Books are being banned across the country from schools. So Brooklyn Public Library came up with a plan ...
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00:00Tonight, the Mukilteo School District has removed the book To Kill a Mockingbird from
00:04their required curriculum for the ninth grade.
00:07The board decided the book, The Hate You Give, should not be part of any lesson plan until
00:12it's fully reviewed by the community and the schools.
00:15I've read most of some of these banned books and I know the messages are so important.
00:30The books and the lessons they are teaching within these books are more so than just words
00:42on a page.
00:43They tell stories.
00:44They tell backgrounds and provide insight on cultures and historical information that
00:49is important for us all to know.
01:03I'm not here to tell you how obscene this book is.
01:05It has made national attention because of its obsceneity.
01:24I believe everyone should have the autonomy to choose and to evaluate if these are the
01:28type of books they want to read and whether they love it and they want to read it a hundred
01:32times over or they read it once and they don't want to pick it up again.
01:38Those lessons will still hold firm to whoever reads them and I believe the ability to choose
01:43and access these books on your own accord should be maintained regardless of the state's
01:51interests.
01:52It talks more about a modern take on racism and police brutality in our country.
01:59It depicts a story of a young girl whose friend dies in an encounter with the police
02:05while they were in a car.
02:06No matter what race you are, no matter what school environment you go to, no matter the
02:11relationship you have with the police, you should read to ensure that you have understanding
02:16and maybe even are incited for change to these systemic issues that people might be facing
02:21across the country.
02:24I think it's sending a message that for the future of the country and for teens now, we're
02:33losing our ability to find that understanding and find that new perspective and find empathy
02:39and through books I believe that's the best way you can do it and through the band I believe
02:44that that ability in teens is going to be lost if we do not do anything to help preserve
02:49it now.
02:54For more UN videos visit www.un.org