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Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

New Kid is a selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List.

Why was this book challenged?

Reasons:  Racial Content

  • According to the ACLU of Massachusetts, New Kid by Jerry Craft has been banned as part of an effort to stamp out “Critical Race Theory" being taught in schools.

  • Jerry Craft was surprised that his book was banned for this reason: “The story is based on his own experiences as a young Black kid attending a mostly white private school in New York City. [Craft said,] “I had to Google Critical Race Theory and try to find out how I was, how I was teaching it," (MSNBC).

  • See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about Critical Race Theory and how attacks on Critical Race Theory are attacks on Intellectual Freedom.

  • Read about New Kid on the Banned Books Book Club.

  • Read review excerpts, responses to challenges of this book, and more on Book Résumés.

  • Jerry Craft was interviewed about New Kid getting banned for the "Into America" podcast with Trymaine Lee, listen to it here:

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