From Berkeley to Beloved: Race and Sexuality in the History of Book Censorship in Virginia

Abstract

The early 2020s saw a wave of demands for books to be removed from school and public libraries in Virginia and throughout the United States. A disproportionately high percentage of challenges were aimed at books written by LGBTQ+ authors and authors of color. Involvement by public officials was one of the most striking features of the challenges—especially when Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin chose to make “parental control” of children’s education a central feature of his 2021 campaign. However, while these events represent a new and troubling phase in the long history of struggles for control of reading material, race and sexuality have been recurring themes in book censorship throughout Virginia history in periods of backlash to social change. This article surveys episodes in the history of book censorship in Virginia from 1960-present set against the longer arc of Virginia and US history. Books provide exposure to knowledge as well as its representation, ensuring that they will be a focus of cultural and political struggles. Demands to restrict library materials in order to protect children tend to focus on literature giving voice to marginalized communities, and can be followed by demands to restrict adults’ reading material as well.