Ever have visions of yourself as one of the "Freedom Riders" or marching with Dr. Martin Luther King or Ceasar Chavez? Well you may have missed those opportunities, but there are still plenty of opportunities - unfortunately. Here's one that works well if you're looking for summer reading. Arizona has banned books from being read in ethnic studies classes (and effective banned ethnic studies as well.). The list of books is far reaching and includes titles such as, "House on Mango Street" and "Like Water for Chocolate."
Click this link to get more information and to find a list of banned books.
http://azethnicstudies.com/banned-books
As an act of civil disobedience I suggest that you choose a book from the list, read it and then take action. Perhaps writing to the Arizona legislators to tell them why the books are important or sharing the book with others and letting them know why it's so important to stop banning books. Think of any other ethnic group - would we do this to them? In Minnesota would we ban ethnic books based on Norwegian or German culture? What is so threatening about Latino culture? What message are we sending to students when we ban literature that represents their voice? So pick a book, read it and be part of the protest! Leave a comment letting me know your thoughts and other ideas for activism.
