targeted communities (i.e., LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities), as the bans contribute to the ongoing marginalization and stigmatization of these communities. Diverse representation is key in literature and education. Banning popular culture texts from the classroom stifles critical thinking, social dialogue, and, ultimately, social progress. We advocate for continued resistance to censorship and insistence of honoring students’ rights to a comprehensive, diverse, richly imaginative, factual, and inclusive education.
Recommended Citation
Perez, Barbara and caputi, jane
(2025)
"The Current 'Ban-demic': School Book Bans in the U.S.,"
Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dialogue/vol12/iss1/6
Included in
American Popular Culture Commons, Community-Based Learning Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Queer Studies Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Social Justice Commons, Women's Studies Commons