Now & Then podcast [View all]

Bans & Schools: Book Panics

"Book bans are back. What’s causing this resurgence? What have similar acts of censorship meant throughout American history? And how should concerned citizens respond? In this first installment of a special three-part series, “Bans & Schools: Book Panics,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss three past book panics: the political uproar over Hinton Helper’s 1857 The Impending Crisis of the South, the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial over the teaching of evolution, and the 1966 Virginia school controversy over Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Tune back in next week for a closer look at the specific role of schools in the battle over bans and censorship."

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bans-schools-book-panics/id1567665859?i=1000550410592


This was a very interesting discussion comparing book bans from the past with the current political actions in Tennessee and other red states. The last five minutes were an impactful summation on the use of book bans as political power plays. If you have 50 minutes to spare, I would highly recommend this (especially if you enjoy Heather Cox Richardson's daily Letters from an American ).