Pink to hand out ‘banned books’ at Florida tour dates

The pop star will distribute 2,000 “banned” titles in protest of the censorship gaining momentum in the US.

“Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,” said Pink.

Pop star Pink is set to distribute thousands of copies of books that have been “banned” by some schools in Florida, protesting the surge of censorship in the US.

The three-time Grammy winner is partnering with PEN America, a free speech organisation, to distribute 2,000 free copies of four works featured on the organisation’s Index of Banned Books at her shows in Miami.

“Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,” Pink said in a statement released by the group.

The books to be distributed include the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1987 novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, in which a mother chooses to kill her own daughter rather than let her live in slavery, which PEN reports has been “banned” in nine Florida school districts.

Another book on the list is The Family Book by Todd Parr, a children’s picture book that includes same-sex parents and is banned in three districts. Also included is The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman, the poem written for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, which was moved from the elementary library to the middle school section at a school in Miami-Dade County following one complaint from a parent. And a book from the Girls Who Could series by Reshma Saujani.

American singer Pink performs in the first Australian concert of her Beautiful Trauma World Tour at Perth Arena in Perth, Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Picture: AAP Image

“It’s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of colour.

“We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no-one should want to see this progress reversed.”

A PEN report released in September, which counted book removals in school and classroom libraries during the 2022-2023 school year, found 3,362 cases of books being removed, a 33 per cent increase over the previous school year.

Florida witnessed a significant surge in book bans, surpassing Texas in the number of removals and taking the lead with over 1,400 books removed, as reported by PEN.

The state’s prominence in book challenges heightened following the enactment of several laws, specifically targeting the restriction of educational and reading materials on particular subjects.

This includes House Bill 1467, enacted last July, which mandates that books in Florida’s public schools be free of pornography and suited to “student needs,” as determined by a librarian or school media specialist.

In May, Australian author Mem Fox’s 1988 picture book Guess What?, was removed from shelves in the Jacksonville county of Duval, because of an illustration by Vivienne Goodman depicting a character taking a bath.

Florida’s Department of Education has stated that it “does not ban books,” and Governor Ron DeSantis has dismissed claims of book-banning as a “hoax.” He emphasised the need for an education system that is “free from sexualisation and harmful materials that are not age-appropriate.”