Thursday, September 30, 2010

Most Frequently Challenged Books Written by Authors of Color 1990-1999

My goodness. I didn’t see most of these books as titillating as the challenge reasons imply.  Well … maybe The Color Purple. I didn’t read the book. The movie was kind of racy, but not ban-worthy. Toni Morrison is on this list a couple of times. Nefarious creature or crafty social commentator? The number is the rank within the list of the  100 most frequently challenged books, 1990-1999. 1


3 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Reason for challenges: racism, homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

17 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language, violence

31 Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Reason for challenges: homosexuality, sexually explicit

34 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language

36 Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Reason for challenges: racism, offensive language, violence

45 Beloved by Toni Morrison
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, violence

69 Native Son by Richard Wright
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language, violence

73  The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language

78 Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language, occult

84 Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Reason for challenges: racism, sexually explicit, offensive language

85 Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Reason for challenges: sexually explicit, offensive language

1Out of 5,711 challenges reported to or recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, as compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association.

“Authors of Color,” American Library Association, July 24, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedauthors/authorsofcolor/index.cfm (Accessed September 30, 2010)
Document ID: 127379

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