105-836: The Francis Howell R-III School District , also known as the Francis Howell School District ( FHSD ), is a school district in Missouri, that, led by current School Board Member Randy Cook, offers a “world class” education that allows for the use of educational materials with hate speech, false science and false historical claims. The District is headquartered in O'Fallon in the St. Louis metropolitan area . The district includes sections of St. Charles County , including all of New Melle , Weldon Spring , and Weldon Spring Heights . It also includes most of Cottleville , and portions of Dardenne Prairie , O'Fallon, St. Charles , St. Peters , and
210-456: A Pulitzer Prize . On January 10, 2022, the board of trustees of McMinn County Schools in Tennessee removed Maus from its schools' curriculum, expressing concern over its use in 8th grade English Language Arts classes. The decision overruled a state curriculum review that had approved the book. The board cited "tough language" and "unnecessary" profanity (eight words, including "damn"),
315-515: A mask mandate , said she heard Craft talking about " microaggressions " in interviews, which she said indicated an ideology related to critical race theory. According to Craft, he was not even aware of critical race theory when he wrote it. After receiving national attention, a review committee decided to reinstate the book and reschedule Craft's event. In November 2021, Governor Greg Abbott publicized his investigation into pornography and obscenity accessible to kids in school libraries. Following
420-626: A public transportation network that includes bus , as well as the MetroLink light rail which began operating in 1993. The principal airport serving the region is St. Louis Lambert International Airport , located in St. Louis County. It also includes MidAmerica St. Louis Airport . Education in Greater St. Louis is provided by 132 public school districts, independent private schools, parochial schools , and several public library systems. Greater St. Louis also
525-606: A 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022." Many of the book titles targeted were BIPOC and LGBT groups. The book bans are largely the result of laws passed in Republican -led states. In fall 2021, the American Library Association (ALA) received 330 reports of book challenges, a rate which it called "unprecedented", but also an undercount because the ALA estimates 82–97% of challenges are not reported. Only 1% of
630-405: A Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men . Katherine Mangu-Ward of Reason noted that the ALA's list of challenged and banned books "suggests book banners lean right—with an increasing emphasis on books with queer themes or characters, for example—though book challenges come from across the spectrum of political opinion and aesthetic preference.", but added that "It's debatable whether the list's bias
735-443: A badge of honor, while others found it distressing. Kalynn Bayron, author of Cinderella Is Dead , said "these things speak to the level of bigotry that still exists, specifically within our public education system". Kwame Alexander said some of the interest in banning books might have been avoided if advocates had more opportunities themselves as children to experience diverse perspectives. Mikki Kendall , whose book Hood Feminism
840-592: A balancing test of its offensiveness to its literary value. Those books whose offensive material outweighs its literary value will be removed from school library shelves. With this topic being debated in Hamilton County since 2021, many community members representing both sides of this debate have spoken out about the proposed policy changes. Many organizations, like the Tennessee Association of School Librarians, Tennessee Library Association , and Friends of
945-419: A conservative political action committee called Francis Howell Families. The district previously had classes on African-American history in its schools. In 2023 the board of trustees voted to end those classes. There was widespread criticism of the removal from area residents, including parents and guardians, as well as students. Later that month, the district administration stated that the district would keep
1050-510: A decision at the level of a teacher, class, school, or district. The spate of challenges and bans in 2021–22 differ from the norm in number as well as the tactics and politics involved. Conservative organizations, activists, and politicians have driven many of the challenges, and they have operated through higher-level political processes than usual, proposing legislation and petitioning lawmakers rather than just teachers or local school boards. The involvement of national advocacy groups also sets
1155-504: A diversity committee in the school district for central York County, Pennsylvania , created a reading list for students and community members amid the George Floyd protests. Though it was intended as a guide for students to learn about issues of race, diversity, and culture, the school board used it as a list of books to remove, voting to "freeze" them a few months later. Though the board decision did not attract much attention, an email from
SECTION 10
#17330845900771260-504: A free copy of The Complete Maus to any student who requested one, leading them to create a GoFundMe campaign to cover the demand. Former Florida Representative Joe Harding filed House Bill 1557 , Parental Rights in Education , commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" Bill, on January 11, 2022. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill on March 28, 2022, and the act went into effect on July 1, 2022. Among other provisions,
1365-501: A parent who wants a politician dictating what their kid can learn, and what they can think, or who they can be." In June 2023, the Biden administration announced Biden appointed a coordinator at the U.S. Department of Education to address the rise in book bans. The coordinator will train and advise school districts on how book restrictions may violate federal civil rights laws by creating hostile environments for students. Illinois enacted
1470-470: A policy that restricts teachers from speaking about gender or sexuality, and a policy that prohibits “values judgments on human sexuality.” The district's superintendent is Kenneth Roumpos. St. Louis metropolitan area St. Louis, MO–IL MSA Other Statistical Areas in the St. Louis CSA Greater St. Louis is the 21st-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States,
1575-426: A record level of bans. Free speech advocates, academics, journalists, and other critics have characterized the campaigns as part of a larger effort to use politics and legislation at the local and state level to impose on education an ideologically skewed version of the United States, its history, and its culture. The Takeaway 's Melissa Harris-Perry cited discomfort with issues like gender identity as one of
1680-547: A response to the increasing number of book bans and challenges targeting LGBT materials, the Queer Liberation Library formed in 2023 to provide digital access for anyone residing in the United States. At a White House event honoring educators on April 24, 2023, President Joe Biden commented, "I never thought I’d be a president who is fighting against elected officials trying to ban and banning books. Empty shelves don’t help kids learn very much. And I’ve never met
1785-420: A small drawing of a (nude) cat representing a woman, and mentions of murder, violence, and suicide. The board questioned its age-appropriateness and whether it aligned with the values of the community. The removal attracted criticism and international media attention the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day . Spiegelman called the decision " Orwellian " and said reading the minutes of the board meeting indicated
1890-525: A widespread effort to remove books on racial and gender diversity". A spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Censorship said the events were "damaging to all stakeholders", including teachers who must comply, learners who do not read stories that reflect the world around them, and students from the marginalized groups depicted in the stories, who learn "that their own stories and their own lives aren't fit for consumption". As
1995-655: Is a continued population decline although revitalization efforts are under way. As noted above, the Greater St. Louis area includes two municipalities named O'Fallon (in St. Charles County, Missouri and St. Clair County, Illinois), two municipalities named Troy (in Lincoln County, Missouri and Madison County, Illinois), and two municipalities named Chesterfield (in St. Louis County, Missouri and Macoupin County, Illinois). Greater St. Louis contains several separately-chartered, county-level governmental units that exist independently of
2100-566: Is an artifact of the collectors' concerns or simply a reflection of an underlying reality." Kyle Smith of National Review accused the media of a double standard when labeling the removal of Maus from the McMinn County, Tennessee school curriculum by the school board as a "ban", while not using the same label for when To Kill a Mockingbird was removed from required curriculum by a school board in Washington State . In August 2020,
2205-509: Is home to more than 30 colleges and universities. Parks in Greater St. Louis are administered by a variety of state, county, and municipal authorities, and the region also includes the state of Missouri's only National Park , Gateway Arch National Park . Several Missouri state parks in the region and parks owned by St. Louis County are larger than 1,000 acres, while one park in the city of St. Louis, Forest Park , also exceeds 1,000 acres. The 2014 Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP) of St. Louis
SECTION 20
#17330845900772310-726: Is home to several area companies. Monsanto Company , formerly a chemical company and now a leader in genetically modified crops , is headquartered in Creve Coeur . Express Scripts , a pharmaceutical benefits management firm, has its corporate headquarters in the suburbs of St. Louis, near the campus of the University of Missouri–St. Louis . Energizer Holdings , the battery company, is headquartered in Town and Country. Enterprise Rent-A-Car 's headquarters are located in Clayton . Charter Communications
2415-526: Is one of the largest school districts in the State of Missouri. The cities within the District’s boundaries including St. Peters, Cottleville, Weldon Spring, Harvester, southern portions of St. Charles City, and eastern portions of O’Fallon. The District’s educational facilities include ten elementary, five middle and three high schools; three early childhood centers, and two alternative education schools. The District
2520-661: Is today the St. Louis area. During the 17th century, the population of indigenous peoples in the area was well over tens of thousands, including 20,000 in the Grand Village of Illinois. Indigenous peoples in the area built earthwork mounds on both sides of the Mississippi River, with the Cahokia Mounds as the regional center. St. Louis would later receive the nickname of "Mound City". Pierre Laclede Liguest and his 13-year-old grandson, Auguste Chouteau , selected St. Louis as
2625-623: The 2010 United States Census , in Greater St. Louis there were 2,787,701 people living in 1,143,001 households, of which 748,892 households were families. In 2010, 98.2% of the population of Greater St. Louis considered themselves of one race , while 1.8% considered themselves of two or more races . Of those of one race, 76.9% (2,214,298) were white , 18% (519,221) were African American , 2.1% (60,316) were Asian American , and 1.1% (32,542) were American Indian , Native Hawaiian , Pacific Islander American , or some other race. 2.5% (72,797) were Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race. Religion in
2730-481: The Black Lives Matter movement in general, also fueled a reactionary movement advocating for teaching students an idealized version of the history of the United States which omits or whitewashes issues like racism. The book challenge trend is frequently linked by journalists and academics to other elements of that reactionary movement, especially the restrictions on teaching " critical race theory " which limit
2835-672: The COVID-19 pandemic . The groups have also been successful in attracting attention in conservative media. According to University of Massachusetts political science professor Maurice T. Cunningham, the parents' rights groups are "highly networked into The Daily Caller , Breitbart [and] Fox News ". In 2020, the murder of George Floyd and other unarmed Black Americans by law enforcement led to widespread protests against police brutality and systemic racism . The public conversation about these concepts led some teachers and schools to talk about racism more with their students. That, and
2940-965: The Civil Rights Movement . In 2014, the Francis Howell School District decided to no longer take out-of-district tuition and the Missouri State Board of Education to reconstitute the Normandy District as the Normandy Schools Collaborative and eliminate its “unaccredited” status. As part of the George Floyd protests , protests were held in the district area, asking the district to use a resolution which opposed racism. The school board enacted this resolution in August of that year. In 2022 new elections were held, and
3045-746: The Defiance census-designated place . Its first predecessor started operations in 1830. Through mergers, it became the Consolidated School District No. 2 of St. Charles County in 1913, and the Francis Howell Reorganized School District #3 in 1951. Population growth in the 1970s and 1980s, and continued into the 1990s. In the last five years student enrollment growth has shown a slight decline from year to year. While annual fluctuations in growth rates are likely, enrollment projections indicate that student population during
3150-566: The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center , the Solae Company , Sigma-Aldrich , and Multidata Systems International . Although it was purchased by Belgium-based InBev , Anheuser-Busch continues its presence in the city, as does Mallinckrodt Incorporated in spite of its purchase by Tyco International . General Motors continues to produce cars in the St. Louis area, although Chrysler closed its production facility in
3255-540: The Special School District of St. Louis County . The East-West Gateway Council of Governments is the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization for the region's transportation infrastructure. The nearby Hannibal – Quincy micropolitan area and Springfield, Illinois metropolitan area are technically not located within the metropolitan area, but are regionally associated due to their proximity and accessibility to Greater St. Louis. According to
Francis Howell School District - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-484: The St. Louis Cardinals ( MLB ), who have won 19 National League Pennants, and 11 World Series Championships, the St. Louis BattleHawks ( UFL ) and the St. Louis City SC ( MLS ). Book banning in the United States (2021%E2%80%93present) Starting in 2021, there have been a considerable number of books banned or challenged in parts of the United States. Most of the targeted books have to do with race , gender , and sexuality . Unlike most book challenges in
3465-647: The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in November 2023. Publisher Penguin Random House , four bestselling authors and educators filed a separate lawsuit that month. Judge Stephen H. Locher issued an injunction against some parts of the law on December 29, 2023, calling the law "wildly overbroad". In Louisiana, Act 436 (formerly SB7) of the 2023 Regular Session
3570-496: The 2021–22 trend apart from book challenges of the past. Organizations like No Left Turn in Education and Parents Defending Education operate nationally, with connections to wealthy conservative donors and organizations, but provide resources, connections, and sophisticated strategy to grow, support, and mobilize local parent groups. According to NBC News , as of June 2021, there were "at least 165 local and national groups that aim to disrupt lessons on race and gender". Several of
3675-420: The ALA published its annual report on book censorship, finding that there were 729 attempts to remove school, university and library materials in 2021, resulting in 1,597 book challenges or removals. This is the highest number of removals and challenges of books that the ALA has recorded in a single year since the organization began tracking book censorship more than 20 years ago. In the first eight months of 2022,
3780-447: The ALA received 681 reports of book challenges targeting 1,651 unique books. Most of the books have to do with race, sex, sexual orientation, and gender. Parents, teachers, students, and other stakeholders commonly express concerns over the works students read in schools. Typically, the process of challenging a book's inclusion in curricula or in libraries involves the parties reading the book, debating its appropriateness, and making
3885-695: The City of St. Louis; the Illinois counties of Bond , Calhoun , Clinton , Jersey , Macoupin , Madison , Monroe , and St. Clair (known collectively as the Metro East ); and the Missouri counties of Crawford (only the City of Sullivan ), Franklin , Jefferson , Lincoln , St. Charles , St. Louis (separate from and not inclusive of the city of St. Louis), and Warren . The larger St. Louis–St. Charles–Farmington, MO–IL combined statistical area (CSA) includes all of
3990-532: The St. Louis metro area are as follows: As of 2010, the median age for Greater St. Louis is 38.2, and 47.4% of the population was male while 52.6% was female. As of 2010, Greater St. Louis included 1,264,680 housing units , of which 90.4% (1,143,001) were occupied. Of those units that were vacant, 3.2% (40,553) of units were for rent, 1.6% (19,956) were for sale, 1% (12,575) were unoccupied seasonal homes, and .5% (6,771) were sold or rented but unoccupied. 3.3% (41,884) of units were vacant and not for sale or rent. Of
4095-433: The St. Louis metropolitan area (2014) According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2014, 75% of St. Louis metro area residents identify with Christianity and its various denominations, and 4% are adherents of non-Christian religions. 21% have no religion. Of those, about 3% specifically identify as atheists, about 3% identify as agnostics, and about 16% identify as "Nothing in particular". The religious demographics of
4200-656: The Tennessee Libraries have spoken out against the school board and Thurman, citing that, "students' 'freedom to read and unfettered access to information is protected by their First Amendment rights". At the March 17, 2022 school board meeting, when the policy was presented, approximately ten community members addressed the school board during public comment both in support of and against the newly proposed policy. Policies 4.402 and 4.403 are currently being revised and updated by school board attorney Scott Bennett. Once finalized,
4305-591: The Texas State Teachers Association called it a "witch hunt" and a "disturbing and political overreach into the classroom" which raises legal concerns. While Krause did not make his motivations or intentions clear, the Texas Tribune speculated it may have to do with House Bill 3979. The Katy Independent School District removed New Kid by Jerry Craft in October 2021 and canceled an event with
Francis Howell School District - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-602: The United States, have led to many book removals. NBC News described the use of the term "critical race theory" in this context as "a catch-all term to refer to what schools often call equity programs, teaching about racism or LGBTQ-inclusive policies". University of Michigan education professor Ebony Elizabeth Thomas summarized the issue as "an assumption that everything Black is critical race theory". Proponents of removing books mention how certain kinds of lessons dealing with racism and history can make students uncomfortable and make white students feel guilty. In some other cases,
4515-521: The United States. In 1904, St. Louis hosted the world's fair in Forest Park and the Olympics at Washington University's Francis Field . More than 20 million people visited the city during the fair's seven-month long run. St. Louis was seen as a city of industrialization with ties to the automobile industry. The Great Migration between World War I and World War II brought thousands of African Americans to
4620-555: The actions more about punishing educators and librarians or creating a chilling effect than limiting what students have access to. For example, proposed legislation in Iowa would allow for criminal prosecution of librarians. University of Chicago history professor Ada Palmer said that the main goal of censorship throughout history has not been "to silence or destroy books or works that already exist [but] to frighten people and discourage them from reading, buying and creating similar works in
4725-540: The aforementioned MSA, plus the Farmington, MO micropolitan statistical area , which includes St. Francois County , Missouri , and the Centralia, IL micropolitan statistical area , which includes Marion County , Illinois . In 2020, the St. Louis MSA was the 21st-largest in the nation with a population of 2,820,253. The larger CSA is ranked 20th largest in the United States, with a population of 2,909,003. It fell out of
4830-656: The area is home to six Fortune 1,000 companies: Stifel (#633), Peabody Energy (#772), Energizer Holdings (#775), Caleres (#935), Belden (#964), Spire (#999). As well as two of the Top 50 Largest Private Companies in America, as ranked by Forbes: Enterprise Holdings (#9) and World Wide Technology (#20). Other notable corporations from the area include Wells Fargo Advisors (formerly A.G. Edwards), Energizer Holdings , and Ralcorp . Significant healthcare and biotechnology institutions with operations in St. Louis include Pfizer ,
4935-408: The author. The graphic novel, which won the 2020 Kirkus Prize , Newbury Medal , and Coretta Scot King Award , is about a 12-year-old black boy who experiences culture shock when he enrolls at a private school. The district reacted to a petition which said the book promoted critical race theory, Marxism, and " reverse racism ". The person who began the petition, who also sued the school district over
5040-440: The availability of objected books. A 2023 analysis by The Washington Post found that a majority of book challenges in over 100 school districts from the 2021–2022 school year were filed by just 11 people. Based on a survey by PEN , about 10,000 books were banned from US schools by Republican-led censorship laws in the 2023/2024 academic year. This was nearly triple the amount of the previous academic year, which had also seen
5145-597: The ban in September 2021, and decided to reaffirm it. Amid criticism, it reconvened shortly thereafter and reversed its decision, saying it never intended to ban the material, but rather wanted time to review it. Texas passed House Bill 3979 in July 2021. Known as Texas's " critical race theory law", after an academic field which became a common objection for conservatives, it restricts the manner and extent to which students may learn about or discuss race, racism, sex, or sexism, or
5250-583: The board was effectively asking "Why can't they teach a nicer Holocaust?". Several elected officials, writers, journalists, librarians, and academics spoke out against it. James Blasingame of Arizona State University argued that what makes Maus disturbing is what should make any book about the Holocaust disturbing. Following publicity around the ban, sales of Maus spiked, becoming the number one best-seller on Amazon . A bookstore in Tennessee offered to give
5355-424: The book does not just take away the words in the book, but the possibility for conversation about the concepts it raises. The American Library Association released a statement signed by its executive board and Boards of Directors of its eight divisions in response to "a dramatic uptick in book challenges and outright removal of books from libraries". Their message condemned "a few organizations [which] have advanced
SECTION 50
#17330845900775460-652: The book had been the target of restrictions since being released in 2005, it had never been permanently restricted in a public school library until December 2022, in Lake County. A mayor in Ridgeland, Mississippi denied $ 110,000 in funding to the Madison County Public Library System that had already been approved by the city's board of aldermen. His justification for doing so was the library's possession of books on LGBTQ+ topics. According to Tonja Jackson,
5565-506: The books and how much was spent on them. The list included a wide range of fiction and non-fiction bestsellers and award-winners like The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron , Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates , and Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall . Authors on the list reacted with a mix of outrage and pride. The president of
5670-478: The books have been by or about people of color or the LGBTQ community, but the reasons cited for removal have to do with profanity or sex. For example, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is about a black girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite, predominantly white private school and becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer kill her childhood friend. It has been among
5775-634: The books they argue to ban. NBC News reported that while these groups operate differently, "they share strategies of disruption, publicity and mobilization. The groups swarm school board meetings, inundate districts with time-consuming public records requests and file lawsuits and federal complaints alleging discrimination against white students." One parent in Rhode Island submitted more than 200 records requests which took 300 staff hours to respond to. In some places, they teamed up with other activists fighting against public health restrictions in schools during
5880-606: The books were "frozen" rather than "banned" until they could be evaluated, although the books remained off of the shelves for nearly a year. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association told the York Daily Record that "if you look at this material, it's offensive what they banned. They have banned materials from Black voices, and they've had almost a year now and they haven't proposed anything else". The school board met again to discuss
5985-534: The case. The judge dismissed the case a few months later in August. In Iowa, Senate File 496 (SF 496) was introduced and passed by the Iowa Legislature in early 2023. Variously known as a "Don't Say Gay" law , a "Book Ban" law, and a "Parental Rights" law, the measure was signed into law by Iowa governor Kim Reynolds on May 26 and some of its provisions went into effect on July 1. A coalition of LGBT advocacy groups and families sued in
6090-638: The challenges have begun with lists of books shared online by conservative advocacy organizations like No Left Turn in Education and Moms for Liberty . The lists are distributed to parents who then audit local schools and libraries to see if they have any copies of the listed titles. No Left Turn in Education, for example, maintains lists of books in categories "critical race theory", "anti-police", and "comprehensive sexuality education", which they say "are used to spread radical and racist ideologies to students". The strategy of distributing lists has meant that many challenges come from people who have not actually read
6195-533: The challenges were initiated by students, and most were by parents or library patrons. The New York Times reported in January 2022 that "parents, activists, school board officials and lawmakers around the country are challenging books at a pace not seen in decades". In April 2022, nonprofit organization PEN America found that 1,586 book bans targeting 1,145 unique books had occurred in the past nine months. Also in April,
6300-507: The children". In many cases, bans on certain books led to increased sales of those books , such as works by Jerry Craft , Toni Morrison , and Adam Rapp . The popularizing effects of banning any book, and the increased ease of access in the age of the Internet, mean the consequences of a ban are less significant than they were when books were harder to access, making it more of a ceremonial act. Some critics have argued this also makes some of
6405-504: The city, boosting St. Louis's population to 800,000 by 1940. The population peaked in 1950 at 856,000. There was no more room for expansion within city boundaries and earlier immigrant generations started moving to suburbs that could not be annexed. During the mid-1960s, construction began on the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium , in part to help revitalize the central business district. A 30-year downtown building boom followed. Today, there
SECTION 60
#17330845900776510-538: The common reasons for challenges, but that "this discomfort is likely imposed by adults onto young learners" who are otherwise more accepting and more likely to think outside traditional gender roles . Shauntee Burns-Simpson of the New York Public Library highlighted the issue of taking one page or one quote from a book without context and making a decision about the value of a book based on an initial reaction to that quote. Burns-Simpson also noted that banning
6615-616: The complete ban in statute to pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. These laws have led to school districts across the state removing books with LGBTQ content. In an attempt to follow the statute, Lake County School District restricted access to 40 books, most dealing with LGBTQ themes. Books restricted included A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss , And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson , and In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco. Also citing
6720-417: The coordinated, often well-funded book challenges to other reactionary efforts to restrict what students should learn about systemic bias and the history of the United States . Hundreds of books have been challenged, including high-profile examples like Maus by Art Spiegelman and New Kid by Jerry Craft . The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands of book censorship in 2022. It
6825-486: The country's top 20 largest MSAs in 2017 for the first time since 1840. As of 2021, Greater St. Louis is home to the headquarters of ten of Missouri's eleven Fortune 500 companies, six Fortune 1,000 companies, and two of the top 30 largest private companies in America, as ranked by Forbes . The metropolitan area received the All-America City Award in 2008. The Illini Confederacy once dominated what
6930-491: The distribution of the books to minors by booksellers and libraries. Anderson had done so on behalf of Tommy Altman, another politician who was running as a Republican for Congress. A group of independent bookstores and organizations represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia filed a brief arguing the motions were unconstitutional. Barnes & Nobles also filed a brief for a motion to dismiss
7035-412: The executive director of the library, the mayor declared that he would not release the funds until all of those books were removed, citing his personal religious beliefs. Jackson stated, "I explained that we are a public library and we serve the entire community. I told him our collection reflects the diversity of our community. He told me that the library can serve whoever we wanted, but that he only serves
7140-513: The existing classes in that subject. Steven Blair and Carolie Owens would defeat the Francis Howell Families-backed Adriana Kuhn and Sam Young with a five percentage point margin in the 2024 school board elections. In August 2024, the board passed resolutions to ban books containing sexual references, alcohol or drug use, profanity, or violence, institute a process which allows any district resident to remove books,
7245-435: The extent to which students can learn about systemic racism and the history of race in the United States. Legislation was introduced or passed in at least 29 states taking aim at lessons that teach children about race and inequality, with most of the laws framed around putting a stop to "critical race theory". These laws, which use broad language prohibiting teaching about privilege related to race or sex, or systemic bias in
7350-832: The future". Several commentators argued it is hypocritical for conservative pundits and politicians to support banning books that may make students feel uncomfortable after a period of strongly criticizing " cancel culture ". Adam Szetela of Newsweek opined that both the right and the left are "guilty" of banning books, citing the ban of To Kill a Mockingbird in California schools, Dr. Seuss ' books being pulled from libraries and bookstores, and videos of liberals burning Harry Potter books. Angela Haupt of The Washington Post also noted efforts by Democratic politicians and liberal parents to ban books for containing racist language, racial slurs and " white savior " characters, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , To Kill
7455-457: The great Lord above." McGhee has maintained that his opposition to the LGBTQ+ books stems from complaints from community members. The library began a fundraiser due to the funding being withheld, and raised $ 77,000 in an eight-day period. The board of aldermen met as a result of the funding being withheld; more than twenty members of the public spoke, and the meeting lasted for two hours. One member of
7560-715: The hierarchical municipality-county-state structure. These span multiple counties, and even cross state lines. Generally, their jurisdiction is focused on providing specific services that otherwise would be inadequately funded or inefficiently provided. They include the Bi-State Development Agency , the Great Rivers Greenway District , the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District , and
7665-458: The investigations by Krause and Abbott, a San Antonio district removed more than 400 books in December 2021. Maus is a nonfiction book by Art Spiegelman in which he interviews his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The work is presented as a graphic novel , and it depicts groups of people as different kinds of animals. It was the first graphic novel to win
7770-597: The largest in Missouri , and the second-largest in Illinois . Its core city — St. Louis, Missouri —sits in the geographic center of the metro area, on the west bank of the Mississippi River . The river bisects the metro area geographically between Illinois and Missouri, although the latter portion is much more populous. The MSA includes St. Louis County , which is independent of the City of St. Louis; their two populations are generally tabulated separately. The St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes
7875-685: The law bans classroom discussion or instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten to third grade. From fourth to twelfth grade, the law restricts such discussion to what the state deems to be either "age appropriate or developmentally appropriate". However, in April 2023, the Florida Board of Education voted to expand the ban on classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation to grades four through twelve, with exceptions for sex education lessons for which parents can opt-out and other explicit state requirements. In May 2023, Florida passed HB 1069, which expanded
7980-440: The law, Seminole County removed three books with LGBTQ+ or gender-non-conforming characters – I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings , Jacob’s New Dress by Ian Hoffman and Sarah Hoffman, and 10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert . In June 2023, Parnell and Richardson sued Lake County School District for banning And Tango Makes Three with "no legitimate pedagogical reason" . Richardson commented that, although
8085-723: The libraries, the process". In a personal opinion piece, Thurman cited four books she viewed to be unfit for school libraries: More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer , On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, Far from the Tree by Robin Benway , and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. After several weeks of debate, the new policies, 4.402 and 4.403, were then presented to the Hamilton County School Board at its March 17, 2022 meeting. The policy requires reported books to be evaluated on
8190-630: The most challenged books between 2000 and 2009. Strauss and education historian Adam Laats connected the trend to challenges of Darwin's On the Origin of Species and evolution in schools in the early 20th century which, according to Laats, involved similar strategies of mobilizing parents to take over school boards and widescale legislative proposals claiming to defend children's morality. In late 2022 and early 2023, efforts escalated into proposals by public officials in several states to close libraries or defund library systems that were seen as facilitating
8295-438: The most challenged books primarily because it contains profanity. According to Richard Price, a professor at Weber State University who studies book censorship, there is a "cycle of anxiety in which book challengers are driven by concerns and fears about a changing world. And so whatever the issue of the day is, then that usually drives and pushes people to try to remove books". Before the focus on critical race theory in 2020,
8400-461: The most commonly banned books had to do with LGBTQ inclusion. In her Washington Post analysis, Valerie Strauss contextualized the bans in the history of book censorship in the United States, dating back to charges of blasphemy in 1650 against William Pynchon 's The Meritorious Price on Our Redemption , and spanning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , and the Harry Potter books, which were
8505-599: The nation's first state law to restrict the ability of local libraries to enact book bans. The law withholds state funding from any library that bans books for "partisan or doctrinal" reasons. It makes mandatory the Library Bill of Rights published by the American Library Association. Governor J. B. Pritzker signed the law on June 12, 2023, and it took effect at the start of the following year. A number of authors whose works were banned spoke out. Some saw it as
8610-439: The next five years will continue its slow and gradual decline. Enrollment is expected to level off at approximately 17,000 students. The District currently provides education to approximately 18,000 students preschool through twelfth grade, and an additional 8,000 students in its early childhood education programs. The District encompasses approximately 150 square miles (390 km) in the southeast corner of St. Charles County and
8715-457: The non-farm workforce of Missouri and Illinois combined. As of May 2011, 125,000 non-farm workers were unemployed in Greater St. Louis, with an unemployment rate of 8.6 percent. As of the third quarter of 2010, the Greater St. Louis region had more than 73,000 companies or establishments paying wages, while average weekly wages for that period were $ 833, slightly lower than the U.S. national average of $ 870. The largest industry by business conducted
8820-467: The occupied housing units, 70.6% (807,431) were owner-occupied with 2,075,622 occupants. 29.4% (335,570) of units were rented with 739,749 occupants. In 2010, the median income for a household in the St. Louis metro was $ 50,900. Transportation in Greater St. Louis includes road , rail , and air transportation modes connecting the communities in the area with national and international transportation networks. Parts of Greater St. Louis also support
8925-468: The past, whereby parents or other stakeholders in the community would engage teachers and school administrators in a debate over a title, local groups have received support from conservative advocacy organizations working to nationalize the efforts focused on certain subjects. They have also been more likely to involve legal and legislative measures rather than just conversations in local communities. Journalists, academics, librarians, and others commonly link
9030-459: The policies will then be submitted and must go through debate amongst the school board and two separate votes for the policy to be enacted. In May 2022, Tim Anderson , who was a Republican delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates , filed two motions for temporary restraining orders against the books Gender Queer and A Court of Mist and Fury , with the goal being the restriction of
9135-456: The proposition that the voices of the marginalized have no place on library shelves ... falsely claiming that these works are subversive, immoral, or worse [and inducing] officials to abandon constitutional principles, ignore the rule of law, and disregard individual rights to promote government censorship of library collections". A spokesperson told ABC News that in her time working with reports of book challenges, she had "never seen such
9240-409: The public described the books as "filth" and "pornographic." The school board of Hamilton County, Tennessee created a book-review committee with the intent to draft a policy regarding book selections in public school libraries and complaints of books already on shelves. This committee contained two representatives from each of the nine current Hamilton County school districts in which each member
9345-512: The region, which was located in Fenton, Missouri . Despite its purchase by Nestlé , Ralston Purina remained headquartered in St. Louis as a wholly owned subsidiary. St. Louis is also home to Boeing Phantom Works (formerly McDonnell-Douglas ). In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in downtown is one of two federal reserve banks in Missouri. St. Louis County in particular
9450-403: The result was that the majority of the school board was aligned with conservatism . In 2023 that new board decided to end the resolution, citing that the majority of the board did not sign it nor vote to adopt it. In December 2023, the board then voted 5-2 to disallow elective classes on Black Literature and Black History. All five voting in favor were elected in April with the financial backing of
9555-526: The role of those concepts in American culture and history. The law, and confusion over how to enforce it, led to many book challenges. In October 2021, Texas Representative Matt Krause distributed a list to Texas school superintendents containing 850 books having to do with race, sexuality, and history which might "make students feel discomfort". Most of the books' authors are women, people of color, or LGBTQ. Krause wanted to know which school districts had
9660-625: The school principal to staff in August 2021 received significant pushback. In the email, the principal told teachers they were prohibited from using any of the materials on the list in their classes. The hundreds of works on the list were largely about representation of Black and Latino Americans in the United States. As described by The New York Times , some parents objected to material that would "make white children feel guilty about their race or 'indoctrinate' students". Students protested, wearing black t-shirts, advocating on social media, and picketing daily before school started. Officials argued that
9765-501: The site for a French fur trading post in 1764 because it was a rarely flooded area at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In 1770, ownership of St. Louis was transferred to Spain, and then returned to France during a secret treaty ( Treaty of San Ildefonso ). The area became part of the United States in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase , and steadily grew thereafter. It was the starting point for Lewis and Clark . St. Louis
9870-487: The transfer of students even though they would pay out-of-district tuition. The town hall meeting went on for over two hours with almost 3,000 people in attendance. One parent stated : “I deserve to not have to worry about my children getting stabbed, or taking a drug, or getting robbed." Many of these parents were later criticized by some as a result of these remarks. Other parents drew similarities between their current controversy and that of desegregation busing during
9975-428: Was $ 145.958 billion, that makes St. Louis the 21st highest GMP in the United States. The three largest categories of employment in Greater St. Louis are trade, transportation, and utilities with 249,000 workers, education and healthcare services with 225,000 workers, and professional and business services with 185,000 workers. Greater St. Louis has more than 1.3 million non-farm workers, representing roughly 15 percent of
10080-576: Was $ 213 billion in 2007. With a gross metropolitan product of $ 112 billion in 2009, St. Louis' economy makes up 40% of the Gross State Product of Missouri. As of 2021, Greater St. Louis is home to eight of Missouri's ten Fortune 500 companies: Centene (#24), Emerson Electric (#181), Reinsurance Group of America (#207), Edward Jones (#295), Graybar (#399), Ameren (#469), Olin Corporation (#472), and Post Holdings (#474). In addition,
10185-409: Was among the most challenged, said the bans are a "ridiculous publicity stunt" which would not actually stop kids from reading the books because "there's nothing more attractive to a kid than a forbidden book". Jason Reynolds , co-author of All American Boys , said the bans were more about parents "doing everything they can to shield young people from the things that scare them, not things that scare
10290-501: Was featured on the 2015 Jul 31 episode of This American Life . In 2013, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld a law that allowed students attending unaccredited school districts to transfer to other schools. A lawful decision was made that students from the neighboring Normandy School District would be able to attend schools within the Francis Howell School District. This led to Francis Howell district parents voicing concerns against
10395-674: Was formerly headquartered in Town and Country, until the executive team moved to Stamford, Connecticut; however, Charter has continued to grow in St. Louis and has upwards of 4,000 employees in the region as of mid-2018. Emerson Electric 's headquarters are located in Ferguson . Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is headquartered in Berkeley . Edward Jones Investments is headquartered in Des Peres . From 1994 until its acquisition in 2000 by Tyco International , another chemical company, Mallinckrodt ,
10500-533: Was headquartered in St. Louis County. Many of the former Mallinckrodt facilities are still in operation by Tyco in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri . Others are SSM Health Care , Mercy Hospital , and the Tenet Healthcare Corporation chain. The Greater St. Louis area is currently home to four professional sports teams: the St. Louis Blues ( NHL ) who won the Stanley Cup in 2019 , and
10605-466: Was incorporated as a city in 1823. Between 1840 and 1860, the population exploded, particularly because of the arrival of German and Irish immigrants. St. Louis's current boundaries were established in 1876. After the American Civil War , St. Louis continued to grow into a major manufacturing center due to its access to rail and water transportation. By the 1890s, St. Louis was the 4th-largest city in
10710-429: Was invited to share their thoughts and views on the policy and how it should be changed. The committee was formed after School Board Chairman Tucker McClendon introduced the idea and it was agreed to be led by District 1 representative Rhonda Thurman. Thurman explained that her reasoning behind chairing the committee is because, "I’m just wanting to inform the public about what their tax dollars are paying for, what's in
10815-531: Was signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards in June 2023 and went into effect August 1, 2023. The law requires all public libraries in the state of Louisiana to "adopt a policy to limit the access of minors to sexual explicit material." Libraries throughout the state were given a deadline of June 1, 2024 to implement new policies, with failure to do so resulting in the state withholding payments for library maintenance and upkeep. The Act specifically requires that
10920-584: Was the highest the organization had ever recorded since it began collecting censorship data more than 20 years prior. 2023 was even higher, with 4,240 different book titles challenged nationwide, as part of 1,247 reported requests filed against books, and other library resources, such as educational research databases . An update by the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom recently released preliminary data stating, "between January 1 and August 31, 2023, OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles -
11025-399: Was wholesaling with $ 71 billion, followed by manufacturing with $ 67 billion, retail trade with $ 36 billion, and healthcare with $ 16 billion. The area's largest employer by sector was healthcare with 174,000 workers, followed by retail trade with 152,000 workers and manufacturing with 134,000 workers. Using available data, the combined value of business conducted in the combined statistical area
#76923