The founders of this country fought hard to push their beliefs that all people have the right to freedom of speech, religion, and the press. But how can the American people honor and reflect their hard work if they continue to revoke the student's right to read? More than 1,500 book bans have been placed on school districts across the U.S. in only the last nine months. The majority of the books that are pushed to be banned around the states are books that depict “uncomfortable” themes such as race, racism, the LGBTQ+ community, and darker moments in American history. Therefore, districts and school administrators should not be allowed to ban these books because it can deprive students of essential historical and cultural knowledge, and prevents them from developing an understanding of individuals resulting in stereotyping or dehumanizing other people from different backgrounds.

       To commence, administrators should not be allowed to ban books in school because it can violate the students' first amendment right to freedom of expression. The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech, press, and expressing and receiving ideas. Banning books would be a form of censorship, which goes against the First Amendment. The article “Censorship” proves this by explaining that censorship is, “...[the] limit freedom of thought and expression by restricting spoken words, printed matter, symbolic messages, freedom of association, books, art, music, movies, television programs, and Internet sites…”(Purdy 2). But the evidence to prove the violation of students’ rights is shown in the article “Banned Books- Top 3 Pro’s and Con’s” which states, “In the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on the Board of Education v. Pico, Justice Willian Brenan wrote that taking books off of library shelves could violate the students first amendment right [to freedom of speech and expressing ideas]”("Banned" 3). He added, “...Local school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the idea contained in those books”("Banned" 3). This shows that book banning is not only an impediment to students, but also deprives students of their right to freedom of expression. 

       However, not only does book banning interfere with students' legal rights, but it also deprives students of historical and cultural knowledge that can be beneficial whether or not the themes are “conflicting” or “uncomfortable”. This is explained by the NCAC(National Coalition Against Censorship) in the article “Banned Books- Top 3 Pro’s and Con’s” where they stated, “Even books or materials that many find ‘objectionable’ may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgements and standards, not individual preferences”("Banned" 2). This shows that books with “uncomfortable” themes can not only provide important historical knowledge but also shows that what should be decided to read in a classroom should be the decision of professionals, not by the opinions of parents trying to gate-keep their children. An example of one of these books is the frequently challenged historical fiction novel, Beloved by Toni Morrison. The author of the article, “Book Banning Must be Stopped”, describes Beloved as the story of Sethe, a former slave who committed infanticide out of fear that her daughter would be taken away. This is based on the true story of Margaret Garner, who also committed infanticide out of the fear that her daughter would be found and brought back into slavery. The author of the article “Book Banning Must be Stopped”, believes that “The book [Beloved] deals with the conflict between forgetting and relearning slavery’s toll on African Americans…[and] we must teach students about historical oppression in formats that are not dull and invoke real emotional response”(Reichbach 2). This means that letting students read books like Beloved, could be more effective in helping students understand historical knowledge because it allows more emotion. 

       The third and final reason why administrators should not be allowed to ban books is that it prevents students from developing as understanding individuals, which can lead to stereotyping and dehumanizing others. You may be wondering, How can reading a book improve a person's character development, much less prevent stereotyping? The Article “Banned Books- Top 3 Pro’s and Con’s” states, “A study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that people who read a story about a Muslim woman were less likely to make broad judgements based on race.”("Banned" 4). The same article also states, “One study found that reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which is frequently challenged… “improved attitudes” about immigrants, homosexuals, and refugees…[and] found that narrative fiction helped readers understand their peers and raised social abilities”("Banned" 3). This shows that frequently challenged books help students develop an understanding of others' lives and their situations. 

       In closing, school administrators should not be allowed to ban books. Students deserve the opportunity to be able to read the books that will help them understand the world, its history, the cultures of the people around them, and even their own lives better through the stories of others, whether or not the themes of these books are deemed to be “displeasing”. Although others may say that books that depict themes such as race, racism, sexuality, and religion are too “mature” to be on public school library shelves, the evidence proves this claim wrong. Letting students have access to these books improves the attitudes of many students by providing them with education and the understanding of different people and diversity.