Good afternoon. My name is Anjleena Kour Sahni. I am the advancing racial & economic justice policy advocate at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.
I’m here to speak in support of Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s board letter. The letter uplifts the importance of a commitment to freedom of expression and pushes back against the censorship of literature.
Libraries should be places where people feel represented, and where diverse authors are celebrated.
However, a handful of extremist groups are mounting a nationwide campaign to take away our freedom to learn. Last year, in California, there were 52 challenges to 98 book titles in public and school libraries.
Book bans represent a direct threat to intellectual freedom by censoring marginalized voices, limiting critical thinking and undermining the democratic principle of free exchange of information and ideas.
This is a brazen attempt to erase parts of our history and suppress diverse voices – these acts of censorship disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ communities.
Politically motivated censorship has no place in California, or anywhere in this country. We support AB 1825, the Freedom to Read Act, and all the recommendations put forth in this board letter.
Our county board of supervisors should unite and send a strong message: it is our responsibility to safeguard people’s freedom to learn and thrive. Please vote in support of this board letter.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
