We Are Stronger Than Censorship

“Book bans that are taking place right now at record pace are not just about inappropriate content—that’s not what they are about. This is merely another way for people to target our identities, our core humanity, and strip us away from compassion.”

—Cameron S., student activist for the freedom to read, SCBWI Impact & Lecagy Fund Book Changemakers Special 2024

“[This is] not a culture war… book bans are a fascist-style campaign of cultural erasure.”

—Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times “This Trans Author Toured Red-State Libraries. What She Found Might Surprise You.” Apr 17, 2024

“Censorship, particularly through the banning of books, is a dangerous tool wielded to silence those with opinions that challenge the status quo. Banning books deemed to contain ‘sensitive topics’ only serves to stifle students’ understanding of these topics, and hinders the formation of productive conversations.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“Reading it [Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret] made me feel so much less alone. It assured me that whatever I was experiencing was not some anomalous experience that no one could relate to.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“I yearned growing up for narratives that spoke directly to my experiences. That assured me that my identity, both as Black and Queer was not only valid but beautiful. It was through books like All Boys Aren't Blue that I discovered a narrative that resonated with my own.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“If this book would have been banned before I read it, I would never have understood the fear that someone who is a minority faces on a daily basis. By banning books we ban the opportunity for kids to grow.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“Being a Queer person in the south is not easy. We are already surrounded by so much hateful rhetoric. Having representation like this book [Juno Dawson's This Book is Gay] is not only affirming but also life saving.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“Growing up in a Jewish family, I had been told that books about my ancestors were being taken off of shelves. It was then that I realized the reason books about Jews, as well as other minorities, were being banned. They illuminated flaws in the system. Oppression pursued by powerful leaders.”

—Student Advocate for Free Speech, from Anti-Censorship PSAs, 2024

“Knowing your history is generational wealth.”

—Carole Boston Weatherford, Publishers Weekly "Black History Month 2025: Q&As with Black Picture Book Creators,” 2025