Keisha Che're Jimmerson: Book banning an affront to freedom

As a first-generation college graduate, an educator, a devoted mother and a woman of color, I am a voice representing multiple facets of identity and experience.

In acknowledging the diverse tapestry of our lives, it’s essential to recognize the interconnectedness that binds us as a collective — the human race. Our individual journeys may vary, but our shared humanity unites us in a common thread of existence. It’s within this unity that we find strength, empathy and the capacity to uplift one another.

America has often prided itself as a melting pot, celebrating all cultures and backgrounds that enrich the fabric of the nation. However, amidst this celebration, we must confront the stark realities of oppression that have damaged our nation’s history.

To truly understand America’s greatness, we must reckon with the injustices inflicted upon marginalized communities, whose resilience and contributions have often been overlooked or erased.

The story of my Black ancestors serves as a reminder of this painful legacy. They were forcibly brought from Western Africa to the shores of Virginia, their humanity denied and their freedom stolen. Among the many indignities they endured, one of the most insidious was the prohibition on reading and writing. Enslaved and free people of color were systematically denied access to education, their minds shackled along with their bodies.

Even after emancipation, equal education was not afforded to Blacks in this country. Segregation laws permitted “separate but equal” access to education, leading schools for Black students to often be inferior to those for white students well into the 1900s.

Despite these oppressive barriers, my paternal grandfather, born in 1921, defied the odds. His formal education halted at the 10th grade, yet he possessed a priceless gift: the ability to read and write. His literacy was not just a personal achievement but a testament to the resilience and determination of generations of marginalized individuals who sought knowledge as a means of liberation.

And yet, even as we stand in the shadow of history, we find ourselves confronted with echoes of the past. In 2024, the specter of book banning looms once again, threatening to extinguish the light of intellectual freedom. Across states and among individuals, there are voices clamoring for censorship, seeking to erase perspectives deemed inconvenient or discomforting.

Imagine the physical and emotional toll of hearing such calls for censorship. For me, it evokes a visceral reaction, a mixture of anger, sadness and disbelief. It is a betrayal of the sacrifices made by those who fought for the right to learn and to be heard. It is an affront to the principles of democracy and freedom upon which our nation was founded.

But amidst this darkness, there is also hope. Hope in the voices of dissent, in the refusal to be silenced and in the commitment to defending the sanctity of literature and ideas. It falls upon educators, parents and advocates to uphold the torch of enlightenment and to nurture the next generation of critical thinkers and truth-seekers.

Please let us heed the lessons of history and stand united against the forces of censorship and ignorance. Let us affirm our commitment to diversity, inclusivity and the unalienable right to intellectual freedom.