“Did you know that there have been almost 6,000 book bans since fall 2021? And almost 40% of the book bans in the last school year occurred in Florida?” asked the singer Pink (Pennsylvania, United States, 44 years old) to his 10.4 million Instagram followers on November 12. “As a mother of two young readers, I can’t imagine letting someone else decide what my children can and can’t read!” claimed the artist, mother of two children – Willow Sage, 12, and Jameson Moon, 6― with her husband, former professional motocross rider Carey Hart (California, 48 years old). That is why the interpreter of So What either Just Give Me a Reason has decided to partner with the literary and expression freedom defense group PEN America and the Books & Books bookstore chain to give away books banned in American schools at their upcoming concerts in Florida. Specifically, Pink has promised to give one of these works to the first 1,000 fans who want them in each of the next two concerts he will give in the so-called Sunshine State – this Tuesday, November 14 in Miami and next Wednesday the 15th in Sunrise―, within their tour Trustfall Tour.
The books that the singer has chosen to give as gifts include themes of racial 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, whether it is made up of two mothers or two fathers, a large or small family. Also a book intended for the youth audience of the series Girls Who Code, by Stacia Deutsch, which aims to encourage young women to bet on the world of technology in the future; the novel Beloved, by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, inspired by the real life of an African-American slave, and Amanda Gorman’s book of poetry The Hill We Climb, that the author recited in the inauguration of US President Joe Biden as “a call to a brave future.”
Pink assured that she has decided to join this initiative with the aim of highlighting the growing wave of book censorship in Florida. “It is especially hateful to see authorities target books about race and racism and against LGBTQ and authors of color. “We have made a lot of progress toward equality in this country and no one should want this progress to be reversed,” she also states in a statement shared by PEN America. According to data from this association, the Southern state now ranks first in the United States as the most prohibitive in public school classrooms and libraries, accounting for more than 40% of all banned books in the country. In total, they say, there are more than 1,400 censored works and 33 school districts that removed books in the last school year.
Additionally, this partnership comes as Florida has implemented laws that limit free speech, such as the Individual Freedom Act, which was passed in July 2022 and limits how systemic racism and discrimination is taught in schools and work place. Last year, Governor Ron DeSantis also signed legislation, which has been colloquially called the bill Don’t Say Gay (don’t say gay), to limit discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in schools. “Books have brought me special joy since I was a child, and that is why I am not willing to sit idly by while they are banned in schools,” the Grammy winner insisted.
The singer also took advantage of the impact of her Instagram profile this Monday to share a live broadcast with writer Amanda Gorman and PEN America Executive Director Suzanne Nossel to draw attention to the cause. “This is a wave that is taking over our country, our schools, our libraries. They’re going after books about children of color, stories about LGBTQ families, books about babies, about animals,” Nossel said during the broadcast. “This is censorship in its purest form. Their goal is to suppress the narratives that we need here as a pluralistic society and, because of that, we have to push back,” she added.
Pink has long used her social media to advocate for LGBTI rights and women’s rights, among other issues, and supports charities such as Planned Parenthood – an American non-profit organization that provides reproductive health services. , sex education, family planning and abortion in the United States and the world― or Human Rights Campaign ―the largest pressure group in favor of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the United States―.
When in 2022 the US Supreme Court overturned the historic decision on the right to abortion Roe v. Wade, in 1973, confirming the ban on abortion in the State of Mississippi, the artist did not remain silent either. “I think all of our nerves are collectively frozen from so many years of racism, misogyny, homophobia, pandemics, mass shootings, wars and total madness. The hypocrisy, the ignorance of the Republican Party, it’s all too much. But we will stay united. “Good will prevail over evil,” he announced. in your X account (then Twitter).
In fact, Pink is not the only celebrity who has raised her voice against book censorship. In September of 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 stated.
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