The FReadom Fighters is a group of librarians in Texas, USA, who advocate for the freedom to read in K-12 schools.[1] District library coordinator Becky Calzada and retired school librarian Carolyn Foote
In October, 2021, Texas State Representative Matt Krause (R), acting as the chair of the state's House Committee on General Investigating, released a list of 850 book titles, and in a letter to the Texas Education Agency and several school districts told them to report the number of copies of each book, and the money spent on each title, in the libraries and classrooms of their schools.[2] The listed books primarily contain discussions of race or LGBTQ-related topics.[1] By November 4, 2021, FReadom Fighters had organized a Twitter takeover of the #TXlege hashtag, asking people to reflect on what they had personally gained from reading any of the books on the list. The result was over 13,000 responses with positive impacts on people's lives from the books under suspicion.[1]
In Foote's 29-year school library career, she had only encountered three book challenges.[3]
Rates of harassment against educators, including librarians, have risen, coinciding with a record-high number of book-banning efforts. But they have become targets of a new front in the culture wars over what and how to teach children about race and sex. A vocal minority has denounced them as woke social justice warriors with a radical agenda to indoctrinate children or as pedophiles with a perverted mission to "groom" kids into victims of sexual abuse. Librarians, in schools and communities, are widely popular, viewed as some of society's most trustworthy members, polling shows.[4]
Sources:
https://www.ala.org/news/2022/04/freadom-fighters-receives-aasl-intellectual-freedom-award
https://futura.edublogs.org/tag/freadom-fighters/
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/connected/carolyn-foote
https://courageforamerica.org/peoples-council/carolyn-foote/
https://barbarabray.net/2023/06/01/episode-145-freadom-fighters-with-carolyn-foote/
https://www.ala.org/news/2019/04/carolyn-foote-receives-aasl-collaborative-school-library-award
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-books-race-sexuality-schools-rcna13886
NewsBank
The Booksellers' Revolt
March 11, 2024 | Texas Observer (TX)
Author/Byline: Matthew Patin | Section: Books
A secret shelf of banned books thrives in a Texas school, under the nose of censors
January 29, 2024 | Minnesota Public Radio: Web Edition Articles (MN)
Author/Byline: Neda Ulaby, NPR | Section: Education
Banned Books Week 2023: Programs, Day of Action, and Events Announced
September 29, 2023 | Malvern Daily Record (AR)
Author/Byline: Special to the MDR | Page: 3 | Section: News
The plot thickens: The battle over books comes at a cost
August 12, 2023 | Weekend All Things Considered [NPR] (USA)
All Things Considered (weekend) | Section: All Things Considered (weekend)
Cut off funding to those who ban books? Local librarians weigh in
June 12, 2023 | News-Gazette, The: Web Edition Articles (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
Author/Byline: Jeff D'Alessio | Section: Arts Entertainment
Texas bill proposing 'sexual' ratings for school books headed for approval
May 24, 2023 | Houston Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (TX)
Author/Byline: Ariana Garcia | Section: Politics
RESOURCES FOR COMBATING ATTEMPTS AT GENSORSHIP
May 1, 2023 | Computers in Libraries
Author/Byline: Carolyn Foote | Page: 32, 33, 34 | Section: News
Strategies for Librarians in the Hot Seat
May 1, 2023 | Computers in Libraries
Author/Byline: Dick Kaser
Book Banners Are Now Trying to Close Public Libraries
April 15, 2023 | Daily Beast, The
Author/Byline: Kelly Weill | Section: News
As Book Banning Becomes More Popular, Experts Say Some Libraries Will Just Close
April 11, 2023 | 74, The (USA)
Author/Byline: Elaine S. Povich; Elaine S. PovichApril 11, 2023 From Daily Montanan | Section: The 74
Here's how parents can fight book bans in their kids' school libraries
April 11, 2023 | al.com (AL)
Author/Byline: Anna Claire Vollers; avollers@reckonmedia.com | Section: Reckon
Town Hall | Should state cut off funding to those who ban books? Local librarians weigh in
April 11, 2023 | News-Gazette, The: Web Edition Articles (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
Author/Byline: Jeff D'Alessio | Section: Arts Entertainment
‘We’ve moved backwards’: US librarians face unprecedented attacks amid rightwing book bans - From active shooter trainings to cancelled bookmobiles, librarians are caught in the crossfire of a conservative censorship craze
September 20, 2022 | Guardian, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England)
Author/Byline: Lauren Mechling | Section: Books
SHELVED; School librarians bear the brunt of book battles as their ranks dwindle
August 14, 2022 | Houston Chronicle (TX)
Author/Byline: Alejandro Serrano; Staff writer Staff writer | Page: A032 | Section: News
Meet the group of Texas librarians fighting book bans in schools in the state and across the country
March 9, 2022 | Houston Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (TX)
Author/Byline: Ariana Garcia | Section: Politics
PROQUEST
News+: TX Book Rating Law Halted By Judge
; New York Vol. 148, Iss. 10, (Oct 2023): 12.
Second Acts For FReadom: Fighting Book Bans, Retired Librarians Are Making A Difference
. ; New York Vol. 70, Iss. 1, (Jan 2024): 5.
Database: Penguin Random House: Banned Books
. ; New York Vol. 69, Iss. 12, (Dec 2023): 62.
Nonfiction Reviews
; New York Vol. 271, Iss. 6, (Feb 12, 2024).
Funding Courage in the Heart of the School: The Library
. ; Chicago Vol. 51, Iss. 5, (May/Jun 2023): 26-31.
THE BOOKSELLERS' REVOLT
. ; Austin. 01 Mar 2024: 12-17.
A FIGHT FOR DEMOCRATIC VALUES
. ; Chicago Vol. 51, Iss. 2, (Nov/Dec 2022): 10-17.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME ROAR
. ; Chicago Vol. 51, Iss. 2, (Nov/Dec 2022): 18-23.
PW’s 2022 People of the Year: The Defenders
. ; New York Vol. 269, Iss. 53, (Dec 19, 2022).
- ^ a b c Garcia, A. (2022, March 9). Meet the group of Texas librarians fighting book bans in schools in the state and across the country. Houston Chronicle: Web Edition Articles (TX). Retrieved from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current
- ^ Lopez, Brian (2021-10-26). "Texas House committee to investigate school districts' books on race and sexuality". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ Mechling, L. (2022, September 20). ‘We’ve moved backwards’: US librarians face unprecedented attacks amid rightwing book bans - From active shooter trainings to cancelled bookmobiles, librarians are caught in the crossfire of a conservative censorship craze. Guardian, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England). Retrieved from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.
- ^ Wong, A. (2022, August 26). 'Perfect target': Librarians - A new face has been thrust into middle of culture war in schools. USA TODAY (USA), p. A1. Retrieved from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.