Lekita Dawkins reads during last year’s Read-Out.
The Black Syracuse Project in the Department of African American Studies is organizing Black & Banned, a Community Read-Out for Banned Books Week, Sept. 22-28.
This year’s event is a “town-gown” collaboration with the Beauchamp Branch of the Onondaga County Public Library and three community-based groups: F.O.R.C.E. (Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment), Lit’ for Life (a literacy project) and the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company.
Censorship continues to be a problem for African-American literature. Just this past August, an Alabama legislator moved to have Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” removed from the state’s high school reading lists.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the Community Read-Out will take place from 4-7 p.m. at Beauchamp Branch Library, 2111 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Participants can register to read out loud by Sept. 21 at Beauchamp Library or email jobryant@syr.edu or call 315-443-4399. Books to read will be provided.
A Campus Read-In of banned books by and about African-Americans will take place Friday, Sept. 27, from 2-5 p.m. at the MLK Library in 231 Sims Hall. Register to read out loud by Sept. 25 at the MLK Library or email jobryant@syr.edu or call 315-443-4399. Again, books to read will be provided.
Readers at both events will receive a button, bookmark, banned books list and a chance to win a book.
