The poem, The Hills We Climb, written and read by Amanda Gorman at Joe Biden’s inauguration as president has now been banned by a school in Florida.
The poem was one of several texts reportedly challenged by a parent of two students for referencing critical race theory or gender ideology. The parent says that the text is not age appropriate for the school. The Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes teaches grades K-8. The school decided in April to restrict Gorman’s piece as well as three other titles, to middle school students only.
“The government should not foster censorship by proxy, allowing one person to decide what ideas are out of bounds for all,” Nadine Farid Johnson, counsel and managing director of PEN America Washington, said in a statement regarding the lawsuit.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the poet shared her thoughts on the banning.
“So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with (Oprah Winfrey) fail to specify what parts of my poetry they object to, refuse to read any reviews, and offer no alternatives…Unnecessary book bans like these are on the rise, and we must fight back,” she tweeted.
This is the latest in the statewide banning of books. An elementary school in Pinellas County banned the movie Ruby Bridges in March. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was banned in the same county as well. The Wakulla County school district decided to remove Little Rock Nine from its libraries.