About a hundred Brevard County School students will protest the district’s book ban policies hours before a scheduled school board meeting.
There are currently dozens of books being challenged in Brevard County, with the county’s book reconsideration committee making recommendations of whether to keep, restrict or ban books in question.
Hundreds of students will protest these policies ahead of Tuesday's school board meeting where another book, “A Court of Thorns and Roses” is scheduled to be removed.
Youth Action Fund’s Cameron Driggers is planning the protest.
“I think this event is very special, because we've never seen a coordinated and cohesive action organized by students specifically, and to have this great of success and have this many students coming in, so many books being donated,” said Cameron Driggers of Youth Action Fund, the student-led organization planning the demonstration. “I think it really speaks to the moment where, you know, students are saying they've had enough.”
Following the rally, students will have the opportunity to register to vote, pick up a free banned book or speak during public comment at the school board meeting.
“They're coming to this rally to not only voice their disapproval, but to register to vote and prove to these elected officials that they're no longer going to tolerate it, that they're, they're gonna kind of go after what I would argue is the most frightening for these elected officials, which is, their power,” said Driggers.
In a statement, the district said, “BPS supports and respects the right of everyone to protest peacefully in support of an issue that they find important. Engagement from our families and students is an important element of ensuring we provide the best education available in Brevard County.”
According to PEN America, a nonprofit group that compiles information about book bans and censorship, Florida leads the nation in book bans.
Here’s the list of books that have been banned in Brevard County Schools as of April 28, 2023. Here's the district's page detailing books that are under review.
Stream the school board meeting live:
