(MIAMI) A Miami school has banned a poem by African-American Amanda Gorman that was read during Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, saying it was inappropriate for younger children, an association that opposes book bans said Wednesday.
According to documents obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read organization, Dailey Salinas, the student’s mother, asked Bob Graham to remove five books from the school library in late March. With AFP.
Among these works, poetry The mountain we climbRead by Amanda Corman at the Democratic presidential inauguration.
The 22-year-old poet was a sensation at the time, and many of his works were top sellers.
The mountain we climb A message of hope and a call for unity addressed to a divided nation. It was written after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Poetry has been transferred to the 11+ section at Bob Graham School.
The decision renews the debate over book bans, a particularly sensitive issue in the United States.
In the context of the culture wars between Republicans and Democrats, which are dividing the country, some conservative states are trying to police reading, for example, rejecting works they accuse of promoting homophobic, progressive ideologies, or are too shocking.
Classics, novels by Toni Morrison or MouseArt Spiegelman was targeted by school officials.
Amanda Gorman, who recently joined the list, said she was “stunned”.
According to her, this choice is a “violation of freedom of opinion and speech”.
However, the school board of the Miami school recognized the educational value of the poem in its written decision, calling Amanda Gorman “the youngest poet in the history of the United States to read during an inauguration ceremony for a president”.
“Food trailblazer. Passionate troublemaker. Coffee fanatic. General analyst. Certified creator. Lifelong music expert. Alcohol specialist.”