Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning “Speak”, is an unflinching exploration of the immediate aftermath of rape, and the emotional repercussions from it. It grapples with isolation, appearance versus reality, the power of kindness, the realities of healing, and what it means to reclaim your power. Despite its accolades and its masterful and gentle handling of such a brutal topic, "Speak" has frequently been targeted for ban or removal since its initial publication in 1999, now becoming representative of the book banning epidemic in this country. Now, Laurie Halse Anderson has joined a coalition of fellow authors, publishers, students and parents to take the fight to the courts against small groups who “want to decide for everyone’s children.” Book banning and censorship is no longer just an issue in our classrooms and libraries – it is an election issue, a voting issue, and a question of liberty. » Subscribe to MSNBC: youtube.com/msnbc Download our new MSNBC app for the ...