Invitation: AAR Webinar with Religion Scholars Whose Books Were Banned at the US Naval Academy
PLUS, the AAR takes a stand with a strong statement denouncing book bans and attacks on academic freedom.
You’re Invited! A Conversation with Recently Banned Religion Scholars
As wrote last week, I was shocked to learn that my book, White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, along with six other prominent books in religious studies, were among the 381 books that were banned and removed from the shelves at the US Naval Academy.
But I am proud to report that the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the largest scholarly society dedicated to the academic study of religion, is placing itself among the courageous institutions taking a stand against these attacks on academic freedom and our civil liberties. The AAR board acted quickly in response to this news, passing a resolution unequivocally denouncing book bans and threats to academic freedom. I am including their entire statement below.
Moreover, the AAR is hosting a free webinar to support the impacted authors and to draw attention to the dangers of the book banning.
YOU’RE INVITED! The AAR is hosting a FREE webinar on April 15th at noon ET with prominent religion scholars impacted by the book ban.
DESCRIPTION: The AAR recently learned that the U.S. Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books from its college library. Among the banned volumes are influential, bestselling, and award-winning books, including several key works in the study of religion in America that examine race, gender, and sexuality. In this webinAAR, several AAR member authors of the recently banned books will talk about the dangers of the book banning and related efforts to censor, restrict, and control what students and the public can read, learn, and know.
PARTICIPANTS:
Anthea Butler, Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought, and chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania; author of White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America.
Michael Eric Dyson, University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, Vanderbilt University; author of Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America.
Robert P. Jones, President and founder, Public Religion Research Institute; author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity.
Bryan Massingale, Professor and James and Nancy Buckman Chair in Applied Christian Ethics, Fordham University; author of Racial Justice and the Catholic Church.
Jim Wallis, Chair in Faith and Justice and the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice; author of America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America.
I hope you’ll join us on the webinar! Attendance is limited, so register early!
Support Authors of the Banned Books
One way you can speak out is to support these authors who are impacted by the ban. I’ve set up a special shelf at the #WhiteTooLong newsletter bookshop to highlight these books. (Note: A portion of the proceeds from books bought using those links at bookshop.com go to support this newsletter.)
Statement by the AAR Board of Directors Denouncing Book Bans and Threats to Academic Freedom
Statement by the AAR Board of Directors:
The American Academy of Religion stands firmly against the growing wave of censorship and restrictions that threaten scholarly freedom in the United States. Recently, several AAR members learned that their published works were included on a list of 381 titles ordered removed from the academic library at the U.S. Naval Academy, as reported by The New York Times. Among the banned titles are seminal works in the field of religious studies. You can browse the full list and read AAR member Robert Jones' reflections on discovering his book among those banned.
In other troubling developments, members have informed us of awarded NEH grants being rescinded—some in mid-research. Additionally, we have learned of publications scheduled to be released that have been put on hold and face an uncertain future. These actions represent a serious erosion of the principles of academic freedom and the intellectual integrity of our shared scholarly enterprise.
The AAR unequivocally denounces the banning of books, the withdrawal of research funding, and the suppression of scholarly publication. These moves not only silence individual scholars but undermine the collective pursuit of knowledge that is foundational to a democratic society.
Hence, we urge you to:
• Consider purchasing copies of books by colleagues on the banned list for gifts or for donation to libraries and educational institutions.
• Request your local public and university libraries to acquire these works.
• Join us for an upcoming WebinAAR featuring conversations with AAR authors whose books have been targeted. Together, they will reflect on the personal and professional impact of these measures—and on what is at stake for academic freedom in our time.Let us stand in solidarity, not only to defend our colleagues and our fields, but to affirm the enduring power of scholarship against all attempts to silence it.
