Book Bans and Censorship | People for the American Way

Education is essential to a thriving democracy. We won’t let book banners and deniers of truth take it away.

Woman holding a sign framing her face that says #TeachTruth

Photo by Sam Mallon/Education Week

Assaults on education threaten our kids

We support the right of teachers to teach, and students to learn, the full and complicated history of our country. In school districts and libraries across the country, far-right extremists are working to ban books and water down any curriculum that does not fit their narrow political ideology. These attacks frequently target content by and about Black and brown people, LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, religious minorities, and more. They distort history and science, harm kids, leave them unprepared for the future, and doomed to repeat the past.

A group of protesters hold signs that say "read with pride" and "ban fascists, save the books"

Extremists oppose fact-based education

Anti-education extremists seek to indoctrinate our children and weaken our public schools. Their method? Opposing fact-based and inclusive educational curricula and materials and attacking educators and librarians who stand up for the truth. Because these attacks are on the rise, we must rise to the challenge.

Because of People For…

25K+

Petition signatures

More than 25K activists have signed their names to successful petitions opposing book bans and censorship.

600+

Activists rallied

Outstanding groups of activists have attended rallies and protests led by People For Foundation's Grandparents For Truth program.

6

Cities hosting clubs

Six key cities have Grandparents For Truth clubs launched or in the works.

50+

Banned books read

Grandparents For Truth's banned book reading challenge saw more than 50 banned titles read by activists.

What you can do

Woman holding a sign that reads Grandparents For Truth

Woman holding a sign that says Knowledge is power, read banned books

How we're fighting back

Grandparents For Truth

WHAT

Book bans, censorship, and attacks on education are on the rise. Grandparents For Truth organizes our communities to stand up for the right of all children to learn the full truth of our nation’s history and culture.

Grandparents For Truth is a program of People For the American Way Foundation.

HOW

Training new and emerging activists
Organizing community events and protests
Supporting local groups and clubs
Speaking out against censorship and attacks on educators

Freedom to Learn

WHAT

Education is under attack, as oppressive political forces seek to restrict the teaching of truth about racism in our history, promote false narratives about the country’s founding, and push school board members and other officials who share their radical agenda.

Freedom to Learn is a program of People For the American Way.

HOW