I recently started rereading “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, which got me thinking about all of the books being taken off school reading lists because they discuss topics pertaining to race, American history, and slavery. To understand American history, one must understand the history of race and racism in the United States. However, state houses across the country are attempting to erase the brutal history of a country that has subjugated racial and ethnic groups for generations.
I am increasingly worried about the number of authors who are added to the banned books list each month. It is not surprising that the vast majority of authors on the list are women and authors of color. However, Mark Twain has made his way onto several banned books lists, which is of great concern to me. Having read many of his books (my favorite is “Pudd’nhead Wilson”), I believe that Twain’s laser-like precision in how he details the American south (and north) from a particular time period should be known to all Americans.
Many people find it odd that Mark Twain is one of my favorite authors. He wrote during a time when Black people in America were not seen as human, and many of his stories reflect the inequities and racism that were baked into the foundation of this country. However, I realize the problem is not necessarily with Twain’s writings but often with how Twain is taught in schools by people who do not know how to adequately dissect the complex and racist history of this country. Twain may not be a perfect vehicle to explain American history, but he is certainly an important window into the past that should not be erased.
Most students will not have the opportunity to visit the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Conn., to see how the famous author lived. Sadly, most students will not be able to experience a window into his writing process. By decreasing the importance of an author like Mark Twain, or James Baldwin, or Toni Morrison, we are denying future generations of the opportunity to see themselves in the literature, as well as where and how they fit into this country and the world more broadly.
It is imperative that we pay attention to debates happening at our local school board levels, as well as in our state houses. The censorship of great American literature is happening at a rapid pace and we cannot deny future generations of the ability to read and digest brilliant writers.
I hope you will find time to read some of the recently banned books so you can see why and how these words are so important to our future democracy and our humanity. To find out more about banned books, go to the American Library Association at www.ala.org.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and a 2023–24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.