News & Commentary

Texas lawmakers are bullying children and pretending it’s public policy.

In the face of attacks on young trans Texans, building a robust support system is vital.

The Trump administration is attempting to push its political ideals and conservative agenda on students and restrict access to a diverse and inclusive education. Students are speaking out about how harmful these unlawful practices are.

In the face of unprecedented attacks, Texans of all backgrounds showed up this year as visionary leaders.

This year’s Banned Books Week (Sept. 26-Oct. 2) has a renewed importance to me and the community of students I serve. You see, I’m a librarian at a public, inner-city high school in Houston. I’ve been an educator and librarian for more than 15 years. I’d like to think that I know what my kids like and need in the safe space I try to create for them through the library and all of its resources.  But I sometimes worry about pressures on school communities to censor and exclude certain kinds of information that we as educators strive to teach our kids, especially the ones that most need to see themselves in the materials they consume. What’s important for people to remember is that it’s not just books that are being censored, but any kind of information that can shape a narrative or idea, from a speaker invited to give a talk, to an LGBTQ Pride flag hanging in a window.  School districts in Texas are notorious for a more traditional form of idea censorship through the act of officially banning books from school libraries or book club lists. Earlier this year, 13 books were banned from school reading lists in the Leander Independent School District just outside of Austin. Some parents complained about books depicting sexual acts, violence, or profanity — all things that can be accessed in microseconds on a teenager’s smart phone. The situation got so tenuous that a school board member recently resigned. 

School classrooms should be safe and inclusive for all students. Across the state, many school staff — including teachers, coaches, and administrators — are already working to ensure that LGBTQIA+ students are able to exist and thrive as their authentic selves in Texas public schools. 

For 17 minutes on March 14, students and their supporters across the country are planning to walk out of their schools, honoring the victims of the Parkland school shooting and calling for Congress to pass meaningful gun regulation. Unfortunately, some schools view this act as a disruption and are threatening to discipline students who participate. A disciplinary response is a disservice to young people and a missed educational opportunity.

ACLU People Power will host a training on students' rights on Thursday, March 1, at 8 p.m. EST. Register here to join.