“A threat to one art form is a threat to all of us. »
That’s what LeVar Burton, the former host of “Reading Rainbow” and executive producer of the documentary 2023 «The right to read“, believes, and that’s why it’s partnered with MoveOn to launch a campaign with creative leaders to raise awareness about this dangerous form of censorship and exclusion. As a new school year has just begun, this letter is a timely response to Republicans ban a record number of books during the last school year, despite negative reactions and public opinion research showing that the majority of Americans oppose banning books.
“It’s embarrassing that we ban books in this countryin this culture, in this time,” says Burton. “And it’s dangerous that a handful of individuals decide that any book about black people and gay people is divisive.” I’m proud to be surrounded by hundreds of artists and millions of MoveOn members who strongly oppose this type of censorship. We call on everyone to join us in raising their voices for artistic freedom, embracing multicultural history, and ending book bans once and for all.
Celebrities raise their voices against book bans
And he doesn’t fight back alone. With this petition, Burton calls on celebrities and activists to join him by opposing book bans and defending the freedom to read and learn by signing his letter declaring that the “restrictive behavior” of book bans is “not only antithetical to freedom of expression and expression, but has a chilling effect on the wider creative field. »
More than 175 celebrities agree with him. Judy Blume, Sandra Cisneros, Ariana Grande, Roxane Gay, Amanda Gorman, Billy Porter, Chelsea Handler, Jodi Picoult, Gabrielle Union, Padma Lakshmi, Sharon Stone and others signed on, using their voices to denounce attacks on books. and the freedom to learn.
Push back against book bans: sign the petition and rock your products
Featured in “The Hollywood Reporter” The root, HuffPost, “People” magazineand more, the open letter asserts that “the government cannot and must not create any interference or dictate what people can produce, write, generate, read, listen to or consume.”
You too can join LeVar Burton and many across the country in condemning book banning and calling for an end to hateful censorship. Visit our site Artists Against Book Banning read and sign the complete letter.
Being part of National Banned Book Weekfrom October 1st to 7th, you can also proudly and visibly show your support by obtaining our exclusive “LeVar Burton says to read banned books» shirts, which have just fallen off! Your contribution will help raise money for our next Banned Bookmobile tour and purchase more banned books to distribute for free, fighting extremist politicians and their bans.
The Forbidden Bookmobile Fall Tour
We launched our Banned Bookmobile Tour campaign this year to fight book bans, have conversations with voters about fighting MAGA extremism, and provide resources for people to get involved in helping defeat the GOP by 2024.
We met many MoveOn members and supporters during our multistate tour this summer, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be on the road this fall as well!
That’s right, we’re starting our fall tour at the following stops:
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- Caroline from the south
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Washington DC
You can find out more about our Forbidden Bookmobile and keep up to date with the latest news at MoveOnBannedBookmobile.com.