Today, books that shaped my life—and many others—are being challenged in schools, bookstores, and libraries by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. Often, these “banned books” are written by or feature people of color and members of LGBTQ communities.

This year, I’m celebrating Banned Books Week and the freedom to read with people across the country. I wrote out a few of my thoughts, and wanted to share the stories of some folks who are working on this issue. https://barackobama.medium.com/heres-why-i-m-celebrating-banned-books-week-f42e3513f613…

I'm thankful for leaders like Rebecca, one of our @The Obama Foundation Scholars, and Iesha who are making sure Chicagoans of all ages have access to powerful literature. https://www.obama.org/helping-kids-access-books/…

I’m grateful for people like Cameron who fought censorship in Texas by organizing a student-led movement that eventually distributed more than 700 challenged or banned books. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/nbc-out-proud/texas-student-packed-school-board-meetings-challenge-book-bans-rcna28793…

We also owe a debt of gratitude to the team at the Brooklyn Library, and everyone who is helping make sure that readers across the country have access to great books. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/nyregion/brooklyn-library-book-bans-oklahoma.html…

This Banned Books Week, I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the stories that need to be told. And I hope you’ll join me in reminding anyone who will listen—and even those who won’t—that the free, robust exchange of ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy.