We all have books which have changed our lives in some way.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would say, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird wasn’t on their list of life-changing books , and chances are it’s probably at the top.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning book tells the story of racial inequality in Southern America and has been made into an award-winning movie.
Its longtime presence on Australian school curriculums aims to encourage students to engage with the characters and to see parallels in their own responsibilities and situations.
A school in Mississippi has decided that due to the language in the book, it will be removed from the curriculum.
A source told the Sun Herald, that decision was made mid-lesson plan, with the students not allowed to finish the book “due to the use of the ‘N’ word.”
The Source told the Sun Herald that this was an extremely disturbing example of censorship, “in that the themes in the story humanise all people regardless of their social status, education level, intellect, and of course, race. It would be difficult to find a time when it was more relevant than in days like these.”
It’s not the first time the book has been banned, in 2016 the book was removed from a school in the Virginia schools district due to “racist language”.
Removing To Kill a Mocking Bird denies a student of an opportunity for a discussion on empathy as well and essential values, viewpoints and contextually factual information.
