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- Obama slammed efforts to ban books in a message to the nation's librarians.
- The former president is also taking his advocacy to TikTok where he'll appear in a series of videos.
- Obama said banning books is antithetical "to what has made this country great."
Former President Barack Obama on Monday issued a call to action for Americans to be mindful of efforts to ban books as new studies show that a rise in challenges is sparked primarily by a wave against LGBTQ+ books.
"It's also important to understand that the world is watching," Obama wrote in a public letter to the nation's librarians. "If America – a nation built on freedom of expression – allows certain voices and ideas to be silenced, why should other countries go out of their way to protect them?"
—Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 17, 2023
Obama did not explicitly single out any one state or leader for the increase in bans, a nod to his general belief that former presidents should mostly stay out of the day-to-day political debate.
"I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great," he wrote.
The former president did point out that research has shown many of these challenges are focused on books about LGBTQ+, people of color, or other historically underrepresented communities.
"It's no coincidence that these 'banned books' are often written by or feature people of color, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community – though there have also been unfortunate instances in which books by conservative authors or books containing 'triggering' words or scenes have been targets for removal," he wrote.
A Washington Post analysis of book challenges submitted to 153 school districts from 2021-2022 found that nearly half of the targeted titles (43%) were related to LBGTQ+ themes. Another 36% of challenges were related to "characters of color or dealing with issues of race and racism." Both The Post and PEN America, a free expression group, found that picture books are a major focus of proposed bans.
According to The Post, Obama also filmed a series of TikToks with local libraries across the country to push his message. The former president said the librarians are on the "front lines" of what happens next.
"In a very real sense, you're on the front lines – fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone," he wrote. "Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with."
While Obama didn't make explicit political hay out of book bans, Democrats see major opportunities in highlighting that such efforts are deeply unpopular. A May IPSOS/NPR poll found that 65% of Americans oppose individual school boards banning certain books and removing them from classroom libraries. Another 69% opposed state lawmakers writing laws that called for banning certain books.
President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is paying close attention to the issue, Politico previously reported. In announcing his reelection, Biden directly called attention to such bans. The president argued that such efforts were part of a larger Republican-led push to restrict basic freedoms.
"MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms," Biden said, ticking off efforts to cut Social Security, restrict abortion rights, and efforts to ban books.