Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human

Books showing Black children spending time with family, or playing at home, help Black kids see themselves in literature and give all kids a window into others’ experiences.

By: Wintre Foxworth Johnson, University of Virginia; Brooke Harris Garad, Butler University; Jennifer D. Turner, University of Maryland, and Tiffany D. Meadows, University of Virginia, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 14, 2026

Words: 1,351

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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By Wintre Foxworth Johnson, University of Virginia; Brooke Harris Garad, Butler University; Jennifer D. Turner, University of Maryland, and Tiffany D. Meadows, University of Virginia

Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 bans on individual books in libraries and public schools.

Many of these bans remove Black and LGBTQIA+ literature from bookshelves. Approximately 44% of the books banned in 2024 and 2025 featured characters of color and …

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