St. John’s University’s LGBTQ+ Center kicked off Banned Books Week by organizing an event that promotes this year’s theme “Freed Between the Lines.” 

The event, which was held outside Sun Yat Sen, caught the attention of passersby during common hour on Sept. 23. Members of the Office of Multicultural Affairs simultaneously held an event that celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“When marginalized communities are attacked, it’s not generally one or the other — it’s multiple marginalized communities who are the most at risk when information is being banned, censored or both,” said associate professor and director of the LGBTQ+ Center, Dr. Candice D. Roberts. 

“This is why we thought it was a good time for us to come out and talk about banned books in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month because they are one of the ‘mini’ marginalized communities that are impacted by bans and threats to freedom of information,” added Roberts. 

Banned Books Week was first launched in 1982 and has increasingly drawn national attention to the harms of censorship, as per an informational post provided by the SJU LGBTQ+ Center’s Instagram. Their source further details that the week-long observation assists in spotlighting the value of free and open access to information, which the center hopes to boost through their efforts.

Graduate assistant Leslie Alhakim has actively participated alongside Dr. Roberts and other members to make the week a productive one. Providing necessary information to students and faculty, preparing giveaways and promoting future events beyond the common hour occasion were all a part of this process.  

“I remember growing up, it was hard to find representations of myself in media,” said Alhakim. “To hear that there are books with people like me in them being banned — it’s so heartbreaking because people like us exist outside of libraries,” they added.

On Sept. 26 at 5 p.m., the LGBTQ+ Center will host a Censorship & Social Justice Panel at the Inclusivity Resource Center (IRC), located inside Sun Yat Sen. The space will welcome three speakers, all of whom are set to lead a roundtable discussion centered around the danger of book bans and information on literacy in higher education, as detailed by the Center’s flyer. 

“The people who face discrimination are the ones on the receiving end of those things, not the communities trying to insert themselves,” said associate professor and assistant Chair of the SJU department of English, Raj Chetty.

Chetty additionally previewed some of the matters that he intends to discuss at the panel, such as “the current campus climate speech around topics that are sights of oppression.” With this, he aims to “connect [students] with what’s happening in libraries and in schools, since these are places where books are being removed for talking about different expressions and sexualities.” 

“I hope that students join the event on Thursday to learn more about this, because they’re not just banning books, they’re banning knowledge, education and the opportunity for our communities to really discuss our lives,” Alhakim concluded. 

While the signature event of the week will be held on Thursday, those interested in participating in Banned Books Week are encouraged to stop by the LGBTQ+ Center, located in St. John’s Hall Room 216, to browse their Banned Books Library. 

Any additional information on Banned Books Week such as a more detailed description of the discussion panel and how to enter this week’s giveaway can be found on this link.