US schools attempted to ban 49 books in 2013 - Ralph Ellison,Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Isabel Allende
/Censorship in American schools and libraries is on the rise as more institutions attempt to ban books tackling racial and sexual issues, as well as those written by minorities, according to the anti-censorship group Kids’ Right to Read Project.
In a report by the Guardian, the KRRP stated it has dealt with 49 separate cases of book bannings across 29 states this year, up more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. November alone found the group, part of the National Coalition Against Censorship, investigating three times the typical number of book bannings in the United States.
“Whether or not patterns like this are the result of co-ordination between would-be censors across the country is impossible to say,” said Acacia O'Connor to the Guardian. “But there are moments, when a half-dozen or so challenges regarding race or LGBT content hit within a couple weeks, where you just have to ask ‘what is going on out there?’”
While most of the complaints filed have been done so by parents or local school districts, there have also been cases where state and local officials have gotten involved. According to the group, some of the books targeted include “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, and “The House of the Spirits,” by Isabel Allende.
