National Black Justice Coalition Condemns Scholastic’s Decision to Segregate Books on Race, Gender, and Sexuality
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON –Following news that the children’s book publisher Scholastic will allow schools hosting book fairs to include or exclude a segregated section of titles that deal with race, gender, and sexuality, Dr. David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading Black LGBTQ+/SGL (same gender loving) civil rights organization, issued the following statement:
“Censorship is anti-democratic and undermines one’s freedom to learn. We condemn Scholastic for its decision to segregate books on race, gender, and sexuality at book fairs in a disappointing effort to appease a loud minority using politics to attack children and public schools to turn out voters using ignorance, fear, and hate. By allowing schools to censor and segregate this set of titles, which includes biographies of civil rights icon John Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, as well as literature portraying diverse family presentations, such as adoptive families and families with same-sex parents, Scholastic is succumbing to the pressure of discriminatory policies and demonstrating they do not value children or them learning about the beautifully diverse world they have been invited into.
“Scholastic has long been recognized for its commitment to education and the promotion of literature to foster inclusivity and understanding among our nation’s youth. However, the decision to create a separate section for books addressing race, gender, and sexuality undermines these principles and perpetuates divisiveness and prejudice. The decision also raises important questions about the leadership at Scholastic and what they value, as demonstrated by their actions.
“In a society where education should be a tool for enlightenment, it is disheartening to see a respected educational resource provider capitulate to hate. This segregation of books sends a distressing message, suggesting that the lived experiences and contributions of Black and LGBTQ+ individuals are somehow less valuable. According to a 2023 survey by the Trevor Project, nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.
“Nearly 2 in 3 young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school made their mental health a lot worse.
“66% of LGBTQ youth, including 80% of transgender and nonbinary youth, feel angry about policies that will ban books in school libraries that discuss LGBTQ topics. All children deserve to see themselves represented in schools, and decisions like this further harm them in ways that can exacerbate their mental health issues.
“Children don’t ask to be born. They don’t have a vote in the legislation targeting them or harmful policies passed by adults they’ve never met. They deserve better all of them.
“We call on Scholastic to retract this decision and recommit to its fundamental mission of providing educational resources that inspire young minds to learn, empathize, and grow. We implore Scholastic not to cave to states imposing ridiculous book ban policies that only serve to sow hate and discrimination by ‘other-ing’ Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
“Our collective responsibility is to ensure every child has access to diverse stories and voices. This is how we build empathy, combat ignorance, and foster an equitable future. Scholastic must recognize that it is possible to stand against certain states’ harmful, divisive policies without capitulating to them.”