People Are Having Mixed Reactions To Pink Distributing 2,000 Banned Books In Florida
"I can’t imagine my own parents telling me what my kids can and cannot read, let alone someone else’s parents, let alone someone else that doesn’t even have children that are deciding what my children can read.”
Pink was 100% serious when she told us she's "still a rock star" with her "rock moves."
The 44-year-old singer is distributing 2,000 free copies of "banned books" during her Trustfall tour stops in Miami and Sunrise, Florida, and nothing will stop her.
The three-time Grammy award winner is teaming up with PEN America, a national free speech group, to give away four titles, including Toni Morrison's Beloved, Todd Parr's The Family Book, Stacia Deutsch's Girls Who Code,and the poem recited by poet Amanda Gorman at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration in January 2021, The Hill We Climb.
The "Just Give Me a Reason" singer announced the collaboration on Instagram Live with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel and Amanda Gorman — and the partnership garnered a lot of mixed reactions.
"Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that's why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools," Pink said in a statement released by PEN America.
“I’m a voracious reader, and I’m a mom of two kids who are also voracious readers,” Pink added. “And I can’t imagine my own parents telling me what my kids can and cannot read, let alone someone else’s parents, let alone someone else that doesn’t even have children that are deciding what my children can read.”
Before we proceed, we should understand that a book ban doesn't mean books are entirely erased from existence. It simply means they've been challenged or are inaccessible to children in certain school districts.
According to PEN America, 3,362 book bans, including 1,557 titles, were recorded in US public schools in the 2022–23 school year. Florida school districts account for more than 40% of those book-ban cases, thanks to laws implemented by the state's current administration.
NBC Miami reported that 300 books were removed from school libraries in Florida last year. Of "Florida's 67 counties, 21 removed books in the 2022–23 year."
Pink's advocacy to provide some of these books has received considerable backlash from conservatives who challenge the list's accuracy or people's interpretation of the definition of "banned book."
Yet, despite the criticism for this charitable move, Pink is standing on business and has continually fired back with responses of her own:
When one X user claimed she might be breaking the law, Pink cheekily responded, "Let's look into it! Let me know! You know where I'll be!"
After another X user made severe allegations about her character and claimed "they're 100% sure she probably can't read," she responded, "You all really need to get some new talking points. This one is pretty played out. You're 100% sure I PROBABLY can't read?"
And to everyone hurling unrelated insults at her over social media, Pink suggested everyone read banned books, writing, "You know you've hit a sore spot in a weak mind when their only argument is 'She's ugly! 'She's fat!' or 'She's irrelevant.'"
You know you’ve hit a sore spot in a weak mind when their only argument is “she’s ugly!” “She’s fat!”. “She’s irrelevant” READ BANNED BOOKS! GO TO @PENAMERICA TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN STOP THE BANS AND THE NONSENSE
The noise of the naysayers isn't enough to silence the "So What" singer and her fans. In fact, Pink has received a lot of praise for this bold move to distribute free copies of "banned books." Here's what they're saying:
By addressing issues of race, LGBTQ perspectives, and censorship, she raises awareness about the importance of freedom of expression and access to varied viewpoints. Whether one supports this idea may depend on their stance on these issues and the role they believe artists should… https://t.co/p8aMixdDD0
The fact that these books are banned in the first place is abhorrent! The fact that Pink has taken a very public stance, and is fighting back on these extreme views, is inspiring!#stopbookbans#booklovers
Finally, in her latest response to the backlash, Pink wrote on X (formally known as Twitter), "Very happy to have started this discussion about censorship and book banning. Will be giving out more books tonight."
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, this moment is one for the books!
