Dr. Adora Obi Nweze, NAACP Florida State Conference President and NAACP National Board of Directors, moved members of FAWCO and FAUSA with her talk about book banning laws in Florida and other states, which amount to a war on diversity. Dr. Nweze spoke of the laws and their devastating impact on children’s rights to a proper education, particularly those from the African American, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities. The trio of Florida state laws banning books are causing school libraries to shut down, teachers to be fired or to leave the profession in droves because of the draconian restrictions. This Zoom call presented by FAWCO’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Team (DEIB) and organized and hosted by Laureen Scharps, FAWCO Secretary, took place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. The recording is now available to view.
What can FAWCO and FAUSA members do to help? Dr. Nweze suggests that our members contribute by donating funds to buy books for needy children. Please make US dollar checks payable to NAACP Florida State Conference and send to: Mrs. Marsha Ellison, Treasurer, NAACP Florida State Conference, 1100 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311.
On the lower left side of the check, write “Donation – buy books for needy children.” Receipts and names of books will be sent to the donor. If you have questions, Mrs. Ellison can be reached at (407) 843-5320. You can also become a member of the NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in America which is also non-partisan. For further information, go to www.naacp.org.
Read more in these articles related to book banning on the FAWCO website:
Book Review: Ban this Book by Rebekka Klingshirn, Heidelberg IWC
Banned Books? Not in the AWCZ Library by Karyn Wynn, AWC Zürich
The Radical Notion Behind UN SDG 4 – FAWCO Education Team Op-Ed by Michelle Miller, AIWC Cologne
Education Roundup: June 2023 by Carol-Lyn McKelvey, FAUSA & AIWC Cologne
Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality Book List for the Holidays compiled by AWC Amsterdam VP Meredith Mani
More resources:
Here is an article by Kasey Meehan and Jonathan Friedman from Pen America with more information.