Censorship Concerns Raised Over Scholastic Children’s Book
Following Scholastic’s decision to pull its controversial title A Birthday Cake for George Washington from shelves, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and the PEN American Center raised concerns over intellectual freedom.
The children’s book, which centers on enslaved African Americans in search of sugar to bake a cake for President George Washington, came under fire for its sanitized depiction of slavery. Scholastic responded by announcing it would no longer sell A Birthday Cake for George Washington. On Friday, the NCAC released a statement.
“While critics hailed the withdrawal of the book as a victory, it should raise serious questions about whether censorship, even when it is self-censorship, is ever a 'win,’” said the organization.
The statement, which was endorsed by The First Amendment of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, went on to defend the title. “There are books that can–and should–generate controversy,” said the NCAC. “Books and literary criticism are vital to a thriving democracy.”
The NCAC closed its statement with a warning that the removal of A Birthday Cake for George Washington could lead to the removal of more and more books, and that acts of censorship risk discouraging writers from covering sensitive or controversial topics in the future. “Pulling books out of circulation simply because they cause controversy is the wrong decision,” said the organization.
