“Did you know that there have been almost 6,000 book bans since fall 2021? And almost 40% of the book bans last school year happened in Florida?” asked the singer Pink (Pennsylvania, USA, 44 years old) on November 12th to her 10.4 million Instagram followers. “As a mother of two young readers, I can’t imagine letting someone else decide what my children can and can’t read,” the artist, mother of two children – Willow Sage, 12, and Jameson Moon, 6― claimed to her Husband, former professional motocross rider Carey Hart (California, 48 years old). That’s why the “So What or Just Give Me a Reason” singer has decided to partner with the literary freedom and expression defense group PEN America and bookstore chain Books & Books to give away books at her upcoming concerts in Florida , which are banned in American schools. Specifically, Pink has promised to meet the first 1,000 fans they want at each of the next two concerts he will give in the so-called Sunshine State – this Tuesday, November 14th in Miami and next Wednesday, the 15th. to donate one of these works to Sunrise―as part of their Trustfall Tour.
The books the singer has given away include topics such as race and sexual identity, with titles such as the illustrated book “The Family Book” by Todd Parr, which explains family love to children, regardless of the type of family it consists of two mothers or two parents, a large or small family. Also a book aimed at young audiences from the “Girls Who Code” series by Stacia Deutsch, which aims to encourage young women to bet on the world of future technology; Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, inspired by the real life of an African-American slave, and Amanda Gorman’s poetry collection The Hill We Climb, which the author read at US President Joe Biden’s inauguration as “a call to a courageous future.”
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Pink assured that she decided to join this initiative to draw attention to the growing wave of book censorship in Florida. “It is particularly abhorrent to see authorities targeting books about race and racism, as well as anti-LGBTQ and authors of color. “We have made great strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see that progress reversed,” he also said in a statement shared by PEN America. According to this association, the southern state now ranks first in the United States and is the state with the most bans in public school classrooms and libraries. He has more than 40% of all banned books in the country. In total, there are more than 1,400 censored works and 33 school districts that removed books in the last school year.
Pink during a concert at the Spectrum Center on November 12, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jeff Hahne (Getty Images)
Additionally, this partnership comes as Florida has implemented laws that restrict free expression, such as the Individual Freedom Act, which passed in July 2022 and restricts the way systemic racism and discrimination is taught in schools and the workplace become. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed a law colloquially called the “Don’t Say Gay” law to limit discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in schools. “Books have brought me special joy since I was a child, and that’s why I’m not prepared to stand idly by while they’re banned in schools,” emphasized the Grammy winner.
The singer also took advantage of her Instagram profile this Monday to share a live broadcast with author Amanda Gorman and PEN America executive director Suzanne Nossel to raise awareness of the cause. “This is a wave that is sweeping our country, our schools, our libraries. They’re looking for books about children of color, stories about LGBTQ families, books about babies and animals,” Nossel said during the broadcast. “This is censorship in its purest form. Their aim is to suppress the narratives that we need here as a pluralistic society and that is why we need to take a step back,” he added.
Pink has long used her social media to advocate for LGBTI rights and women’s rights, among other causes, and has supported charities such as Planned Parenthood – an American non-profit organization that provides reproductive health, sex education, family planning and abortion services United States and the World – or Human Rights Campaign – the largest advocacy group on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States.
When the US Supreme Court handed down the historic abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade, who upheld the abortion ban in the state of Mississippi in 1973, was not silent about the artist either. “I think all of our nerves have been collectively frozen by so many years of racism, misogyny, homophobia, pandemics, mass shootings, wars and utter insanity. The hypocrisy, the ignorance of the Republican Party, it’s all too much. But we will remain united. “Good will triumph over evil,” he declared. in your X account (then Twitter).
In fact, Pink isn’t the only celebrity who has raised her voice against book censorship. In September this year, more than 175 celebrities, including singers Ariana Grande and Ava Max and actors Mark Ruffalo and Sharon Stone, signed an open letter condemning the ban on literary works. “There is power in artistic freedom and we refuse to allow draconian politicians to take it away from us,” the letter said.