Push to ban certain books tied to critical race theory debate | American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, AFL-CIO

The nonprofit American Library Association this year has experienced a rise in challenges to books about racism and black American history, writes Education Week’s Madeline Will.

Many of the complaints cite critical race theory, Will adds, per the ALA’s Deborah Caldwell-Stone, whose Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks objections to books in libraries, K-12 schools and colleges.

“In most cases, however,” Will writes, “the challenged books have little to do with the academic framework of critical race theory, which posits that racism isn’t just the product of individual bias but is embedded in legal systems and policies.”