A.Below are sample talking points developed by the ACLU and partners that aim to highlight the danger of efforts to ban books and censor robust classroom discussions.
All students have a right to read and learn free from censorship.
All students have a First Amendment right to read and learn about the history and viewpoints of all communities — including their own identity— inside and outside of the classroom.
Book bans and classroom censorship efforts work to effectively erase the history and lived experiences of women, people of color and LGBTQ people and censor discussions around race, gender and sexuality that impact people’s daily lives.
The first amendment protects the right to share ideas, including educators’ and students’ right to receive and exchange information and knowledge.
Freedom of expression protects our right to read, learn and share ideas free from viewpoint-based censorship.
Book bans in school and public libraries—places that are central to our abilities to explore ideas, encounter new perspectives, and learn to think for ourselves—are misguided attempts to try to suppress that right.
All young people deserve to be able to see themselves and the issues that impact them reflected in their classrooms and in the books they’re reading.
All students benefit from having access to inclusive teaching where students can freely learn and talk about the history, viewpoints, and ideas of all communities in this country.
Every student should have the right to receive an equitable education and have an open and honest dialogue about America’s history.