LeVar Burton Leads Banned Books Week

By Charlotte Robinson, September 22, 2023

LeVar Burton reading advocate, writer & actor will lead this year’s Banned Books Week that takes place October 1st to 7th. Burton is the first actor to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week's annual weeklong event that highlights the value of free & open access to information & brings together the entire book community as religious extremists continue attempts to censor library materials. Burton stated, “Books bring us together. They teach us about the world & each other. The ability to read & access books is a fundamental right & a necessity for life-long success. But books are under attack. They’re being removed from libraries & schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people & their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship & what they can do to fight it. I’m honored to lead Banned Books Week 2023.” Saturday October 7th will mark “Let Freedom Read Day” a call to action about the urgent need to defend the right to read & to support the community of readers, library staff, educators, authors, publishers & booksellers. From calling decision-makers to checking out or buying banned books to writing letters everyone is encouraged to do at least one thing to defend the right to read & to speak on behalf of those who ensure access to information. Founded in 1982 Banned Books Week has drawn attention to the attempts to remove books & other materials from libraries, schools & bookstores. For More Info… 

 

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