Today, Sunday, September 8, marks International Literacy Day, proclaimed in 1966 by UNESCO to “remind policy-makers, practitioners, and the public of the critical importance of literacy for creating [a] more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.” Across the world, libraries and literacy organizations hold special events, such as public readings and second-hand book sales, to celebrate International Literacy Day and raise awareness of illiteracy rates. In the United States, this celebration continues through the end of the month with the observation of Banned Books Week through September 22-28, 2024. Banned Books Week began in 1982 as a response to the efforts to remove or restrict access to books in libraries, schools, and bookstores as an act of censorship. In today’s polarizing political landscape, we are seeing an unprecedented number of books being challenged for censorship and/or removal, particularly those centering topics of equity, racial inequality, and LGBTQ+ identities. In celebration of International Literacy Day, and in defense of the freedom and right to read without censorship, the Change Matrix Team is sharing some of their must-read books or books they are currently reading this fall:
