The list of books that are banned here in the United States is quite extensive, and the reasons for banning these books are quite vague in most cases. The one thing that didn’t escape my attention on the subject matter of banning books is the fact that the majority of all the books on that list are written and illustrated by African Americans, Latinos, and other people of color.
Since I am employed by a 65-year-old African Amer- ican Newspaper, owned and operated by a Black woman, I believe that the best course of action for me is to focus mainly on African American authors for the next few articles, followed by Latino and other authors of color, because the climate in this country is indica- tive of people in power who want to destroy our legacy, erase us from history, and deny our very existence.
This is not like 150 years ago, when if you didn’t agree with or like the Black creator or their content, you could just lynch them or make them disappear. In the Jim Crow era, fires and legal obstacles overseen by corrupt, racist courts and judges were the unspoken law of the land. Today, the tactic is much different, more covert than overt. Today, we ban books or sensor subjects to deliberately control or quiet the narratives of Black, Latino, and other minorities to insight fear or cause distractions. Banning books that speak to our children about where they come from, who they are, and their true heritage and crafting a different narrative seems to be all the rage in 2025. Maybe if people have some idea as to why these various literary pearls are dropping off shelves in our libraries, schools, colleges, and other institutions, then they’ll have a better understanding of what this could mean for people of color and stand up against the power that is in an all-out attempt to erase our histories and craft a different narrative.
The books we’re examining this week are “Nobody Knows My Name” by James Baldwin and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.
Baldwin, a writer and civil rights activist, has several publications on the Banned Books List. “Nobody Knows My Name” is a collection of essays that explore the complexities of identity, White Colonialism, racism, and the importance of self-and self-examination. One of the more famous essays in the collection, “Many Thousands Gone,” refers to the thousands of enslaved individuals who escaped to northern states during the mid-nineteenth century, fought in the Civil War, or never experienced the joys of freedom. This essay speaks directly to the effects of enslavement and pays homage to those who have gone before us…the Ances- tors. Considered one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century, it is inconceivable that Baldwin’s book was one of the most challenged books of 2021, according to the American Library Association, due to its honest writing about race, poverty, and LGBTQ life in America.
Many may not realize that Poet, activist, and author Maya Angelou’s 1969 book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is the first in a seven-volume series. The autobiographical book of Angelou’s younger life re- veals how her love of literature and her inner strength aided in her recovery from the early trauma of sexual molestation, teen pregnancy, insecurity, and racism in her formative years. The book was challenged and banned by parents and educators due to its honest de- piction of racism, violence, and sexuality, as they felt it was inappropriate for young readers.
The charade of the last 160 years since the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in the United States has only served to prove to African Amer- icans and others the immutability of this country, regardless of what they portray. I say it often, and I’ll repeat it yet again, “You can dress up the outside, but if the inside is rotten, it’s all rotten.”
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