For the first time since her books and poems were on Florida’s restricted list, Amanda Gorman She reveals that her writing has attracted attention.
Appeared in CBS MorningOn Wednesday, the author of “The Hills We Climb” told how he learned that his book would be restricted at the Bob Graham Education Center in Miami-Dade County.
“There is a huge loophole where we expect that if we don’t burn books in the back of the school and throw them away, it’s not a ban…I think we need more understanding about the restrictions and removals that are going on.” said he. Gorman read her famous poem at her inauguration. President Biden In 2021..
“Just because a book is technically still in circulation doesn’t mean we maintain access to it,” she added. “If anything, we see a lot of rollbacks of that access.”
Ms Gorman said she experienced “a mixture of shock and sadness” after the book’s ban.
“I couldn’t understand why you would describe this work as inappropriate for elementary school students…When I wrote ‘The Hill We Climb’, I felt that I wanted young people to express themselves at our key moments.” It was very important to me to see that, given the history of democracy, and the young people who deserve to see themselves in such places and stations, that reality is erased in that moment , that was really disappointing,” Gorman continued.
Gorman also said many of the books were LGBTQ+-themed works or works that dealt with issues of race in America.
“You have to think about what kind of message it’s sending to young readers. It’s like saying, ‘If you’re African-American, you’re inappropriate. If you’re gay, you’re inappropriate. If you’re immigrant, you’re inappropriate.'” Gorman said. “And while there’s a big argument that it’s to protect children from ideas that are too advanced for them, when you look at the majority of books that are actually banned, it’s rather to create a bookshelf that isn’t banned. It represents the many facets of America.”
Interestingly, Daily Salinas, A parent who complained about the nature of Gornam’s writings admitted that he had only read parts of Gorman’s writings that he did not agree with.
“I’m no expert,” she said. “I’m not a reader. I’m not a reader. I’m an educating mother.”
Salinas argued that Gorman’s book did not match the curriculum.
Ultimately, a school committee decided that Gorman’s poetry and three other books were more suitable for middle school students.
More than 1,600 titles have been banned from school libraries for the 2021-2022 school year, affecting 138 school districts in 32 states, according to a PEN America report. Like Florida, Texas is leading an effort to overhaul books in public schools. Critics of the ban say it attempts to cover up the truth about systemic racism in America.
To address book regulation, Ms. Gorman partnered with Penn America, which “advocates for free expression and defends writers around the world,” to bring her and other banned books back into circulation. .
