Ayanna Pressley Introduces Bill to Counter Book Bans Nationwide

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat, has introduced the Books Save Lives Act, a bill aimed at stopping censorship and book bans in public schools and libraries, during a speech Thursday on the House floor in a determined effort to combat the escalating trend of book bans across the United States. Afterward, Pressley hosted a discussion on book bans in a comprehensive roundtable at the Library of Congress.

The bill focuses on ensuring that public and school libraries receiving federal financial assistance maintain a diverse collection of books, including voices from underrepresented communities. It also seeks to enforce civil rights by classifying the exclusion of diverse books as a form of discrimination in violation of various federal civil rights laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of having trained librarians in primary and secondary schools, recognizing their crucial role in fostering educational environments that are both diverse and inclusive. The legislation calls for the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of book bans on underrepresented communities, aiming to provide data to inform future policies and actions.

“There are draconian forces using very hateful rhetoric and then codifying that rhetoric into laws,” Pressley told The Advocate in an exclusive interview. “They are anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-woman. So I think this fight really sits at the intersection of all of their efforts, both in hate speech and hateful and harmful policies.”

Pressley continued, “When you’re working every day as a marginalized person, [you’re] acutely aware that your very existence is the resistance. Our existence is the resistance.”

During the 2022-2023 school year, more than 3,362 books were banned — a staggering 33 percent increase from the previous year, according to PEN America’s report “Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor.”

These bans, Pressley pointed out, don't just target books but also seek to marginalize communities and restrict freedom of expression.

The bill’s introduction comes at a time when book bans are increasing at an alarming rate. These bans, as highlighted in the roundtable and supported by data, predominantly affect books addressing race, racism, or LGBTQ+ themes, or featuring characters of color or those identifying as LGBTQ+. “They do not believe that LGBTQ people are something that is okay to talk about. They believe our very existence and the acknowledgment of our existence is obscene,” noted Cathryn Oakley, senior director for legal policy at the Human Rights Campaign.

On the House floor, Pressley passionately spoke in favor of her bill. “In my home state of Massachusetts, libraries saw challenges to books quadruple,” Pressley said.

Ayanna Pressley Unveils Bill to Confront Rise in Book Bans, Ensure Inclusive Learning Environmentsyoutu.be

“Let me make it plain: Book bans are discriminatory and harmful, and Congress must unite against them,” she said.

The lawmaker highlighted the intersectionality of the struggle against book bans to The Advocate, linking them to broader societal issues like abortion rights and the ongoing fight against systemic discrimination. “Bans on bodies, bans on books, all of them are assaults on freedom,” she said, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these connections to address and counteract these bans effectively while also finding ways to encourage Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to stand in opposition to censorship.

Moreover, Pressley shared a personal anecdote to illustrate the profound impact books can have.

“As a child who endured a mere decade of childhood sexual abuse, it was not until I read that book as a young girl that I realized I was not alone,” she said, reflecting on her own experiences with Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

During the roundtable conversation, the real-world threats of book bans became a focal point of the discussion. Educators face threats of job termination for providing banned books, while authors expressed disillusionment over their works being excluded from libraries, according to Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program at PEN America.

“These attacks rely on authoritarian tactics of fear, intimidation, and silencing,” said Meehan.

Pressley noted that the Books Save Lives Act complements other legislative efforts to counter book bans, including the Right to Read Act and the Fight Book Ban Act.

This suite of legislative offerings represents a collective effort to safeguard intellectual freedom and the availability of diverse perspectives in literature.

Pressley also addressed the pervasive nature of book bans and their impact beyond just the literary world. “What we’re witnessing is not just a challenge to specific books but a broader challenge to our rights to freedom of expression and thought,” Pressley said.

She further highlighted the need for proactive measures in the fight against censorship, underscoring the role of federal intervention. “Local actions are important, but there’s a critical need for federal legislation like the Books Save Lives Act to provide a unified response to this wave of censorship,” she explained.

Pressley pointed out the detrimental effects on minority communities if book bans continue to at the rate they have been in recent years.

“When books about LGBTQ+ experiences, racial struggles, or other marginalized narratives are banned, it sends a dangerous message of exclusion and erasure,” she said. “This isn’t just an issue for writers, educators, or librarians. It’s an issue that concerns all of us who believe in a free and inclusive society.”