In honor of Banned Books Week, we’re sharing our favorite banned books. From Toni Morrison to Maya Angelou, Alice Walker to James Baldwin, these are stories that made us think, feel, question, and see the world differently. But while we’re having fun talking about our favorite books, the reality is serious. In 2025, more than 4,200 unique book titles were challenged across the country. Nearly 40% represented the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and people of color. And censorship is only part of the problem. The publishing industry still lags far behind where it ought to be with racial representation, while a small number of major publishers hold enormous influence over which stories reach the biggest audiences. We need more stories, not fewer. More Black stories. More LGBTQ+ stories. More stories that challenge us, teach us, and help us understand each other. So read the books they tried to ban. And then pass them on. Until justice is real. #BannedBooksWeek #ColorOfChange ...