Advancing the Freedom to Read in California Libraries

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Take Action: Advancing the Freedom to Read in California Libraries

Attention California Sagnat: We need your support to stand for the freedom to read in the Golden State's libraries.

Inclusive educational materials, including books, allow children to learn about their peers and contribute to a more harmonious neighborhood environment. Any and all efforts to dispel ignorance among children can help to stop bias early, before it festers into the kind of bigotry that drives hate crimes and discrimination in adults. When materials that shed light on marginalized groups are excluded from libraries—often as the result of politically-motivated book bans—children miss out on the opportunity to explore cultures and perspectives outside of their own. The exclusion and "othering" that comes with this decreased freedom can also drive bias-based bullying, which harms Sikh children and children from numerous other communities.

Assembly Bill 1825 (AB 1825), also known as the Freedom to Read Act, would ensure that educational materials reaching students in public libraries reflect California’s vibrant diversity and would establish safeguards for books about minority communities like ours. This bill benefits the Sikh community given that 1) Sikhs are already underrepresented in K-5 classroom materials and 2) that Sikh authors have been increasingly swept up in book bans. AB 1825 has already passed the California Assembly and the State Senate; now, it has been sent to Governor Newsom for his signature. Use the below form to urge him to sign this important bill into law before the September 16 deadline!

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Email Governor Newsom

Subject: Please Sign the Freedom to Read Act

Message:

As a member of the California Sikh community and your constituent, I am writing to urge your signature on Assembly Bill 1825 (AB 1825), also known as the Freedom to Read Act. This legislation would ensure that educational materials reaching students in public libraries reflect California’s vibrant diversity and would establish safeguards for books about minority communities like mine.

Inclusive educational materials, including books, allow children to learn about their peers and contribute to a more harmonious neighborhood environment. Any and all efforts to dispel ignorance among children can help to stop bias early, before it festers into the kind of bigotry that drives hate crimes and discrimination in adults. When materials that shed light on marginalized groups are improperly excluded from libraries, children miss out on the opportunity to explore cultures and perspectives outside of their own and are unable to develop positive associations with the diverse communities around them.

The Sikh community knows this all too well. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with more than 25 million followers, and our community has a significant presence and vibrant history in California that dates back more than 125 years. Unfortunately, Sikhs and our social and historical contributions are still largely absent from books and other elective educational materials—especially at the K-12 level. The impact of this erasure is apparent: An April 2024 report from the Sikh Coalition found that nearly eight in ten (78%) Sikh children aged 9-18 have experienced behavior categorized as bullying, and Sikh boys who wear religious head coverings, such as the patka or dastaar, are much more likely to experience bias-based bullying.

Safeguarding Californians’ freedom to read diverse books is a significant milestone in addressing the epidemic of bullying, harassment, and exclusion against Sikh children and families and those of many other communities. Ignorance breeds fear, ‘othering,’ and even hatred, but that ignorance can be dispelled by inclusive books. Moreover, we cannot ignore that books by Sikh authors are among those that have been challenged by politically motivated book bans. Children and families of all communities deserve to see themselves reflected in the stories they read, and we should not allow regressive politics to limit their inclusion in the classroom.

As your constituent, I urge you to sign the Freedom to Read Act now that it has been passed by both the State Senate and Assembly. Thank you for your consideration of this issue.

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