Book Ban in Texas

By Sruja Peruka
Trendsetter Team

Books are a staple in a child’s education. From English classes to libraries, students interact with books daily. But, as summer ends and students return to school, some books will be unavailable due to recent regulations. It might seem like a dystopian concept to withdraw something as universal as books, but as of July 2021, it’s been a reality all over the US and in Texas. With the book ban now implemented, and as students return to school from summer break, the results may affect students in their formative years. Selected books available for checkout have been reconsidered due to a parent-local government decision that has required some schools to censor themes on race, history, sexual orientation, and gender in books.

This has applied to schools all across the United States but in Texas, people have witnessed books such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabeand and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, etc., being challenged for specific themes displayed in the books according to The Texas Tribune.

Aside from their educational uses, this form of censorship has been justified to protect children from exposure to harmful content, including sexual or violent content, as it is unsuitable for specific age groups. Still, this legislation has crossed paths to ban books that could benefit young audiences, like those that cover facing racism and embracing sexuality. Books could be seen as a support system that allows kids to have human interactions to simply see a representation of their race, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.

The ban originated from many parent concerns and was later translated into state laws. But others found a fault in the new regulations for kids.

“I think it’s overall less of a rounded, you know, outlook on society,——– I mean, they will have access to these books otherwise, but how they even know about them if they didn’t have access to them in schools and public libraries?

[Murali Nanchala, parent of two]

Students like Paige Gurnsey, an avid reader now going to college, feel this will be an issue for future generations.

“I feel as though by taking these books away from libraries, it is completely taking away that opportunity and freedom people have to have those important open conversations and educate the children and youth of today with those important topics so that they’re familiar with it and can help more people around them and spread more love and positivity.”

While new generations will have access to the internet forever, which will inevitably be a form of education, they may not experience the same effect books could be in a child’s education that could shape their character.

Sruja Peruka is a Scripps Howard Foundation Emerging Journalists Intern with Texas Metro News through the University of North Texas.