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.

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“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