A Texas county reversed its decision to classify a Native American history book as fiction in all public libraries after receiving widespread criticism and backlash from authors, advocacy groups, and the publishing industry.
The controversy began in September, when an anonymous member of Montgomery County, Texas, challenged "Colonization and the Wampanoag Story," a nonfiction book by Native American historian Linda Coombs. As a result, the book was moved to the fiction section, the Washington Post reported.
Ultimately, the decision sparked outrage among community members as the county-appointed citizens review committee who made the decision had no formal literary background or library training. Additionally, many were upset at those who questioned the factual accuracy of Native American history and experiences.
"This feels a lot more like whitewashing or rewriting history ... And that feels really scary," Anne Russey, co-founder of Texas Freedom to Read Project, told the outlet.
Authors, advocates, and organizations like PEN America and Penguin Random House penned an open letter asking the county to reconsider its decision, citing the move to reclassify the book undermined the truths of what actually happened.
"'Colonization and the Wampanoag Story' is a carefully researched, fact-based account of the Indigenous perspective of the tribes of the New England area on the impacts of European colonization," the letter states. "Moving it to the fiction section communicates distrust of material that reflects the truths of our American history."
Following public outcry and pressure from literary organizations to reverse the move, the Montgomery County Commission reinstated the book to its original nonfiction category. The switch up came just days after the initial reclassification.
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