How Teachers and Librarians Are Subverting Book Bans in the U.S.

Book bans are surging in the U.S., according to a recent report by the American Library Association. A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship in 2022, the ALA reported. Even as these laws proliferate, educators and librarians are finding creative ways around them. Jesse Hagopian, a high school teacher in Seattle and organizer with the Zinn Education Project, believes the wave of legislation that “imposes gag orders on teachers” is a backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and the increasing numbers of people embracing their transgender identities.