When you think about book bans, which group do you hear the most in the media? Elected officials, from members of Congress all the way down ballot to state superintendents and school board members, probably rank among the top. Those who speak the loudest, provide the greatest shock value, and seek to divide are certainly elevated. Extremist “parents’ rights” organizations like Moms for Liberty (who actually oppose LGBTQ parents’ rights and the rights of parents of LGBTQ students) take up a lot of space.
Often missing, however, are voices of those who should be most qualified to express their needs: the students – that is, until now. A new documentary casts much-needed light on the extraordinary courage, resilience, and tenacity young changemakers exhibit.
Student-led Activism Efforts are a Masterclass in Maturity
From Atomic Focus Entertainment, Banned Together follows three high school seniors from Beaufort County, South Carolina, who, with the help of allies – parents, educators, librarians, and elected officials – take their fight to overturn the ban of 97 books in their school district from the local stage to Washington, D.C.
With a population just shy of 200,000, 17 percent of which falls under the age of 18, Beaufort County is home to 32 schools and over 21,000 students. In 1862, the county earned a spot in history books by becoming one of the first places in the nation to house a school, Penn Center, for freed slaves.
In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Richard Geier, a retired Army colonel and vice chair of the county’s Board of Education, notes that Beaufort “is probably the most diverse district in the United States.” Yet, there is a large disparity in wealth, with half the population living in “gated communities,” while half of students are “getting free and reduced lunches because their parents are qualified as being in poverty.”
Banned Together begins in a Beaufort County School District board meeting in October 2022. There, a parent addressed his concerns over 96 books (97 with an addition from another individual) he discovered on library shelves that coincided with the BookLooks, a literature rating platform created by a former Moms for Liberty member. Most of the books were Young Adult novels featuring LGBTQ and BIPOC characters.
In what is now commonplace in school board meetings from Florida and Texas to Pennsylvania and everywhere in between, the concerned parent used his time to read an out-of-context, sexually charged passage from a book in hopes of getting it removed, before announcing he would take his fight to the local sheriff’s office. Subsequently, all titles were removed from school shelves pending review. While most were ultimately restored following the district’s material review process (which involved hundreds of volunteers), five titles remained permanently banned.
While providing current and historical context, along with interviews with leading experts, the documentary centers on the journey of three young Beaufort County activists, high school seniors Isabella Troy Brazoban, Elizabeth Foster, and Millie Bennett. Joining fellow members of DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), a Beaufort-based student book club that has grown to include chapters in multiple schools, these three teens, with the support and encouragement of their adult allies, bravely addressed the school board and their community, battling for the right to read, even at the risk of harassment by community members.
Isabella’s decision to speak out came last minute after her brother overdosed and she overheard one person erroneously suggesting that certain books might encourage drug use among youth. “The biggest concern I noticed was drug abuse,” began Isabella, speaking before the school board in December 2022, “and I’d like to say that banning books will not protect us.”
Following Isabella’s lead, Elizabeth and her peers felt empowered to lend their voices to the dialogue, as well. “We knew it was problematic and we wanted to speak out, but we didn’t know what to do,” said Elizabeth. “Then we saw her do that, and we were like, ‘Oh, we can do that.’”
Meanwhile, Millie, who for a time served as DAYLO’s president, took to the podium to encourage inclusivity and acceptance: “Let Beaufort County be a place where we uplift each other, rather than take away each others’ voices and stories,” she said to the school board. In a later interview with local network WHHI, she noted that many Beaufort County residents do “care about the books kids have access to, so we really work as a community for that kind of approach.”
Over the course of the documentary, viewers are given a glimpse into these students’ activism efforts, which took them from local school board meetings to the national stage. All while learning and growing, they expressed maturity far beyond their years, holding thought-provoking conversations with leaders like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D – Maryland), frequently banned authors Jodi Piccoult (19 Minutes), Juno Dawson (This Book is Gay), and Ibram X. Kendi (How To Be An Antiracist), youth activists from PARU (Panther Anti-Racist Union), and delivering the closing remarks at Unite Against Book Bans’ Rally for the Right to Read, held just prior to the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in 2023.
Free screenings for Banned Together are being held throughout the country, with wider distribution planned for 2025. To find a screening near you, visit the Banned Together website.
Fighting Together to End Censorship
One of the best ways to fight book bans is, pardon the pun, by banding together; joining your fellow community members both in raising awareness about and advocating against the practice. Combined with organizing and media efforts, Banned Together can be an invaluable tool in educating others and activating change.
“The issues we bring to light in Banned Together are part of a critical national conversation,” said Jennifer Wiggins, Producer at Atomic Focus Entertainment. “We want to make sure that conversation continues, so we are making it a priority to make the film as accessible as possible right now while we work on a larger distribution plan.”
Ahead of the film’s 2025 launch, Wiggin hopes to receive funding for over 100 free viewings in libraries, schools, and independent bookstores, among others. If you have the means, Wiggin encourages you to make a tax-deductible contribution toward a screening near you! For more information, contact Atomic Focus Entertainment Owner/Producer Jennifer (Jenn) Wiggin at jenn@atomic-focus.com or visit the Banned Together website.
