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The author examines the relationship between the legacy of slavery and book banning in American schools and prisons, arguing that book banning is a modern form of antiliteracy laws, known as "slave codes," that were enacted during enslavement.
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.
-FREDERICK DOUGLASS, NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS
I begin this work with the above epigraph from Douglass to historicize the argument this article contributes: tactics utilized during enslavement, specifically anti-literacy laws, directly correlate with modern-day book banning in American schools and prisons. Frederick Douglass is known as the father of the abolitionist movement, and his autobiography is considered one of the most prominent and influential slave narratives to date. However, it is banned in many prisons and classroom libraries in states with laws against teaching critical race theory (CRT). Douglass did not liberate himself and countless others from enslavement by learning to read and write just for us to ban his autobiography in the places that need it the most. Narrative cf the Lfe cf Frederick Douglass teaches the power of self-determination and justice, and it belongs where teaching and learning are paramount. This article illustrates my experience as a secondary English teacher dedicated to raising awareness of oppressive cycles rooted in slavery, such as book bans that impact generations of marginalized people in America.
IN MY CLASSROOM
In 2021, I was the only Black secondary English teacher at a private school in Pennsylvania. I was assigned to teach two sections of English 1 and two senior electives: Imprisonment Literature and Creative Nonfiction. I felt profoundly motivated to teach diverse literature that amplified underrepresented voices after devastating events in 2020 that exposed societal injustices and highlighted the urgent need for inclusivity. I sought to engage my students in exploring the lessons of the past and empower them to work toward a future where we can live free from its cycles. In Imprisonment Literature, I focused on mass incarceration and enslavement; in Creative Nonfiction, I focused on exploring and celebrating diverse identities through memoirs. This included books such as Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System by Cyntoia Brown-Long and All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Due to these...