By Sarah Ann Figueroa ’28

Staff Writer

On the night of Sunday, Oct. 5 in Dwight 101, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sponsored the screening of “Banned Together,” a documentary that exemplifies the core of this year’s Banned Books Week at Mount Holyoke College.

A tradition that dates back to 1982, Banned Books Week is an annual event sponsored by various organizations around the world with the united goal of fighting for accessible education and against censorship in our public libraries and schools. Every year educators, librarians, writers and readers come together during this week-long event to celebrate literature that has been banned from classroom curriculums and library shelves. The 2025 Banned Books Week was from Oct. 5-11, with the theme “Censorship Is So 1984 — Read for Your Rights.” This year, Library, Information and Technology Services has organized several events throughout campus and the local community to celebrate and “help the MHC community get engaged with the freedom to read,” one of these events being the screening of the documentary “Banned Together.”

Held on a warm Sunday evening, accompanied by pizza, popcorn and free banned books for attendees to take, the screening of “Banned Together” opened with DEI Fellow Emma Quirk ’26 giving a brief welcome and land acknowledgement before starting the film. The documentary follows the students of Beaufort County, South Carolina and their fight against the sudden banning of nearly 100 books from their schools’ libraries. Their journey leads them to meetings with members of both their local and state government, and conversations with authors whose books are among those banned from their classrooms. An all too prevalent issue throughout our nation today, the topic of censorship holds a weight of undeniable urgency that “Banned Together” does not shy away from.

At the conclusion of the screening, the floor was opened up for the audience to share their thoughts. Many expressed concerns about the state of democracy in our country, and the implications that come with such intense book bannings. Others, in a moment of vulnerability, shared their personal stories dealing with censorship in their schools and communities. By and large, a sentiment about the importance of libraries was shared throughout the conversation, echoing a powerful statement made by Isabella Troy Brazoban in the film, “What you cannot find in the history books, you will find in the library.”

Within Williston Memorial Library, a place that is arguably the heart of campus, a display sits at the front of the atrium each year throughout Banned Books Week. From children’s graphic novels to young adult fiction to significant literary works of our time, every book featured in this display is currently banned. Students are encouraged to pick these stories up as they pass by, and educate themselves on the facts of book banning. Informative graphics accompany the display on either side, sharing the most current statistics about the state of censorship in the United States, including how many individual titles are either banned or under intense review throughout schools. Among the most challenged books of 2024 are “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins.

Along with the “Banned Together” screening, other events such as a banned books trivia night and a public library card sign-up took place throughout the week. Prizes were awarded to the winners of trivia night, and those who signed up for a library card won the most invaluable prize of all: Access to knowledge. Uniting over the common goal of standing up against censorship, everyone at LITS and the Office of DEI worked hard to bring the community together this Banned Books Week.

The importance of Banned Books Week can be best summed up by a brief quote from Kijua Sanders-McMurty, vice president for Equity and Inclusion. Sanders-McMurty played a large role in facilitating the events of the week, and they took the time to share with me their feelings on the importance of the cause. “Books truly saved my life when I was younger as I struggled in academic environments and dropped out of multiple high schools. Reading liberated me and helped me continue to learn even when I had limited access to formal schooling. I immersed myself in stories by other people - my favorites were A Wrinkle In Time, Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl, The Bluest Eye, and The Color Purple. All of these books have been banned or challenged. When I first learned of book bans, I was deeply discouraged. Then, I found out about Banned Books Week and became deeply inspired by the activists who refused to give in. I love that people across generations and various identities can build coalitions and speak up for the Freedom to Read!”

Sophie Francis ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Editor’s note: Emma Quirk ’26 is a features editor for Mount Holyoke News.