Thousands of books are currently under review by Florida public school officials for content Ron DeSantis deems controversial.
More than 100 of the titles, including picture books like The Berenstain Bears and biographies of Black and Hispanic historical figures, have already been pulled in parts of the state, officials confirmed.
The books are being reviewed under several state laws that restrict race, gender, and sexual orientation topics in education, including the Stop WOKE Act and the Parental Rights in Education Law — dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics.
School officials are currently in the process of determining whether such books comply with state law and can be included in school libraries, with Duval County officials reportedly withdrawing 176 books while the review is pending.
Many of the Nixed titles feature characters from diverse backgrounds, including children’s books like Lupita Nyong’o’s Sulwe, Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin and Berenstain Bears and the Big Question by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
More than 100 of the titles, including picture books like The Berenstain Bears, have already been pulled in parts of the state. The part was considered problematic by because it deals with questions of religion and the afterlife
Biographies of Black and Hispanic historical figures such as Roberto Clemente have also been pulled amid an ongoing review aimed at determining whether books in the state’s 4,202 public schools comply with state laws
A report by anti-censorship group PEN America pointed to the ongoing purge, which has seen books about historical black and Hispanic athletes like Robert Clemente and Hank Aaron being put on the chopping block.
Puerto Rican Clemente, who died in 1972, became a Major League Baseball icon in the ’60s despite rampant racism and segregation throughout his career.
Aaron, on the other hand, nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank,” achieved similar status in MLB in the ’50s and ’60s, defying baseball’s color barrier to surpass Babe Ruth as the all-time home run leader – a distinction he held for decades. until he was passed by another black thug, Barry Bonds, in 2007.
Those two titles, along with books about Celia Cruz, a Cuban singer known as the “Queen of Salsa,” and Sonia Sotomayor, Deputy Justice of Spain’s Supreme Court, will not be on display in Duval County schools during the review.
Also drawn from a county that includes Florida’s capital, Jacksonville, is Berenstain Bears and the Big Question – a sequel to the popular children’s series that explores questions about religion and the afterlife.
The review, which began in January, is part of a larger nationwide literature cleanup primarily for people of color or LGBTQ-related issues.
Many of the removed titles feature characters from diverse backgrounds, including children’s books like Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and Dim Sum for All! by GraceLin
Books are currently being reviewed by Florida public school officials for content Ron DeSantis deems controversial
Florida’s review, meanwhile, focuses on the growing belief that certain lessons or topics — often centered around marginalized groups or family values – are off-limits in the classroom, particularly those housing younger students.
Altogether, more than 1 million titles in the Duval County Public Schools District have already been “covered or stored and held for student use” while officials review the titles, Paula Renfro, the district’s chief academic officer, said Monday after PEN America announced its report published.
So far, only 2,800 books have been released for use.
A public school district spokeswoman, Sonya Duke-Bolden, did not confirm that the above titles had been removed, telling NBC News on Friday that more than 100 were deemed “content too mature for the grade level they were intended for.” became.
A report by anti-censorship group PEN America pointed to the ongoing purge, which has also seen books about historical black and Hispanic athletes like Hank Aaron (pictured) being put on the chopping block for their treatment of discrimination issues
Last month, DeSantis and his administration added to their campaign against branded instruction by rejecting an AP African American college course in public schools because it “inexplicably violates Florida law and seriously lacks educational value.”
His administration has also promised to eliminate funding for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at state universities across Florida, as well as several lessons about race.
Last year, DeSantis — who is rumored to be considering a 2024 bid for the Oval Office — signed legislation requiring schools to rely on these certified media specialists to sign off on which books can be integrated into public school classrooms.
Books about Celia Cruz, a Cuban singer known as the “Queen of Salsa,” have been ruled unfit for display in Duval County schools pending review
However, guidance on how this would be accomplished would not come until months later, when the terms set by the DeSantis office would finally be made available to schools.
Those guidelines required that all books found in the Sunshine State’s more than 4,000 public schools must meet state standards set out in previous legislation — such as the so-called Don’t Say Gay Bill — including prohibition , teaching K-3 students about gender identity and sexual orientation, and teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).
CRT refers to a relatively new intellectual and social movement that examines systemic racism in American society and preaches that race is not a natural construct but was invented by humans to subdue others.
Other laws included in DeSantis’ war chest against the Woke include the aforementioned Stop WOKE Act, which restricts race and diversity education and training in schools and workplaces. The acronym stands for Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees.
Several other titles — including My Two Dads and Me Michael Joosten and Izak Zenou, and The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Street by Gayle E. Pitman — were reportedly withdrawn during the review for containing LGTBQ issues
Officials’ decision on which books to pull is also influenced by House Bill 1467, another directive signed by DeSantis last year that bans books that contain “pornographic” content or are “inappropriate.”
The DeSantis office further stated that titles containing references to pornography and discrimination would also be banned.
However, of the books removed from Duval County, more than 30 were by Latin American authors and illustrators or centered on Latin American characters and narratives.
Several others—like My Two Dads and Me Michael Joosten and Izak Zenou and The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Street by Gayle E. Pitman—revolved around LGTBQ issues.
Also nixed was I am Jazz, a textbook transgender advocate Jazz Jennings, 22, a natural male who became a figurehead of the prepubescent transgender movement more than a decade ago when she started hormone blockers at 11.
Also nixed was I am Jazz, a textbook transgender advocate Jazz Jennings, 22, a natural male who became a figurehead of the prepubescent transgender movement more than a decade ago when she started hormone blockers at 11
Other titles currently being discussed include “Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa” by Veronica Chambers and Julie Maren, “Sonia Sotomayor (Women Who Broke the Rules Series)” by Kathleen Krull and Angela Dominguez, Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates by Jonah Winter and Raúl Colón and Henry Aarons Traum by Matt Tavares.
Several have spoken out against the ongoing review since it came to light over the weekend, including Roberto Clemente’s son Roberto Clemente Jr, who was outraged.
Speaking to NBC News, he said he owns the book, which is for K-3 graders, and that he and his family plan to reach out to the Duval School District next week.
“We have to keep figuring out how to continue this conversation and unite our cultures and nationalities,” he said. “His story is his story. He went through racism. It’s something that cannot be changed.’
Responding to reports that the Clemente book had already been withdrawn, a Duval County spokesman said only, “The book on Roberto Clemente is pending.”
She couldn’t immediately share the review status of other books named in the Pen America report.
It’s not clear when the review, which media specials are said to have combed through around 1.5 million titles, will be completed. Duval County school officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from .