A US author has slammed the school board for allegedly banning her book, as she claims they want to “silence black voices”.
Tate Billingsley discovered her book My Brother’s Keeper was banned at Elkins High School in Fort Bend, Texas, after her son spotted her name on a banned books list during a class.
In an exclusive interview with GBN America, Billingsley shared her belief that the ban is rooted in racial bias, accusing the school district of attempting to “erase black history” driven by feelings of “shame.”
The award-winning author, who has written 54 books, learned of the ban when her son texted her saying: “Oh, my God, you’re on the banned book list.”
Author ReShonda Tate Billingsley spotted her name on the banned book list
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
The ban reportedly resulted from a single parent’s complaint to the district.
The author said: “I just want to bring attention to it, because Octavia Butler is listed on the do not buy banned books list right under me, and she’s one of the most prolific voices in African American history. They’re saying we want to erase her as well.
“There are a number of books on that list that they are essentially wiping out that our students can’t hear. I want to be the voice for all of them.
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“I plan to be at the next school board meeting and just continue drawing attention to this. Because I think what they do is they quietly try to ban them, and then they hope that no one ever addresses it or notices it until we no longer have books in the districts.”
She added: “I absolutely believe it is because it is a black voice. I don’t write gratuitous sex. I don’t write anything explicit that high school students should have no business reading.
“The book has won awards. So what else could is it about this book?
“I hate that it takes one person, because I could just decide I don’t like someone and go in and remove their books, and that’s just not the way we should operate in a free speech society.”
The author spotted her name on the list above Octavia Butler
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
The book ban movement has grown in recent years across the US, with many authors being erased from curriculums related to issues of LGBTQ+ communities or race.
In 2022 it was revealed that the list was broad, including commonly taught novels such as Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Billingsley explained that she believes districts are quietly removing books, hoping “no one ever addresses it or notices it until we no longer have books in the districts”.
She explained: “You can’t cherry pick the parts of our past that you want to keep. It is imperative that we have the whole picture.”
Billingsley’s career spans from her first banned book to her latest work on historical fiction.
Her most recent book explores the life of Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Academy Award, and her experiences in 1940s Hollywood.
She said: “You start with my first book, and you end with my last book, banning it. And there’s so much in this book that historically people don’t know. Black and white.”