Parents, pastors, students defend librarians
April 27, 2022

Ahead of the full TN State House vote on HB2666, pastors, parents, students, and advocates speak out against book bans and attacks on libraries

Rev Dr Kevin Riggs. Southern Christian Coalition

High school student Lindsay Hornick Southern Christian Coalition

NASHVILLE -- Late Monday night, Speaker Cameron Sexton snuck in a last-minute amendment to HB2666 that would require that all school boards and librarians not only provide a list of library books, but would also require them to get approved from the TN textbook commission, which includes controversial Laurie Cardoza-Moore. Ahead of the House’s vote on the bill at 9am this morning, pastors, parents, students, and public school advocates spoke out in defense of librarians and against censorship by politicians.

Rev. Dr. Kevin Riggs, Pastor of Franklin Community Church, opened the press conference speaking against censorship and in support of librarians. He called the bill a “shameless and blatant attempt to grab more power and silence diverse perspectives. Our students deserve to read books that reflect their true selves. Giving power to a politically appointed board to have control over professionally trained librarians is not only a burden to our libraries and public schools, but is a dangerous silencing of perspectives and voices. As Christians we should never fear the truth. Not only did Jesus tell us the truth would set us free, but he also commanded His disciples to not fear. Creating legislation out of fear of exposing our students to the truth about history is the opposite of what we should do as Christians. We are called to be people of truth and justice, so it is my fervent prayer that our elected leaders pivot from this harmful censorship legislation.”

Lindsay Hornick, a Williamson County High School Student spoke in defense of librarians and against censorship explaining that as one of the few Jewish students at her school censorship and book bans, like the recent one on the book, ‘Maus’ are deeply personal to her. “During the house education instruction committee hearing on March 2nd, Representative Vincent Dixie questioned the makeup of the current board which I have researched myself and found that there is almost no diversity in race, political parties, or religion. How is a one sided board supposed to make decisions about the most important aspect of our education: books? Books allow us to learn about the world through a variety of lenses and create our own opinions on controversial topics. They teach us about the past in ways that exploit the truth. No matter how difficult it may be to hear, the documented past allows us to learn and grow. It allows us to prevent tragedies from repeating.” She concluded her remarks with, “Books that expose the greatest tragedies of our history will be banished, and with them, truth. Imagine living through something as horrible as the Holocaust, and then hearing but silence.”

Andrew Maraniss, parent and non-fiction children’s author, spoke in support of librarians and diverse books saying that “any attack on books, schools, and librarians is really an attack on us, on all of us, on democracy. Everything is connected. This Legislature [has been] attacking voting rights, attacking the ability to protest, attacking free speech, attacking LGBTQ people, attacking Black people, and it is related to attacks on democracy. And attacks on books are right at the heart of that. So, it’s really disgusting and outrageous that we have to be here standing up for the rights of people to read books, but that’s where we are. If we are in a culture war, give me the side of the librarians, the teachers, the schools, the parents, and the students.”

Emily Jenkins, mother of five, graduate of Metro Nashville Public Schools, and advocate in the Juvenile Court System, started her remarks by reminding everyone that every student is unique and deserves to feel like they belong in the community where they live. “How can we expect a commission of just twelve to represent the needs of every student in the state of Tennessee?” She also told the story from her time attending Cameron Middle School in MNPS. The school librarian at the time always went out of her way to find books about Laos and Laotian refugees' experiences because there was a 6th grade math teacher who was a Laotian refugee himself, and his story always sparked students to want to know more. “That is the kind of individual, on the ground, school level knowledge that our librarians have when they are selecting books for the students that they serve [...] The same legislature who wants to preach about the need for small local government wants to make this a statewide initiative, pushing it through at the last minute, with no time, no preparation, no opportunity to be heard by stakeholders, and no possibility that this could be effectively done in the timeline in which they have done it [...] We are watching the funeral march of the death of expertise when a singing cowboy has the voice to stand on the floor of the Legislature and explain what literature is ‘appropriate’ for our children and librarians are being cast aside and disrespected as having no input as to what is to be in our libraries. This is ridiculous [...] This will end badly for our state and our kids.”

Anna Caudill, Mother of two and Disability Advocate, shared the stories of students across the state who have been failed by the inaction of Tennessee’s Supermajority Legislature, including children in Waverly who are currently attending school in warehouses, and Sunbright, where the first rural Community School has started and where the opioid crisis has left 80% of students not living with their parents and one of every 4 parents is dead. She asked, “What has this Supermajority done for those children? No matter what made up controversy they seize on next to scare hard-working Tennesseans into thinking our kids are in danger, it will not answer for the failure of moral responsibility this Legislature has shown our children.”

Caudill ended by saying, “I will remind this Supermajority that if they can be troubled to read the book they want to call the official state book, they might see this question. ‘And what does the LORD require of me? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.’ These words from Micah precede the Christian tradition, but perhaps if the Supermajority and Speaker Sexton could muster some respect for even one verse, they would be freed of the fear that drives them to control education decisions we make for our own children and to instead lead with laws that will contribute to the flourishing of Tennessee’s young folks.”

Dr Rod Berger, parent of children in Williamson County Schools said, “What we are battling for the nation to see in plain sight is extremists in their attempt to erode public institutions for the installation of short sighted, exclusive and divisive guardrails. [These are] not meant to celebrate the increasing diversity of our state, but rather to separate us by our differences in a ruthless attempt to maintain social structures and positions by where the roles remain the same, the old south vs the new south.” He also quoted a local superintendent saying, “Education is meant to teach young people how to learn, not what to learn. It’s time that we wake up. We can either be on the right side of history, or nailed to a chain of ignorant petulance for a time gone by. Wake up Nashville, wake up Legislature, wake up Tennessee.”

Anne McGraw, public school mother and advocate, concluded by thanking everyone for coming out, reminding everyone that teachers, students and librarians were unable to attend due to the requirement of standardized testing. Her message to teachers and librarians was, “There are so many people on your side. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but know that we are out here. Some of us are here physically, but many more are watching online.” She asked those wondering how to stand up to defend librarians and teachers to get involved in their local districts and email legislators.

About Southern Christian Coalition
The Southern Christian Coalition is a nonpartisan grassroots, ecumenical organization. Across the South, politicians use ideology in the guise of Christian theology to push policies that harm our communities and isolate us from our neighbors. We are a community of Christians, speaking up on the values of our faith.