North Carolina lawmakers are moving fast to pass a bill that could lead to widespread book bans in our public and charter schools.

This bill doesn't protect children — it limits them. It silences voices, restricts knowledge, and pulls age-appropriate books off shelves because of politics and fear, not because of facts or care.

Our children deserve better.

Teachers are trained professionals that go through years of education to understand what’s appropriate and enriching for each age group. They are not the enemy. They are the experts. But this bill takes power away from educators and hands it to politically charged committees that can decide—based on pressure, not pedagogy—what our kids are allowed to read.

And now, under this bill, parents could actually sue schools that don’t comply. That’s terrifying. Lawsuits from parents or political activists could drain schools of the little resources they have left. 

Children grow by being exposed to diverse stories, ideas, and histories. They learn empathy, critical thinking, and courage by seeing themselves — and others — in books.

When we ban books, we don’t just ban paper and ink. We ban dreams. We ban understanding. We ban the chance for a child to feel seen.

Let kids read. Let teachers teach. Let schools be a place where knowledge grows, not where it’s locked away in fear.

We call on the North Carolina Senate to reject this harmful bill and stand up for the freedom to read. Stand up for children’s futures. Because banning books doesn’t protect kids — it only keeps them in the dark.

Photo: free speech center