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The Conversation
The Conversation
Wintre Foxworth Johnson, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, University of Virginia

Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human

Libraries
Reading contemporary children's books that showcase the daily lives of Black kids and their families have benefits for all children. Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images North America

Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 bans on individual books in libraries and public schools.

Many of these bans remove Black and LGBTQIA+ literature from bookshelves. Approximately 44% of the books banned in 2024 and 2025 featured characters of color and 39% featured characters who identify as LGBTQIA+.

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