Let's Talk About Banned Books

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Pouring Over Books, LaShawn talks about the scary trend of book banning in American schools. She discussed how this affects students and points out the importance of seeing yourself in books. LaShawn dives deep into books by Black women that have been banned, like Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and more.  She stresses how important it is for communities to fight against censorship and support the right to read diverse stories.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Book Bans in America06:05 Highlighting Banned Books by Black Women11:49 Exploring Specific Banned Books17:15 The Importance of Representation in Literature22:48 Personal Reflections and Current InterestsBooks DiscussedThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Monday's Not Coming By Tiffany D JacksonI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya AngelouHood Feminism By Mikki KendallA Raisin in the Sun By Lorraine HansburyOther links for reference 20 Banned Books by Black Women Banned and Challenged Books from the American Library AssociationUnited Against Book Bans Dot OrgShow notes can be found here at Pouring Over BooksSupport the showJoin the Pouring Over Books Bookclub. We are reading Toni Morrison in 2026. Follow  LaShawn on IG @lashawnwiltz and Threads @lashawnwiltzSubstack: Letters From LaShawn