Multi-level barrage of US book bans is ‘unprecedented’, says PEN America

Censorship at local to federal level recalls past authoritarian regimes but this has never all happened at once'

Book banning in the US has surged in the past few years, fueled by conservative backlash against discussions of race, LGBTQ+ issues, and diversity teaching in public schools. Last week, the Donald Trump administration instructed the Department of Education to end their investigations into these bans, calling them a hoax".

PEN America, one of America's largest non-profits dedicated to protecting free expression in literature and beyond, warns that the current barrage of book bans and the growing traction of the movement is dangerously reminiscent of authoritarian regimes throughout history.