I have purposely not watched the news in quite some time. After witnessing the attack on the Capital on telelvision last year, I decided I was done. I read my news each day (less triggering) and now have moved to reading it from the most nonbiased source possible. I am tired of division, hate, book banning, people trying to control other people’s bodies and sexual choices, and the conscious oppression of others because of a difference of melanin. I am tired of us as humans not really hearing one another, a skill at which I am working to become better. I am tired of humans using propaganda to manipualte and control because of their own personal fears and greed.
Yes, I did mention book banning. When the book Gender Queer was removed from the shelves of 3 high schools (including mine) in our district with no due process, I was in a state of disbelief. Book banning? In 2022? And then the fist book challenge came directly to our school. Our literacy committee has addressed two book challenges thus far, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison (which had me laughing aloud—I read it twice) and Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. And the parent challenging these books is now running for school board.
Despite all of the ugliness and negativity that I associate with attempting to ban books—and I highly recommend to all potential and current book banners that one actually reads and then perhaps rereads any text which you are considering challenging—a lot of good has come of this. I have had the priviliege of connecting with colleagues to do one of my favorite things ever: read and analyze young adult literature. I have reconnected with one of the smartest and most inspirational women I know, learned how to make a Tik Tok to start promoting great books, and I started a book club to read and discuss challenged books.
And I have realized how damn lucky I am. I teach the most amazing humans: kids who struggle with learning disabilities, with mental health, who don’t know if their electricity will be on when they get home, who live in poverty, who are surviving trauma, who are trying to navigate a new country and a new language where not everyone welcomes them. I have the privilege of working with a team of Reading teachers that have been together, some of us for almost ten years. I have a great principal and a new assistant principal who talks to me daily and has brought light into our school and classrooms with motivational speakers, mentoring groups, the best Black History Month our school has ever witnessed, and she keeps going: “What can we do to support our rising 30% of kids? What do you need? Let’s try this field trip for the kids. How can we make these kids feel seen?”
And I was connected with this writing challenge. I am reawakening parts of myself that I have been hiding for quite some time.