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Date and Time

All meetings are on the following Mondays from 5:00-6:30 PST / 8:00-9:30 EST

March 9th - They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

April 13th - The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

May 11th - Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario

June 8th - The Hate U GIve by Angie Thomas

This single sign-up registers you for all of the meetings in this series!

Description

The Institute for Common Power, the educational branch of Common Power, is inviting you to join us for our Spring 2026 Banned Books Club series. We will be meeting virtually on the 2nd Mondays from March - June to discuss texts that have been banned or challenged in libraries or schools across the country.

In a world increasingly wary of uncomfortable truths, we believe in the right to read freely and believe that banning books is anathema to democracy. As with our overall organizational mission of safeguarding the vote, we also hold true that safeguarding the diversity of ideas is essential to a just and inclusive democracy.

According to a recent PEN America report, the 2023-2024 school year recorded the highest instances of book bans and highest number of unique titles banned on record – over 4,000 unique titles were removed in over 10,000 instances of book bans. The Institute believes in the enduring power of books to provoke thought, challenge norms, and broaden perspectives. During our meetings of the Banned Books Club we discuss race, identity, and freedom of expression as the club dives into the societal issues these books illuminate.

This will be the fourth 4-book series facilitated by the Educators for Democracy team at The Institute for Common Power. The Educators for Democracy are current frontline teachers who are experienced in instructional design and who are committed to the work of teaching truth.

Banned Books Club is a free event (donations always appreciated!) facilitated by the Educators for Democracy team at The Institute for Common Power.

*By signing up for this event, you’ll also be subscribed to our newsletter, where we share updates, impact stories, and future opportunities to get involved. We respect your inbox, and you can unsubscribe anytime. We’ll never share your information with anyone.