(NewsNation) — Educators at a high school in Washington state decided to ban Harper Lee’s classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and the decision has sparked debate on the limits of censorship and the role of literature in shaping our understanding of history and society.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” has been a staple in American literature classrooms for decades, introducing countless students to the issues of racism, segregation and social injustice in the American South.
The novel, set in the 1930s, follows the story of Southern lawyer Atticus Finch, who defends a Black man named Tom Robinson against false accusations of raping a white woman.
The film version of the novel won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck, who played Atticus Finch, and was nominated for eight, including Best Picture.
However, the novel’s place in the curriculum of Mukilteo School District in Washington has come under scrutiny.
According to some of the school’s teachers, the book centers on whiteness and does not adequately represent an authentic Black point of view in civil rights literature.
These educators argue that the book presents a barrier to understanding and celebrating diverse perspectives and should be removed from the curriculum.
According to the Washington Post, the teachers wanted to protect students from a book they saw as “outdated and harmful.”
This decision has caused a significant backlash, with many individuals questioning the validity of banning a book that has long been considered a classic in American literature.
Ian Samuel, fellow and law lecturer at Harvard Law School, joined “On Balance With Leland Vittert” to discuss the book’s ban and the resulting blowback.
Samuel explained the importance of reading books with differing values.
“I do agree that for a person who’s going to have a well-rounded education in literature, encountering literature that troubles them is a very good thing,” Samuel said.
The controversy has even led to comparisons with previous instances of conservative groups seeking to ban books from schools, raising questions about double standards when it comes to censorship.
However, others maintain that educators should be cautious when selecting texts for students, ensuring they align with the school’s educational objectives and values.
“That’s how art is. It can upset people and cause them to do sometimes even quite crazy things,” Samuel said.