Tennessee school district bans Alex Haley’s Roots under 2022 state law
Summary
A Tennessee school district has removed the novel *Roots* by Alex Haley from its library shelves under a 2022 state law that limits certain books in schools. The district said this action was due to part of the book being deemed not “age appropriate,” though the book can still be taught in class.Key Facts
- Knox County Schools in Tennessee banned *Roots* from school libraries under the Age-Appropriate Materials Act passed in 2022.
- *Roots* tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an African man sold into slavery, and covers six generations of his family.
- The law restricts books containing nudity, sexual content, sexual abuse, or excessive violence from school libraries.
- The district’s review committee found a passage in chapter 84 of *Roots* was not suitable according to the law.
- The novel’s broader historical and cultural importance was not considered in the decision, only the specific content of the passage.
- The book remains allowed for classroom teaching but is removed from library access.
- Tennessee ranks third in the U.S. for the number of books banned under this law, with over 1,600 banned titles in the last year.
- Alex Haley had personal ties to Tennessee, having lived in Knoxville, where there is a statue of him and his childhood home is now a museum.
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