The Anatomy of a Book Ban

This Banned Books Week, The Arena breaks down the data and behind-the-scenes information about how this censorship occurs and its impacts.

With little publicity, school officials removed 97 books from the shelves in Beaufort County schools in October 2022. What occurred over the next year and a half was the focus of a full-length documentary entitled “Banned Together,” which The Arena has covered extensively. The key takeaways for viewers are understanding what a book ban is, how it occurs, and what can be done about it.

This week is Banned Books Week, and as part of the commemoration, PenAmerica, whose mission is to defend and protect free expression, released a memo that shows how drastic the attacks on books in our nation are. Over 10,000 book bans have occurred in America, more than double last year. South Carolina is named outright in the report due to State regulations that went into effect this summer. PenAmerica has lent its voice to the fight against censorship in the Palmetto State more than once over the last two years. The cause for alarm (from them, for us) could not be more evident, leading to a formal statement and call to action from Families Against Book Bans.

How do book banners curate their list of targeted titles? Look no further than Book Looks, an online database spearheaded by a Moms for Liberty member. Book Looks has gained notoriety and has been the subject of investigation as book banning has become more mainstream. They pull excerpts out of context to highly sexualize the passages and assign the book a score (on a 5-point scale). Then, Moms for Liberty members attend school board meetings and read passages directly correlating with what Book Looks has highlighted. (Of note: in Beaufort County, none of the book banners who have led the charge in removing books have official ties to Moms for Liberty. One has publicly commented on how upset she is that she has been accused of using Book Looks, despite using the exact passages they cite.)

If all of that seems problematic to you, enter Mark Herring. Mr. Herring was hired in the spring of 2024 (in a hush-hush manner) to oversee K-12 public school libraries for the State Department of Education (SCDE) despite never having worked in a K-12 public school library. In September’s state school board meeting, a school librarian stood up during public comment and asked if there was better guidance for librarians to use regarding the new regulations that impact book selection. Mr. Herring recommended that this educator refer to none other than Book Looks for guidance. 

It’s vital to continue connecting the dots to get a clear picture of the system. Moms for Liberty creates Book Looks, and Moms for Liberty hands Book Look passages to book banners to read at school board meetings. Moms for Liberty stacks school boards with their candidates to vote in line with removing books with passages mentioned above. When that doesn’t work or doesn’t go as far as they like, Moms for Liberty funds a state superintendent candidate’s race to ensure the person leading public education in the state aligns with their values and hires additional people who align with them in critical roles.

The upside? Moms for Liberty is losing steam. In 2023, less than one-third of Moms for Liberty-backed candidates won their elections. They seemingly thrive on operating in darkness, and now that they are in the spotlight, they are unsure how to make their next move. On Beaufort County School District’s school board, one of the three members who consistently voted against the book review committees in favor of permanently removing books stepped down (due to family relocation). They did not have a person aligned with those values ready to step up for a special election, therefore losing a local seat. Now, there is additional recourse for their rhetoric. Continuing to use Beaufort County as the example, a public school teacher has filed a lawsuit against our book banners for defamation and libel due to claims they have publicly made against her during their crusade to dismantle public education and ban books with topics that make them uncomfortable. 

Do I expect any of this to stop them? No. I’m sure they are regrouping and restrategizing as we speak. But so are those who defend the freedom to read. This Banned Books Week, tap into your local movements, attend a local school board meeting, or write a letter to the editor in your local paper to educate others about what is happening in your community. There are many ways to get involved that do not require public speaking or driving to Columbia - and your voice is well-needed.