To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Censorship Status
Banned in Various US schools
Reason: Racial themes, language concerns
A Pulitzer Prize winner that confronts America's original sin—and makes people so uncomfortable they'd rather ban it than face the truth. Through the innocent eyes of Scout Finch, Harper Lee exposes the brutal reality of racism in the Jim Crow South, showing how prejudice destroys both the oppressed and the oppressor. The book doesn't shy away from the ugly language of its era, which is exactly why some want it silenced. But sanitizing history doesn't change it—it ensures we'll repeat it. Every attempt to ban this book proves its central point: that fear of uncomfortable truths reveals more about the censors than the censored.
Why To Kill a Mockingbird Was Banned
Censorship Concerns
A literary classic that was banned despite (or because of) its enduring cultural significance.
Specifically, To Kill a Mockingbird was targeted for: Racial themes, language concerns. The book's themes and content were deemed threatening to the social, political, or religious order in Various US schools.
Why Read To Kill a Mockingbird Today?
- ✓ Historical Significance: Understand why this book was considered dangerous enough to ban.
- ✓ Intellectual Freedom: Support the right to read diverse perspectives and challenging ideas.
- ✓ Critical Thinking: Engage with ideas that authorities didn't want people to consider.
- ✓ Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into the fears and concerns of different societies and eras.
Other Banned Books You Might Like
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
This Nobel Prize winner's devastating novel about a Black girl who wishes for blue eyes has been restored in Florida after court challenges but remains targeted by Republican school boards. Morrison's unflinching examination of how racism and beauty standards destroy Black children's self-worth continues to make conservatives uncomfortable with America's racist history.
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck's Depression-era classic has been removed from multiple progressive school districts including in California and Washington for its use of racial slurs and problematic depictions of Black characters. Progressive educators argue that while historically important, the book's language can cause harm to students of color and its portrayal of disability is outdated.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Twain's anti-racist masterpiece has been pulled or replaced in schools in Philadelphia, Virginia, and other progressive districts despite its message condemning slavery and racism. Progressive educators struggle with the book's frequent use of the N-word, arguing that its historical importance doesn't outweigh potential harm to Black students forced to hear racial slurs in class.
Don't Let This Story Be Silenced
Support intellectual freedom by reading the books that challenged the powerful. Get your copy of To Kill a Mockingbird today and discover why it's still being banned.
Get To Kill a Mockingbird Now